[SPEAKER_05]: So we are going to begin the program. We're going to ask you to allow us to take you through the presentation so that everyone will have the same information. And there will be time at the end for you to ask questions and for us to answer as many as we can. If you have questions after the meeting, think of some more questions, you may reach out to us at OLT at MBTA.com. Next slide, please. All MBTA activities, including public meetings, are free of discrimination, and we have our statements here in Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese. We appreciate you joining us this evening, and we welcome the diversity from across our entire service area. If you have any questions or concerns going forward, please feel free to visit www.mbta.com slash T-I-T-L-E-B-I to reach the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights. And before we get started, let's orient everyone to how to participate in this Zoom meeting. We are offering interpretation, multiple interpretations. We're translating the meeting tonight into Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese. If you look at the bottom of your screen, you will see an interpretation button, which is a globe. And you select the language that you'd like to hear the program in. If you are English speaking, you do have to select English.
[Unidentified]: We'll pause for a moment. to let everyone do that. That's great.
[SPEAKER_05]: So if you've chosen your language, we should be all set, and we can move on to closed captioning. To enable closed captioning, there should be a little CC at the bottom of the screen, which I'm not seeing right this second.
[Unidentified]: close captioning. You can adjust the size with an upward arrow. And let's see. You go to full, choose close.
[SPEAKER_05]: Sorry, more with the three dots. Yes, I'm sorry. Close full transcript. And you can choose your volume. You can go to video settings and then accessibility, and there's a slider which you can move to adjust the caption size.
[Unidentified]: Give you a moment there. Thank you. We'll go to the next slide.
[SPEAKER_05]: So we like to have a safety moment as we start every MBTA meeting and presentation. And here's a reminder that our transit ambassadors are trained to inspect stations for cleanliness and safety to help us all ride more safely. Remember that if you see a problem or an issue, please talk to one of the ambassadors and remember that they're there to solve them, that they didn't create them. Next slide, please. Here is our agenda for this evening. We're gonna start with an introduction to the Capital Transformation Program. Then we will talk about the Wellington track and signal upgrades timeline and give you some information on that. This is 2022 construction. We want to make sure that the information is available tonight. We will share with you our outreach methods and you will be able to reach us in a variety of ways. The presentation is also being recorded and it will be available online at mbta.com slash OLT. With that, I have the pleasure of introducing Desiree Patrice. Desiree is a Deputy Chief of the Capital Transformation Program for the MBTA, and she's going to open our program for this evening. Desiree?
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you, Nancy. I'm here on behalf of our Chief of Capital Transformation, Mr. Angel Pena. I am one of the Deputy Chiefs of the Capital Transformation Program. I'm here also with Steve Moore,
[Unidentified]: Matt Canova, and Ashley Fowle from the Orange Line Transformation Team.
[SPEAKER_02]: Our mission here at Capital Transformation is to improve the quality of service for all MBTA riders and communities that we serve through strategic capital investments. But before we get started, allow me to take a few minutes to highlight how we prioritize our portfolio of investments. Building on the success of the Green Line transformation, the MBTA formed Capital Transformation this past November, and to bring a similar approach with discipline planning and execution, not only to the Green Line, but also to the Orange and Red Lines. We take a holistic approach to every project that we undertake to improve the quality of service. And to do this, we categorize each investment based upon its purpose. These include improving safety, the state of good repair, upgrading trains, increasing capacity, and increasing the rider experience while expanding service. But today, we are here to speak about the Orange Line Transformation. Steve, can you please take us to the Orange Line transformation as a program?
