Important Information for Commuters

As the MBTA will be shutting down commuter rail service north of Salem from July 17 through August 13 to repair the railroad bridge between Salem and Beverly, the City will be making the following changes in anticipation of additional commuter vehicle traffic during that period of time.

Temporary taxi stand: Taxi cabs and other ride service vehicles will not be permitted into the garage during this time period. A temporary stand will be posted on Washington Street southbound from Bridge Street to Federal Street.

Salem resident-only lot: The City of Salem’s surface parking lot adjacent to the MBTA garage will be available on these dates for Salem residents only from July 17 to August 13. Cars parked in the lot must be registered to a Salem address, and license plate lookup will be used by enforcement personnel. The lot will continue to be $4/day.

Overflow parking: Additional parking is available at the Universal Steel lot on Bridge Street. Parking will continue to be $4/day. Parkers are encouraged to pay using the Passport parking app (https://ppprk.com/park/) – available on IOS and Android devices – as the lot only has one payment kiosk and lines may form. Day-long parking will also be available, as always, in the Church Street surface lot and the Museum Place garage. For more information about parking options in Salem, please visit http://www.salem.com/traffic-and-parking-department.

Pick-up/Drop-off: The MBTA pick-up and drop-off location on these dates will be relocated to the northbound on-ramp to Route 114 West/North Street off of Bridge Street. Pick-up and drop-off, also called “kiss and ride”, will not be permitted in the MBTA garage property from July 17 and August 13.

Residential parking enforcement: Additional parking enforcement personnel will be monitoring neighborhoods around the MBTA station between July 17 and August 13 to provide additional parking enforcement of no parking, resident parking only, and other regulations. To report an illegally parked vehicle, call the Salem Police Department non-emergency line at 978-744-1212 or the Traffic and Parking Department at 978-745-8120.

Police details: Police details will be present in key downtown intersections on some dates and times during the July 17 through August 13 period. Please follow directions from any details present, as they will be working to help ensure traffic moves through intersections in as orderly a manner as possible.

Expanded bike share: Zagster bike share stations will be added July 17 at Ward Street & Congress Street, Salem Willows, and Loring Avenue near the bike trail entry at Salem State University’s Central Campus. These stations, in addition to the existing three stations at Federal Street near the Tabernacle Church, Front Street & Washington Street, and Salem Wharf at Blaney Street, brings the total number of bikes available to 36. Use the promotional code BIKESALEM through August to get discounted Zagster membership. Bike to the Federal Street Zagster station for easy access to the commuter rail. Visit www.zagster.com/salem for details.

Expanded weekend ferry service: The City of Salem and Boston Harbor Cruises will be expanding ferry service to and from Long Wharf in Boston on weekends from July 15 through September 30. Please note that these trips will be on the 272-passenger catamaran ferry The Manhattan, a different vessel from the Bowditch, Salem’s regular ferry, and trip times will be increased to approximately 75 minutes.  

WEEKEND ADDITIONAL FERRY (July 15 through September 30)

Depart Long Wharf, Boston
Arrive Salem Wharf

10:30 a.m.

11:45 a.m.

1:30 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

Depart Salem Wharf
Arrive Long Wharf, Boston

12:00 p.m.

1:15 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

4:15 p.m.


During the period of July 17 through August 13 there will not be additional weekday ferry service, but increased ridership is anticipated, especially during commuting hours, so ferry passengers are advised to plan accordingly, purchase tickets in advance online at www.salemferry.com, and arrive early if possible. Parking availability is limited at the Blaney Street lot, so commuters are encouraged to walk or bike to the ferry whenever possible. Bike racks are provided next to the ferry office, bicycles are allowed on the ferry, and there is Zagster-Salem Bike Share hub at Blaney Wharf.

South Salem residents who typically drive to the commuter rail station are encouraged during this time to utilize a station south of Salem on the commuter rail line (parking at the Lynn commuter rail station is free of charge) or to consider the Lynn to Boston Ferry (7:45am departure from Lynn, 6:00pm return from Boston, $7 each way) or taking the Blue Line.

In addition to the July 17 to August 13 closure of the commuter rail line north of Salem, commuter rail service will shut down along the entire Newburyport/Rockport line every weekend between July 8th and September 30th so that the MBTA can install federally-mandated Positive Train Control infrastructure.  During this time period, the MBTA will run shuttle bus service to and from North Station from all stations throughout the project. Thirteen inbound and eleven outbound shuttles will service the Salem MBTA station. Total travel time for trips between Salem and North Station in Boston are estimated to be 1 hour.  (See http://bit.ly/WeekendShuttle for full shuttle schedule).

