North Station may shut for parley
Citing security concerns, MBTA officials want to shut down North Station to all commuter rail and subway traffic during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter, several officials involved in the planning effort say, potentially snarling downtown traffic as convention-goers descend on Boston in July.
The move would force North Station's 25,000 weekday rail commuters to change trains north of the city and connect with subways or buses, according to officials from four agencies and organizations involved in planning the convention, which takes place July 26 to 29. Subway trains would bypass the North Station stops on the Green and Orange lines, they said.
Combined with the decision to limit traffic in the new southbound Expressway tunnel to two lanes for 10 months beginning this spring, the North Station closure could tie the area's transportation network in knots, as thousands more commuters drive to Boston, exacerbating traffic and parking problems throughout the city. There is also a possibility that Interstate 93 -- which runs just feet from the FleetCenter -- will be closed, a move that would generate more commuting headaches.
The officials said they made the decision in part because even if they elected to keep North Station open, a security problem during the convention, such as a bomb threat or violent protest, could compel the Secret Service to shut it down, causing commuter chaos. In addition, they said closing North Station will mean commuters won't have to jockey with tens of thousands of convention-goers throughout the week of the event.
"You don't want to have to walk between 30,000 convention political types," one of the officials said. "It's probably better to keep the commuters out. They will prefer it, to stay totally away."
Final plans for the area around the FleetCenter are still being worked out by convention organizers, but the closure of North Station is all but a certainty because of the risks of keeping a subterranean transit hub open while a high-security event takes place in the arena above it, the officials said. North Station lies directly beneath the FleetCenter. Ann Roman, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, said no final decisions have been made on the fate of North Station or I-93, saying, "The Secret Service, along with federal, state, and local agencies involved, will take into consideration the concerns of all affected and will attempt to minimize disruptions."
Convention organizers had considered a plan for building temporary platforms for commuter trains a few hundred yards north of the station. But that proposal would have cost at least $1 million, and possibly twice that, the officials said.
Under the new plan, riders on the Fitchburg commuter rail line would probably be required to disembark at the Porter Square stop in Cambridge and transfer to the Red Line. Riders on the Haverhill line would change to the Orange Line at the Malden Center stop. Those taking the Lowell train would be required to transfer to a bus at the Anderson regional transportation center in Woburn. And riders on the Rockport/Newburyport branch would probably have to switch to a bus in Lynn.
So far, nearly all of the agencies meeting to hash out a security plan for the convention are on board with the MBTA's strategy, the officials said, although all have been reluctant to deliver the unwelcome news to the public until the Secret Service has given its final approval.
At a press conference yesterday, Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, said the organization is committed to coming up with a transportation plan that will balance the concerns of commuters and convention-goers alike, but did not acknowledge the MBTA's recommendation.
Seth Gitell, Mayor Thomas M. Menino's spokesman, said the mayor still considers the matter open for discussion, and added that Menino has "been working hard with the MBTA to come up with the right plan to minimize the inconvenience for commuters when the convention comes to town, but that optimizes public safety."
"Obviously, the mayor will abide by whatever public safety determination is created," he said.
A senior official in Governor Mitt Romney's administration said the state will embark on "a massive public communications effort so people can plan their lives that week" if the Secret Service OKs the closing of North Station.
Business leaders say they will work with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and security planners to ensure that the convention is a safe event, but they also want to make sure that businesses can continue to function throughout the week.
"The DNC coming to Boston is a wonderful opportunity . . .," said Richard A. Dimino, CEO of the Artery Business Committee. "Challenges relate directly to security and our transportation system, and security issues take the lead. Everybody understands that." 