[SPEAKER_00]: Sure, Desiree. Thanks very much. We currently have three major projects underway on the Orange Line. The first is upgrades to the four traction power substations at Oak Grove, Wellington, Sullivan, and Malden. And that will help increase efficiency and reliability of service for our riders. The second is upgrades to the Orange Line signal system, which replaces the current outdated analog system with a state-of-the-art digital signal system, which will reduce service disruptions, renew the lifespan of the entire signal system. And last but not least, and the focus of our discussion tonight, is our Wellington yard and maintenance facility upgrades that provide a complete rehabilitation of the only yard that serves the Orange Line. The Orange Line transformation projects not only increase service reliability, but also supports the overall commissioning of the new and improved Orange Line fleet of vehicles. Next slide, please. As the only yard and maintenance facility on the Orange Line, Wellington plays a critical role bringing service to Orange Line riders daily. The yard provides services where cars are cleaned, inspected and repaired. Yards and facilities are critical for delivering quieter, cleaner and safer service for all Orange Line riders. In addition, yards provide space for our new vehicles to be commissioned and stored without disrupting the regular service. The on-time deployment of our new vehicles is critical for higher capacity and increased frequency. Matt, can you give us some, explain how we plan to accelerate construction this summer?
[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely. So as Steve mentioned, a lot of our work thus far has been focused on Wellington Yard, but there's also connection points to the yard, one on the south and one on the north. And so from July 29th to August 28th, there will be a 30 day diversion on the Orange Line from Oak Grove to Wellington to replace this north entry and exit point. Orange Line riders will remember that we completed similar work on the south side in 2021. During that time, we had a full closure between Oak Grove and Sullivan to complete the work. Just as we did during that time, we'll utilize this full closure to accomplish as much work as possible. Full closures allow the Orange Line team to complete a large amount of work in a consolidated timeline. They also are safer and allow us to accomplish more with fewer resources. we will be able to accomplish a year's worth of work in just 30 days, which would otherwise take us consecutive nights and weekends of outages.
[SPEAKER_05]: Matt, could you just slow down a little bit? The interpreter is having a hard time keeping up.
[SPEAKER_01]: No problem. Take a drink here. Having this closure will allow us to amplify results across a significant section of the orange line. From Oak Grove to Malden Center, crews will be installing a new signal system while track units of special track work and mainline will be replaced near the Wellington Yard entry point. In addition to the capital transformation work that will happen during this time, other MBTA departments will be repairing canopies at Sullivan Station and replacing railroad ties south of Wellington. To accomplish this work, we will extend the diversion limits on weekends to North Station. That means weekdays, the diversion limits will be Oak Grove to Wellington, and on Saturdays and Sundays, it'll be Oak Grove to North Station. During the outage, we will replace just over 7,000 feet of track four units of special track work that connect the main line to the yard, and install 2,300 feet of third rail and replace six main line signals. Here you can see a cross section of the work that we'll be doing during the outage. Starting at about four feet below the surface, we'll be installing concrete encased duct banks, These lay underneath new sub ballast, asphalt, and ballast, which we will resupply after we demo the area and remove the old ballast and sub ballast. The track itself consists of ties and running rail, as well as a third rail that energizes the train with 600 volts of DC, the power of which is provided through the duct bank and into the third rail. We'll also be installing those six mainline signals that I described. So here we've put together a short little animation, which we'll play that shows you how we stagger the work. And you'll see the duct bank being installed, the concrete going on top of it, sub ballast, the ballast, and then the third rail connections finally being made. So hopefully that provided a little bit more information that kind of how we're going to do things. What I'll do here now is get into a little bit more detail, step by step, as we go through this, as we do the work, excuse me. So I mentioned the duct banks on the previous slide. Here you can see an image of construction workers installing a duct bank. During the outage, we'll replace 150 feet of duct bank. We will excavate down, as I mentioned, about four feet. We'll remove the old duct banks and expose of them and the sub-ballast. At that time, we'll install new duct banks, which you can see the black conduits there, surrounded in rebar, and then backfill with concrete, and then backfill with that sub-ballast and ballast before placing the rails on top. When we replace the rails on top, we'll be replacing 1,110 feet of track, full ties and ballast. That's the four feet depth that I've described. In addition to that, we'll be replacing both running rail, north and southbound, to the tune of 4,250 feet. We'll also replace four units of special track work. You can see the special track work here in the foreground of the image. It's that S shape that connects the two tracks together. To do that, it will require 275 tons of asphalt underlayment to be installed. The asphalt keeps the special track work from shifting as heavy trains traverse it. In addition to that, we'll be installing the signal mast, which you can see here. There will be six mainline signal masts installed, and we'll be replacing all of the aging signal cables that feed the signals mast. These masts tell the trains when to go and when to stop. In addition to the physical infrastructure, we will be replacing the technical infrastructure behind at both Oak Grove and Malden Center, which are our control centers on the north end of the Orange Line that light the signals and control the trains. Ashley, would you like to take it from here and explain to customers what services will be available to them during the outage?
