Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Document of Barriers that Massachusetts faces to reopen
Last week, I blogged about how Massachusetts Commuter Rail would return to near normal by the end of October.
This was assuming several events would happen that would help build confidence for commuters to ride the commuter rail.
- MLB Returns in July - Baseball is back things are going to be okay. It's fine that there are no fans in the stands. Baseball is back. (This looks to be on track!)
- Vaccine is Near - Sometime in September, there will be some major announcement on how one of the vaccines is showing promising signs and helping critical patients in some hospitals. (Still too early to call on this!)
Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Last week the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce made public the presentation "The Massachusetts Way Forward." This is a 27-page document that covers various topics:
- Testing
- Childcare
- Transportation
It's a good read on what the barriers are with reopening and some of the concerns that businesses have with moving forward.
Reasons Why Commuters May Avoid the Commuter Rail
It's expected that the commuter rail may limit the number of passengers. This may cause some train delays going to/from Boston.
- Uncertain Morning Commute - If the trains restrict the number of travelers per car that means that they will now carry fewer passengers. It's possible that trains will not be able to stop at certain locations because they are "full." Commuters may want to avoid arriving late to work.
- Uncertain Evening Commute - How will the MBTA handle large crowds during the evening commute? What about happens if you miss your train, because of passenger limits?