BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority says the rapid transit Green Line’s B Branch is now free of speed restrictions as a result of a maintenance shutdown Aug. 2-11, the latest major project under the agency’s effort to eliminate a backlog of slow orders.
The suspension of operations between Boston College and Babcock Street eliminated eight speed restrictions. Overall, as of Aug. 12, the Green Line as a whole now has just four speed restrictions, while the entire MBTA rail network has 68. As of Jan. 1 this year, there were 38 restrictions on the Green Line and 143 overall, according to the MBTA’s Speed Restriction dashboard.
“The critical infrastructure work our contractors and MBTA crews accomplished, including intersection enhancements and accessibility upgrades, allows us to make meaningful travel improvements for Green Line riders and countless members of the public who traverse Comm Ave. in these areas,” MBTA CEO Phillip Eng said in a press release. “… I’m proud that, as a result of this work, the B Branch is now completely restriction-free as we reverse years of underinvestment and deliver the safe, reliable, and more frequent trip that our riders deserve.”
The latest project included more than 4,100 feet of full-depth track reconstruction, including new rail, ties, and ballast; more than 5,400 feet of track resurfacing and tamping; replacement of more than 4,200 feet of restraining rail and more than 13,000 feet of overhead wire; and installation of nearly 800 tons of pavement at intersections, pedestrian crossings, curb ramps, and platforms at Griggs, Allston, and Warren streets.
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“says the rapid transit Green Line’s B Branch is now free of speed restrictions”
vs
“now has just four speed restrictions”
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That’s the difference between the B Branch and the entire Green Line. I have added the phrase “as a whole” to make that explict.