[SPEAKER_03]: Sure. With this work and the disruption it will cause to Orange Line service, it is our job to keep passengers informed throughout the 30-day period. Shuttle buses will provide service to Oak Grove, Malden and Wellington on weekdays. On weekends, shuttle buses will provide service to all stations between Oak Grove and North Station. Shuttles will have an approximate frequency of every four to eight minutes. Regular train service will resume Monday, August 29th. The MBTA will provide signage as well as station attendance at each location to help customers navigate to the bus pickups and drop off locations. Other bus services in the area will not be disrupted during construction. Desiree, can you tell us how we plan on supporting our riders during the closure?
[SPEAKER_02]: With construction of the development of Wellington, we'll be very disruptive in that area. That is why it is our priority for us to reduce noise as much as possible. We take a very hands-on approach with our contractors and We take customers' concerns seriously and communicate daily with those performing the work. We will be very proactive at preventing both the NBTA and the contractor equipment from idling while maintaining site trash, dust, and debris. There will also be regular pest control inspections to assess the site for infestations. We have established a 24-7 noise hotline that neighbors can reach out to the team. We will have timely response to your comments and your concern. One of our main priorities at Capital Transformation is to keep our riders informed with transparent and honest communication. We have been very proactive getting the word out on this summer planned construction for the Orange Line, starting with the press release on May 26th. We have also distributed flyers in four different languages, encouraging participation in this evening's meeting. We will continue to respond to all emails sent to us in our mailbox at olt.mbta.com. We will continue to do our weekly updates and we'll continue to do so throughout the summer season. So if you have any questions at all, please contact us and our team at OLT at MBTA.com. And I would encourage you to subscribe to the alerts and monitor the OLT website for our most up-to-date information. We look forward to hearing from you and we look forward to continue collaboration with you as we move forward for construction schedule beginning to provide more safe and reliable service to the Orange Line riders. Nancy, will you take us through the questions and answers?
[SPEAKER_05]: Yes, Desiree, thank you. And our other speakers and presenters appreciate it. So you can see you've probably been in one of these meetings before, but you can use the raise hand feature to ask a question or make a statement. You can also submit a question to me and to the team in the Q&A, which is at the bottom of your screen. And if you're on the telephone, you can hit star nine and a raise hand will come up and we will call out the last four digits of your phone number. Thank you, and I'd like to open the floor. I'd like to ask first if there are any elected officials who are present who would like to make a comment or ask a question. I don't see any names I recognize, but that doesn't mean that there isn't someone. If there is an elected official who would like to ask a question, please raise your hand. And if not, I will go on to alternate between Q&A and hands raised. So Lauren has a question. She's concerned about the disruption that the project will provide to current commuters. She understands the MBTA will be providing shuttle buses. However, this does not seem like a helpful alternative because traffic around Wellington is congested and Orange Line trains are already not running as regularly as they once were. Is the MBTA providing discounts to other services? Will service between Walden Center and North Station on the commuter rail be discounted to provide an alternative? And Ashley, is that a question that you can address for us? Hey Nancy, I think I'll jump on it.
[SPEAKER_01]: So we understand that it's a significant disruption anytime that we take the train service down and we understand that trains move people and they're designed to do that. Of course, this work is critical. It has to be done. So that's why we do these things and we try to minimize it as much as possible. One of the reasons we selected August is ridership tends to be lower on the orange line during this time to try to minimize that impact. The shuttle buses will be free. The other services will remain as they are, fare-wise. And the individual is also correct. There will be some outages on the commuter rail at this time. And we're working with the bus team right now to figure out if they can maybe run some express buses directly to North Station to get customers into town faster. But of course, the customers will be able to transfer to this bus shuttle and then take it into town.
[SPEAKER_05]: All right, great. Thank you, Matt. You might want to stay for this one. Will you install a pedal and park at Wellington?
