MA: The 'new normal' on MBTA buses, trains redefines what is considered 'crowded"

MA: The ‘new normal’ on MBTA buses, trains redefines what is considered ‘crowded’
Buses that once allowed up to 58 people to board before reaching its “crowding threshold” will now be considered crowded with only 20 passengers.

Tanner Stening
masslive.com (TNS)


The MBTA has implemented new temporary safety measures across the transit system that have drastically reduced the number of passengers allowed on buses and trains before they’re considered crowded.

For example, buses that once allowed up to 58 people to board before reaching its “crowding threshold” will now be considered crowded with only 20 passengers.

As public transportation ridership begins to rebound, and traffic patterns continue to change as a result of larger percentage of the Massachusetts workforce working from home, T officials have looked to balance new safety concerns against record low public transit use during the pandemic, the T’s general manager said on Wednesday.

“The new normal for the T will very much be dictated by crowding thresholds, and we will continue to monitor this data closely,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said. ..........(more)

https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/news/21140007/ma-the-new-normal-on-mbta-buses-trains-redefines-what-is-considered-crowded