LYNN — The Lynn Commuter Rail station will be temporarily closed beginning Monday, July 25, while the MBTA repairs the station, the agency announced Tuesday. This prompted a harsh rebuke from local and state officials who say the agency isn’t doing enough to provide alternate options for commuters while the station is closed.
The closure is part of the MBTA’s Lynn Commuter Rail Improvements Project, which outlines a plan to make the station more accessible and repair the station’s platforms, rails, and stairs, said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. No timetable is available for the duration of the station’s closure.
“I want to thank our Lynn riders for their understanding while we accomplish these upgrades at the station, and the Lynn community for their patience as we make these critical investments,” Poftak said. “We’ll be taking full advantage of this station closure by also making many upgrades and improvements at Lynn, like new elevators for improved accessibility and a new platform for better passenger flow.”
Mayor Jared Nicholson called on the agency to provide more alternatives for commuters while the station is closed.
“We understand the need for critical upgrades to the Lynn Commuter Rail station and want to
see the safety of our residents prioritized above all. We are also excited about the prospect of a
much-needed new station at Central Square,” Nicholson said. “At the same time we are frustrated that the MBTA has not yet committed to the steps necessary to provide convenient and efficient options for commuters who will be forced to make alternate plans.”
Sen. Brendan Crighton, who chairs the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation, echoed Nicholson, slamming the T for providing short notice for commuters to “completely change” the way they get to work, medical appointments, and school, and calling the closure a “slap in the face to riders.”
“The T can do more at a time when we’re trying to pull people back into the system,” he said in a Tuesday afternoon telephone interview. “Do not punish the riders by making [the alternative] a less affordable, less accessible mode of transportation.”
In the statement, MBTA officials recommended commuters utilize Bus Routes 441/442 and 455 to connect to the Wonderland Blue Line station, or use the Swampscott Commuter Rail station, which falls under Zone 3 and is located 1.5 miles from the Lynn station, which is a Zone 2 station, as an alternative.
Crighton said concerns raised by the state delegation and Nicholson’s office have “fallen on deaf ears.”
“There’s better ways to do it than the T is doing it,” he said. “I cannot accept no level of mitigation for our constituents and riders.”
Nicholson and Crighton both called on the T to provide shuttle bus service to the Swampscott station, with Crighton also calling for the agency to allow commuters to pay Zone 2 prices for passes to and from the Zone 3 Swampscott station, which has a higher price per ride.
The Lynn Commuter Rail Improvements Project was originally slated to begin in the spring of 2023. But, the MBTA said Tuesday that because of the station’s deteriorating condition, which prompted the agency to install protective shielding above the sidewalks after an inspection revealed column rot, falling chunks of concrete, gaps in the bridge that reveal skylight, and enough water damage to form stalagmite crystal, the project is starting early.
As part of the project the T will demolish the “deteriorated” parking garage at Lynn station in the spring of 2023.
Crighton and Nicholson emphasized the need for the agency to provide enough parking spaces for the 150-200 residents/commuters who use the garage daily.
“We’re working hard to ensure the T offers spaces nearby,” Crighton said.
The total budget for the project sits at just over $74 million, the MBTA said. The project is currently at 75 percent design and once design work is completed, officials plan to offer a timeline for the length of the station closure.
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
