On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to join regular weekday commuters as the City of Boston celebrates another Patriots’ championship. Parade-goers travelling on the MBTA are encouraged to visit mbta.com/patriots for full information on service, service adjustments, and purchasing fares. All customers are strongly urged to purchase roundtrip fare in advance. Parking availability can be checked at some of the busiest MBTA stations on Twitter @MBTA_Parking. Daily parking rates are $2 – $15 with cash, credit, or mobile phone. As a result of the anticipated crowds, trains and platforms will experience extremely heavy volume. Customers should exercise caution, stay safe, and be prepared for longer commutes and crowded conditions associated with the high demand for service. The MBTA thanks our regular riders for your support and apologizes in advance for any inconvenience you may experience as a result of the increased volume of passengers.
PARKING
Due to limited space in parking facilities, it is strongly encouraged that passengers carpool to stations. Parking availability can be checked at some of the busiest MBTA stations on Twitter @MBTA_Parking. Passengers travelling later in the day should consider stations with larger parking facilities:
SUBWAY
The Red, Orange, Blue, and Green Lines will operate a regular weekday schedule with rush-hour levels of service throughout the day in order to provide more frequency for expected additional ridership. MBTA staff will be deployed throughout the system to assist customers and answer any questions. Parking availability can be checked at some of the busiest MBTA stations on Twitter @MBTA_Parking. Daily parking rates are $2 – $15 with cash, credit, or mobile phone. Parade-goers are urged to purchase roundtrip fare ($5 is the cost of single roundtrip CharlieCard) in advance to avoid long lines at fare vending machines. A list of retail sales locations is also here. On Tuesday, pre-loaded $5 roundtrip CharlieCards will be available for purchase by credit/debit card only from red-shirted MBTA Transit Ambassadors at:
Braintree,
Quincy Adams
North Quincy
Alewife
Wonderland
Riverside
Oak Grove
Parade-goers should be aware of the current closure of Wollaston Station on the Braintree branch of the Red Line for the Wollaston Station Improvement Project. For customers desiring service at Wollaston Station, free bus shuttles operate from Wollaston to North Quincy and Quincy Center. For more information, including live shuttle and shuttle bus stop locations, please visit mbta.com/Wollaston. Bowdoin and Government Center Stations located at City Hall Plaza will be extremely busy and may be subject to temporary closures on Tuesday. The MBTA recommends utilizing other stations in the downtown area such as State Street, Downtown Crossing, and Haymarket Stations.
BUSES
Due to the parade route, Bus Routes 9, 39, 43, 55, Silver Line 5, 92, and 93 will be detoured around the parade route. Customers are urged to check T-Alerts and the MBTA website in advance for alternate bus route connections. For more information regarding MBTA service, please visit mbta.com/patriots, check T-Alerts, download the Transitapp, and follow @MBTA and @MBTA_CR on Twitter.
COMMUTER RAIL
While the commuter rail is operating a regular weekday schedule on all lines, customers and parade-goers should budget additional travel time and expect longer commutes due to the heavy volume of passengers anticipated. Commuters and parade-goers are both encouraged to travel into the city well before the start of the parade and exit the city before the evening commute, if possible. Customers with flexible schedules may want to consider inbound trains that depart just before or just after the height of rush hour and those who have the flexibility to work remotely on Tuesday should consider doing so. The MBTA asks those taking the commuter rail to the parade to be mindful of the fact that daily riders will also be filling trains tomorrow. The commuter rail has operated at capacity during previous Patriots’ Parades, causing travel impacts during both morning and evening rush hours. Parade-goers are encouraged to plan ahead and check commuter rail schedules in advance for the times of outbound trains after the parade ends. Service changes like express trains making additional stops or trains running express after reaching capacity are possible. Customers should be aware that trains may hold past their scheduled departure times until they reach capacity. Ridership will be carefully monitored for additional standby trains to be deployed to stations and lines as needed to accommodate all passengers. Bikes, including folding bikes, will not be allowed on board trains due to the anticipated crowds.
Additional staff will be available throughout the day to assist in managing lines, fare collection, and boarding. Information will be available at North, South, and Back Bay Stations offering additional details.
At North Station
After the parade on Tuesday, North Station’s underground pedestrian walkway/passageway will be one way and exit only from the commuter rail to the Orange and Green Lines in an effort to ensure safety for all customers. At North Station, queue lines by train route will be utilized on Causeway Street in order to maximize the efficiency of loading passengers on to trains.
At Back Bay Station
Following the parade, queue lines by train route will also be utilized inside Back Bay Station. Customers are encouraged to see station personnel at Back Bay for any questions. More information on post-parade queue lines at North Station and Back Bay can be found atmbta.com/patriots.
Fares
Customers arriving at North, South, and Back Bay Stations after the parade who have not purchased fare in advance will be directed to the stations’ ticket areas to purchase fare. Customers are urged to purchase round-trip fare in advance via the mTicket app to avoid long lines. A list of retail sales locations is also available here.
