Boston pushes back on MBTA plan to close part of Summer Street on World Cup match days
The kickoff to the World Cup in Boston is less than 25 days away, but there may be a new roadblock. The city of Boston and the state are now in a spat over a busy stretch of Summer Street in front of South Station.
It's a rare point of contention between two parties that normally work together. The city says it has a process for approving road closures and claims the state is trying to bypass it. The MBTA suggests it's moving forward regardless.
On any given afternoon, there are cars in gridlock, horns blaring and people running to catch their trains outside South Station. The state wants to close part of Summer Street, between Atlantic and Dorchester Avenues, on the days of five World Cup matches in June and July.
In a letter to the city last week, the MBTA wrote "given the unprecedented number of people" coming to South Station for the World Cup and regular commutes, the agency has "elevated its security posture." Suggesting the state would close the road with or without the city's say.
"We don't believe that eminent domain is ever an appropriate use for the state or any other entity to come in and kind of tell a city this is how to do what you are used to doing and what you know how to do well," Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said on Tuesday.
Mayor Wu said the city hosts big events all the time, but there's a process to close a road. Wu points out these matches are on weekdays, and the state is looking to close part of Summer Street for up to 10 hours at a time.
"The city had a number of questions that we are trying to get all the information on," Wu said. "Shutting down that particular street in that area would require shutting down the on or off ramp to I-93 in that area. Major rerouting of lots of traffic."
This is all over those special event trains the MBTA is running to Foxboro for the matches. Less than 34,000 total tickets have been sold over the course of the World Cup, well below the expected 20,000 riders per match.
The mayor says her team is looking at possible alternatives. But the state is holding firm, suggesting opening even one lane in that stretch could compromise security.
