The MBTA’s Red Line is now free of slow zones for the first time in at least 20 years after the final shutdown of areas from Nov. 17 through Nov. 23, according to a press release posted on their website. Despite this milestone for the MBTA system, commuters expressed frustrations with the inconveniences caused by the shutdowns.

The frequent shutdowns are part of the MBTA’s Track Improvement Program. The program began in November 2023 to eliminate 191 speed restrictions along the tracks by repairing and replacing the affected areas. Speed restrictions are areas of the tracks where trains are required to operate at slower speeds because of track damage. 

Since the beginning of 2024, parts of the Red Line have been shut down on six different occurrences for as long as one to three weeks. Approximately 80 speed restrictions were removed during these periods, according to press releases posted on the MBTA website.

Train service was suspended between Harvard and Broadway during the final week-long closure and extended to JFK/UMass on Nov. 24. Free and accessible bus shuttle service was offered between all stops except Park Street and Downtown Crossing.

“The MBTA understands how these service changes affect riders’ daily travels during this period, but we are committed to improving your travels long term with more reliable, timely, and safe service,” said the MBTA in an update posted on their website. 

The shutdowns left people “displaced or confused,” said Chloe Greenfield, a junior at UMass Boston and a frequent rider of the Red Line. 

“You have tourists that don’t know where they’re going and stop in the middle of the street,” Greenfield said. “They’re asking everyone for directions, and you don’t even know how to answer because the directions you’re getting are confusing.”

Greenfield uses the Red Line daily to visit family and commute to work at the Museum of Fine Arts. She travels from JFK to Park Street, where she transfers to the Green Line, but the shutdowns have doubled the time it takes. Greenfield said her commute to the MFA usually takes about an hour. 

“They make me walk outside when it’s raining, or wait for the shuttles when it’s raining. Or, the shuttles won’t bring you to where you need to go,” she said. 

“Today, the shuttles only went to Downtown Crossing, and I need to get to Park Street. I had to walk five minutes, if not more, in the rain in a crowd of what felt like a hundred people getting off of three shuttle buses,” she added.

Greenfield lives in Massachusetts year-round and says “nothing has changed” since the Red Line maintenance during the summer. 

“It’s always frustrating, even if it’s only for a couple days,” she said. “It’s not the first time the Red Line has been shut down. I’ve been here for two years. I’ll be fine.”

The most recent closure is the second time the Red Line has been suspended in November. From Nov. 5 through Nov. 10, service was suspended between Broadway and North Quincy for maintenance work that removed five speed restrictions. 

Leah Orzechowski, 24, uses the Red Line about three to four times a week to get from Broadway to Downtown for work. 

“The frustrations mostly come with the fact that it’s shut down a lot,” Orzechowski said. “It’s been more difficult. I need to plan around the buses because they have to deal with traffic.”

Commuters wanting to go Downtown have to walk an extra 13 to 17 minutes from either Park Street or Downtown Crossing to Haymarket or State.

Orzechowski said she thinks the Red Line is “one of the worst ones” in terms of efficiency. 

“The shutdowns are a major inconvenience, so I would like to see those less frequent. Hopefully, the shutdowns will help improve that in the future,” she said.

Many commuters expressed frustration with the lack of shuttle buses to their destinations. 

“I wish that there were more common shuttle buses and more space on the shuttle buses. I’m always stuck waiting for a seat,” said Katerina Georgiopoulos.

Georgiopoulos uses the Red Line about four times a week to get to Massachusetts General Hospital for work. 

“I’ve had to wake up earlier just to get to work and I get home really late,” she said. “I’m extremely frustrated.”

Pete Zimmerman took the shuttle buses to attend the football game between Harvard and Yale with his family. 

“It was a hassle,” he said. 

As the rain poured down, moods seemed low, and Zimmerman said the shuttle bus driver was especially grumpy. 

“We’re not happy, but we’re here,” Zimmerman said.

Riders aren’t completely out of the woods yet. The Green Line will be shut down from Dec. 6 through Dec. 20 between Park Street and Union Square as well as Medford/Tufts. This will be the final service suspension as the MBTA expects to lift the final slow zones across all subway lines.