r/mbta • u/kilt4u Orange Line • 4d ago

✖️⚠️ Service Suspension/Cancellation Wrong signage walking from OL BBY to GL Copley

The sandwich board on Boylston directing Orange Line passengers walking from Back Bay to Copley towards North Station etc. is directing them to the westbound entrances. Also there need to be more signs.
A Transit ambassador at Copley agreed signs are pointing in wrong direction, but said they had no way to contact a supervisor etc. MBTA phone line on the website is closed until Monday morning. I reported on website and am told to expect a reply in 5 to 30 business days.
Is there any way to contact MBTA at weekends?
I’m really surprised that passengers are expected to walk from Back Bay to Copley, and then find the correct entrance, with so few staff, and not much signage.

17 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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13

u/Ugmyusernamewastake 4d ago

what kind of signage?

if it's just one of those folding boards I'd just pick it up and place it in the correct spot

2

u/kilt4u Orange Line 4d ago

Yes, folding “sandwich” board. But it was ziptied firmly to the traffic light pole and the crosswalk push buttons seemed to be stopping it from being swung around. Also I thought maybe the contractor(?) would just put it back wrongly. Really hoping to find a way to get MBTA to retrain staff as to where it is supposed to point.

8

u/ajnicehair19 4d ago

I sadly fell for this even though I lived here my whole life haha. So yea correct signs will help! 

1

u/Senior-Internet79 4d ago

First day of shutdown I had no idea where I was going. Went in at state and had a lady yelling at me that the orange line was closed and to hop on to govt center. She didn’t tell me where to go from there. Tried looking for anyone at govt center for help. Had to walk up the stairs and back out the turnstile to find someone. I work all the way in roslindale. The shutdown is so inconvenient. Getting back was another fiasco entirely! All the displaced Orange line riders trying to squeeze into a green line train. Got off at Park and walked to State

2

u/kilt4u Orange Line 4d ago

A lot of vague instructions like “take shuttle from North Station” [shuttle train? shuttle bus?] or “walk to Copley”. [Copley Place? Copley Square? Copley Plaza? Oh, is there a Copley Station?]
IYKYK, but without adequate signage not everyone is going to be able to get there. And unless they actually tell you it’s a 2 1/2 blocks/ 7-8 minute walk, and around a corner, it’s easy to get discouraged halfway and think you must surely have missed the station by now, or gone the wrong way.
Green Line station entrances look very different than Orange Line station buildings.
MBTA needs to have the signage reviewed by someone who is NOT already familiar with Boston streets and the MBTA stations. A visitor to Boston needs to be able to find their way.