Some Boston commuters brace for "disaster" during World Cup
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Providence Highway near the Walpole-Foxborough border on March 26 during the Brazil vs. France game at Gillette Stadium. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Cole
Massachusetts' transit plans for the World Cup are derailing commuters' plans to get to work in Boston at a time when most employers are retreating from hybrid work.
Why it matters: The biggest losers of the World Cup matches at Foxborough's "Boston Stadium" just might be regular Commuter Rail passengers if they can't work remotely and avoid the traffic jams and train disruptions.
Catch up quick: Massachusetts officials have urged World Cup fans to use public transit to get to the stadium, despite the hefty price tags for train and bus tickets.
- Gov. Maura Healey in March announced 50% discounts on monthly passes and "Free Fridays" on certain Commuter Rail Lines this summer.
- What wasn't mentioned was the series of train disruptions underway.
State of play: The Commuter Rail plans to borrow equipment from other lines to ensure it can operate 14 express trains between South Station and Boston Stadium in Foxborough on match days, per StreetsBlog Mass.
- That means longer wait times or reduced service on every Commuter Rail Line except Lowell's.
State of play: Franklin/Foxborough Line passengers will lose service altogether on match days, many of which fall on a weekday.
- Passengers who can't work remotely say the closure forces them to choose between taking a shuttle bus to Canton Junction or Stoughton to take their train lines or driving into the office.
- Whatever they choose, they say, there's no avoiding the World Cup traffic on the way home.
What they're saying: "Their first obligation should be to the commuters, not the people that are in town for two weeks," says Sandy DiBacco, who takes the Franklin/Foxborough Line from Walpole to her job as a legal assistant in Boston.
- DiBacco said she was already leaving the house an hour earlier and returning later because service slowed on the Franklin Line after it was extended to Patriot Place in 2019.
- Now she's considering leaving the house before 7am.
- The latest changes, she says, will be an "absolute disaster" for commuters.
Owen Salerno, a Millis resident and Franklin/Foxborough passenger, can work remotely if needed, but he doesn't want to abandon the summer intern or any new hires onboarding.
- "I'm in a weird pickle," says Salerno, a marketing director for MDS Architects in the Financial District.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation did not respond to emails seeking comment on Monday.
Employers adjust
Some Boston-based companies, including State Street, John Hancock and Eastern Bank, have discussed contingency plans for commuters dealing with World Cup traffic.
- Even companies requiring four days in the office say their managers will have the discretion to adjust employees' schedules, possibly letting them work remotely on match days.
Meanwhile, Mass General Brigham won't make its employees head into its health care center at Patriot Place on game days.
- Its Foxborough sites will be closed.
What we're watching: The first weekday World Cup match at Boston Stadium is Iraq vs. Norway at 6pm on June 16, a Tuesday.
- Boston Stadium's parking lots will open up to four hours beforehand for tailgating.