No Uptick In Melrose Parking Violations So Far In Orange Line Shutdown: Police

MELROSE, MA — The Orange Line’s 30-day shutdown has prompted a notable uptick in the number of people riding the Commuter Rail to and from Boston.

To date, however, the influx of new riders has not translated to a spike in parking issues in Melrose, where riders have largely obeyed parking restrictions in and around Melrose’s three Commuter Rail stops, according to Melrose Police.

“Fortunately, we aren’t seeing those impacts in Melrose,” Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur wrote in a statement to Patch on Thursday.

The lack of major issues comes just under two weeks after Brodeur told the Melrose City Council that local police would be on the lookout for a possible surge in illegal parking due to the then looming Orange Line shutdown.

MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak later said last Wednesday there has been a surge in ridership on the Commuter Rail. The T is, as a result, expanding some of its trains to accommodate, adding coaches on two separate trains operating on the Haverhill Line on weekday mornings.

Though there may be more riders on the train, Melrose Police Lieutenant Paul Norton confirmed that “drivers by and large have been obeying the parking regulations around the commuter rail stops.”

Outside of Melrose, police in Wakefield and Woburn also said they’ve seen no issues at their Commuter Rail stops. Both those municipalities sit within a zone of what is effectively free Commuter Rail access during the Orange Line shutdown, allowing riders to ride the train for free in zones 1, 1a or 2 by displaying a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket.

In Wakefield, Chief Steven Skory said Commuter Rail parking spaces had been full by 6 a.m. on a regular basis before the COVID-19 pandemic. Motorists would then try to park in residential areas, prompting complaints, Skory said.

Parking volume has dropped sharply since the pandemic, however, according to Skory. There had been “no noticeable difference” during the Orange Line closure to date on Thursday, he said.

Skory said police would monitor for any changes.

State officials have weighed in on the Orange Line shutdown and the T’s related system of shuttle bus, train, bike and van alternatives in the early days of the disruption. The system, Poftak said on Wednesday, has been running “relatively smoothly.”

Looking forward, eyes are now on a possible post-Labor Day surge in commuters to Boston, which will coincide with students returning to school in the new school year.

“We recognize that new challenges may present themselves after Labor Day as a result of significant increases in traffic volume on public transit and our highways,” Brodeur said. “We will continue to advocate on behalf of our commuting residents and take a proactive approach to addressing local traffic issues connected to the shutdown.”

Before Labor Day, a series of more than 40 service reductions on bus routes where scheduled take effect on Sunday with the onset of the MBTA’s fall schedule. The reductions, which were prompted in part by lingering staffing issues at the MBTA, have prompted frustration for some commuters already impacted by the Orange Line shutdown and simultaneous closures on the Green Line.

READ: MBTA Fall Schedule Reduces Bus Service, Extends Subway Frequency Cuts