Orange Line 30-Day Closure: See All Your Travel Options

BOSTON, MA — A potentially region-crippling closure of the Orange Line begins Friday at 9 p.m., when the MBTA’s beleaguered carrot-colored trains will fall silent until the morning of Sept. 19.

Oh, and they’re also closing the Green Line Union Branch. And school is starting soon — luckily there aren’t any major colleges along the Orange Line.

During the closure, the T will be able to make about 5 years worth of repairs, including upgrading tracks and electrical systems, officials have said.

And while local elected officials and transportation leaders are throwing around words like “unprecedented” and “emergency” (and actually advised people to just avoid Boston during the closure), there are lots of ways to get around the dead Orange Line until Sept. 19.

Boston Patch has compiled a list of travel options and incentives being offered across the region so you can best plan your detour.

Commuter Rail

Officials have pegged this as the best option because the Franklin Line basically runs the same route as the Orange Line between Forest Hills and South Station. Ditto for the Haverhill Line, which stops in Reading, Melrose and Malden before hitting North Station.

And commuter rail trips around Boston and into the suburbs will be FREE during the Orange Line shut down. Anyone with a CharlieCard will be allowed to ride free in zones 1a, 1 and 2. Check out the fare zone map here to see how far the free limit extends.

Bikes

If the weather is nice, and you’re commuting from south of downtown Boston, biking could be a really great option. The Southwest Corridor — which won’t be closed for two weeks, as previously planned — provides a car-free path, which is great for beginners. The Boston Cyclists Union is also stepping up to provide amenities like free bike tune-ups and group rides. Check out BCU’s guide to biking during the closure.

On top of that, Bluebikes will be free for the whole closure. Blue Cross is also providing free Bluebikes valets at busy stations during peak commuting times. Visit the bike share website to find valet stations.

Shuttle Buses

Coach buses will be MBTA’s direct replacement for the Orange Line. The buses will follow city streets between Oak Grove and State Street, and between Forest Hills and Copley. See the full map here. The shuttles will have their own lanes, but it’s a good bet they’ll get stuck in regular traffic.

MBTA Buses

Regular buses also serve portions of the Orange Line, including the Silver Line 4 and 5, and Routes 39 (Forest Hills to Back Bay), CT2 (Sullivan Square to Ruggles/Northeastern), 92 and 93 (Sullivan Square to Downtown Crossing) and 43 (Ruggles to Park Street/Boston Common). The MBTA this week also added a stop along Silver Line 4 at Kneeland Street to bridge South Station and Chinatown.

The Mission Hill LINK shuttle will be free during the shut-down, providing rides between Longwood, Northeastern, Brigham Circle and Heath Street. See the map here.

Driving

I’m sorry, have you not seen the MassDOT nuclear fallout map? Driving is a drag during regular times and gas is expensive, so just skip it.

Schools

The Boston Public Schools 2022-23 year begins on Aug. 31. A lot of kids take the Orange Line, and they will largely be directed to commuter rail trains. BPS has acquired 5,000 CharlieCards for students, and will excuse late students hurt by the closure. Schools will also provide breakfast after the first bell for students who are late.

Help?

Boston will host pop-up mobility hubs at Copley Square and Government Center to help commuters figure out how to transfer between buses and other subway lines. There will also be MBTA ambassadors wearing red shirts out in force to help commuters. Shuttle bus stops will be clearly marked with big orange flags with the word “shuttle.”

Here’s a link to the T’s official Orange Line closure guide.