[SPEAKER_01]: We don't have any current plans to do that, but we can take a look at that.
[SPEAKER_05]: All right, great. What's a pedal in park? Would you let people know in case they don't know, Matt?
[SPEAKER_01]: My assumption of pedal in park, kind of like a park and ride, but for bicycles. Maybe potentially they use a blue bike or something like that as temporary things for us on other lines like freeway.
[SPEAKER_05]: Great, OK. Here's another question. During what hours will the construction work be done? This person lives across the street from Wellington and the noise level from the screeching of the trains around the tracks in the yard is awful. Also, we've been hearing constant signal testing late at night and into the early morning hours.
[Unidentified]: Will that continue?
[SPEAKER_05]: Matt, I think that might be yours again. And could you speak more slowly, please? I'm afraid the closed captioner is having trouble following you.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll do my best, just so passionate about it, I get excited. So with construction, of course, noise is part of that. So that will be just a consequence of it. We will do what we can to minimize the noise, focusing most of our work during the daylight hours. We will be working 24-7 around the clock, though, to minimize the service disruption. The noise that folks have heard in the yard will be similar to the noise that is made during this mainline debris.
[SPEAKER_05]: But later you told me, I think earlier today, Matt, that during operations there will be improvements made that should lower the, lessen the amount of squeaking from the rails. Is that true?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, the screeching is not related to the construction so much as it's related to the train operations. And part of our project does include the installation of what we call rail lubricators. which will reduce the screeching of the train.
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm sure that's welcome information. Thank you. And I don't have any other questions at the moment. Is there anyone who would like to raise their hand or ask a question? Oh, someone says the screeching has been reduced because the tracks are now being greased. Hopefully that will continue.
[Unidentified]: Thank you for adding that. Appreciate it. We'll wait a couple minutes and see if there are any more questions or comments. Quiet night, everyone wants to get out. It's kind of still light and moderately cool.
[SPEAKER_05]: Another question, is there anything that could cause the disruption to last longer than a month? I think we have a pretty good record of ending on time, but Matt, do you want to weigh in on this one?
[SPEAKER_01]: Sure. Certainly, there are unforeseen things that can happen during construction, but our team is highly focused on working with operations, the contractor, the municipalities, the communities, and notify our customers, like we are now, well in advance, all with preparation to ensure that we do deliver service back on time as scheduled.
[SPEAKER_05]: All right. Thank you. James asks, will we resume the weekday schedule during August? I don't know, James, if you mean the typical Orange Line schedule? Why don't you type in there and let us know if that's the question you're asking. Or just at the end of the construction, perhaps?
[SPEAKER_01]: In both cases, so we will run the shuttle buses at the frequent, the standard weekday frequency because we know that it takes more buses to move the passengers. But once the train service resumes, it will resume at the limited service as it is now.
[SPEAKER_05]: Okay, right. Yes, James says yes, typical weekday schedule. So yes, we certainly hope that the service becomes more robust as soon as possible. There's another question, will the shuttle buses be accessible? And my answer to that is yes, they are. We try to provide as many low floor buses as possible, but they're not always available since we're using this kind of service across the system in making improvements. But Ashley, is there anything you want to add to that?
[SPEAKER_03]: Nothing to add, the buses will be accessible and there is a priority for the low floor buses.
[Unidentified]: Okay, thank you.
[SPEAKER_05]: If there aren't any questions, I wanna remind you of how to reach us. You can, if you think of a, you will find this video posted on our website, which is mbta.com forward slash O-L-T. Let's see. And you can see right here. And if you would like to send us a question, O-L-T at mbta.com. If you go to our website, you can find a place to sign up for emails about the construction and other information about Catholic transformation. And that's a really useful way to get that information. You can also regularly check mbta.com forward slash alerts for information.
[Unidentified]: And I will wait another 30 seconds or so to see if there are any other questions.
[SPEAKER_05]: All right, if you have other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Look for our weekly updates, which I think provide a lot of interesting information. If you have suggestions for us, don't hesitate to send them. So I want to thank you all for participating this evening. We look forward to see you sometime in the future.
[Unidentified]: And in the meantime, ride safely. Good night.