MBTA Red Line Now Free of ‘Slow Zones’

Recent work on the Boston-area rail line is making service on the aging system faster and more reliable.

1 minute read

November 27, 2024, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Blurred Red Line train passing through Boston subway station.

Serhii / Adobe Stock

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)’s Red Line is free of ‘slow zones’ for the first time in over 20 years, according to an article in Mass Transit. 

The agency completed work on parts of the Red Line track, allowing trains to travel at full speed across the entire line. “Service was suspended between Harvard and Broadway the evening of Nov. 17 through Nov. 23 and between Harvard and JFK/UMass on Nov. 24, to allow maintenance crews to get the job done efficiently as part of the Track Improvement Program. Workers also maximized the outage by performing signal upgrades, security enhancements, station amenity upgrades and more.” Maintenance crews replaced 2,230 feet of rail, resurfaced and tamped 13,800 feet of track, and made repairs to stairways, tunnels, signals, and other infrastructure.

The agency says work that remains to be done on the Green Line next month will make the entire system slow zone-free.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 in Mass Transit

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2, 2025 - SD News

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Pump station with blue pipes coming out of concrete wall in Seattle, Washington.

Seattle Builds Subway-Sized Tunnel — for Stormwater

The $700 million ‘stormwater subway’ is designed to handle overflows during storms, which contain toxic runoff from roadways and vehicles.

4 hours ago - City Observatory

Sign for Deschutes National Forest in Oregon.

Feds Clear Homeless Encampment in Oregon Forest

The action displaced over 100 people living on national forest land near Bend, Oregon.

6 hours ago - The New York Times

Seeing the Better City

Is This Urbanism?

Chuck Wolfe ponders a recommended subscription list of Substack urbanists and wonders — as have others — about the utility of the "urbanist" moniker.

7 hours ago - Resurgence: A Journey via Substack

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.