MBTA riders frustrated with Blue Line escalator in East Boston that's been broken for months
EAST BOSTON - Since late October, T riders in East Boston have been squeezing down a tight stairwell to board the trains at Maverick Station. It is because the escalator has been out the whole time.
"It takes a solid four to five minutes to get up the stairs. I've started taking the elevator, and planning it as part of my commute," said rider AJ Aversano.
The MBTA says a power surge knocked out the escalator. They have been waiting on parts ever since. This particular escalator is from a company that is not the current contractor of the MBTA. It was installed before the MBTA chose a standard design for all of their escalators.
Now, passengers cram down that small stairway or into an elevator to get to the trains. During rush hour it can get chaotic.
"There is a line that goes all the way down to the gates," explains rider Parth Shah. "This is a very high-volume station. A lot of people live in East Boston, and a lot of people use this station to commute. It's a tiny space for people to go through every day."
"Me personally, I am coming home from work, and being on my feet all day, so I am already tired. I go in the elevator as it is," explains fellow rider Anthony Biagetti. "If I am coming during rush hour, it can take four to five rotations of that elevator to get up even."
"I have tripped before [on the stairs], but nobody stops. You get trampled," says Aversano.
The MBTA says their contractor is working with the other escalator company to resolve the situation. They are in the process of scheduling the repair. In the meantime, T riders would like to see some alternatives.
"If they could just remove the gates, so we could use the stairs, there's two working staircases people could use," suggests Shah.
"Free fare would be nice for a little bit," adds Aversano. "Some of the other T stops have accommodations like that when things are inconvenient. We haven't had much of anything."
