Swampscott parking lot quickly fills up as Commuter Rail picks up slack of Sumner Tunnel closure
SWAMPSCOTT - As commuters deal with the closure of the Sumner Tunnel, the other alternatives are dealing with their own potential hiccups.
On Thursday, the Commuter Rail parking lot in Swampscott quickly filled up by 8 a.m. Those looking for a parking spot were told to park at the nearby high school, then take a shuttle bus to the train station.
The MBTA said they have contingency plans ready for other stations if parking lots fill up fast.
"I think it's been a good first 24 hours so far," said Jarred Johnson, the head of the public transportation advocacy group TransitMatters. "I think the real stress test is going to be next week when it's a full work week and folks are back from vacation."
Johnson said he feels the MBTA has offered a solid plan of alternatives. These include discounted Commuter Rail fares from Swampscott and Salem and free service on the Blue Line and ferry. The MBTA is also tweeting hourly updates, showing parking lot capacities and any delays on their lines.
"I think it really highlights we should be doing this all the time," said Johnson. "Boston has some of the worst traffic in the U.S., some of the worst traffic in the world for a major city but we have made the choice now to give people lots of options and we should be doing that all the time."
Johnson said he's hopeful that next week will go well, when a larger amount of commuters is expected.
