Local ferry, commuter rail service to be restored but at time yet TBD

The MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board​ voted on Monday to resume as soon as possible full subway and bus service as well as weekend commuter rail and Hull/Hingham ferry service. However, no specific timeline for the resumption of those services has been set yet.

The various modes of T transit all experienced cutbacks a few months ago due to coronavirus-related low ridership numbers. 

The decision to restore service to pre-COVID-19 levels was made even though ridership is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

The virtual board meeting, which focused on transit service levels, including the ferry, was open to the public. 

MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak reported that the T is currently maintaining ferry service levels instituted in January that involved cutbacks in service. He referred to a potential increase in the frequency of Hull/Hingham ferry service as needed, but if and when that would occur is unclear at this time.

Poftak said during the meeting that there will be a priority on “getting back to 100 percent of pre-COVID service levels” on bus and subway lines. “Our plan is to build back to pre-pandemic service levels first, then to go further and create a better system than we had before the pandemic.”

Funding is not a constraint, according to Poftak, because the T’s fiscal 2022 budget includes full funding for pre-pandemic bus and subway service levels and because funding is also available to meet fiscal 2021 needs as well.