Read more: http://www.salem.com/node/144773

Salem Intermodal Station Improvements: Parking Lot Closing July 20

On Saturday, July 20, 2013, the parking lot at Salem Station will be closed to allow the MBTA’s contractor to begin work on construction of the new Salem Intermodal Station and Garage Improvements. The contractor, Consigli Construction, will begin preparing the site for construction that day.

The MBTA has been working closely with the City of Salem to ensure that many current services can remain on site during construction. Services that will remain on site will include MBTA Commuter Rail service, MBTA bus service, the current accessible parking spaces, “The Ride” pick-up and drop-off and the current bicycle storage racks. The station kiss n' ride will be relocated at two locations off the current site. The first will be Bridge Street on the ramp to Route 114 in front of the existing pedestrian ramp and stairs to the station below. The second will be in the westbound lane of Bridge Street, just before the existing entrance to the station. Pedestrians will be able to access the station at the current locations and will be directed on the site along pedestrian paths to the platforms. Taxis will be relocated to the first block on Washington Street, with a space for spillover onto Federal Street. Automobile parking will be moved off site to make room for construction.

Those of you who live outside of Salem, please consider a variety of other travel options, including driving to and parking at other stations (Lynn Garage, Montserrat Station in Beverly, Swampscott Station, North Beverly Station and Wonderland in Revere). Other options include taking the Salem to Boston Fast Ferry or riding the 459 bus from Salem Depot to Downtown Crossing. A full list of alternatives with details on cost and access is available at www.BuildingSalem.com. You can also visit the MBTA’s website to sign up for “T Alerts” for the Newburyport/Rockport line.

The MBTA bus stop at the station will be relocated in the next few weeks to the City of Salem lot adjacent to the station. Bus 465, which currently stops on Washington Street between Federal and Bridge Streets, will move one block east, in front of Tabernacle Church.

The City of Salem is completing construction of a parking lot on Bridge Street (known as the Universal Steel site). The City anticipates that parking will be available at this site in mid-August. Notices will be posted when the lot is open. Currently the City of Salem is providing 30 parking spaces available at the Alpha Auto Sales lot, adjacent to the Universal Steel lot on Bridge Street.

While the project will pose some inconvenience to customers, the end result will be a new high-level platform; sheltered waiting areas; bicycle, pedestrian, and bus areas; and a parking garage. Input from the City and many of you, who attended planning meetings, has contributed to a successful process. The MBTA and the City of Salem ask for your patience as they work through the parking lot closure. Updates will be posted on the Building Salem site and the MBTA’s website. Please take care to follow signs directing you around the construction. The MBTA will meet with the community this fall to report on their progress and check in with you as the construction advances.

Salem MBTA Station Parking Lot CLOSING

For those of you who commute into Boston or the surrounding communities from Salem, the MBTA Salem Station Parking Lot and the Salem City Parking Lot will be closing effective Saturday June 20, 2013 for construction of the Salem Station Improvements and Parking Garage.

Commuter parking is available at Lynn Garage, Montserrat Station in Beverly, Swampscott Station and North Beverly Station.

The City of Salem is completing construction of a parking lot on Bridge Street that is anticipated to be available in August 2013. Notices will be posted when this parking lot is available.

Handicap Accessible parking at Salem Station will remain open during construction.

MBTA customer service: 617-222-3200 or 800-392-6100 – TTY 617-222-5146

Salem Commuter Rail Drill!

The MBTA is looking for volunteers from the public to participate in a Salem Commuter Rail Drill!

Sunday morning, June 2nd, 2013 the MBTA, MBCR, and City of Salem will be conducting a joint commuter rail emergency evacuation drill in Salem. For added realism, we are looking for volunteers to act in the role of passengers during a simulated Halloween incident. Costumes are encouraged but optional.

This is a great opportunity for residents of Salem to support public safety efforts in their community. Volunteers will experience first-hand a train evacuation coordinated by first responders inside a tunnel. Food will be served, all volunteers will receive a participation certificate and participation counts as four credit hours for EMTs.
To register or learn more, please visit
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17I7bODcPD-d02KfkTFyyYepdnmV9zxnHrS0lTec-2Mg/viewform

Please contact Ed Gincauskis MassDOT Emergency Management Coordinatorwith any questions,
 E-Mail: edward.w.gincauskis@state.ma.us   Office: 617-222-3941

*More information regarding this drill will be posted on www.salem.com next week. 
The information in this posting is just to recruit volunteers.

Museum of Science Welcomes Salem Residents for Fourth Annual September Salem Days

This September, Salem residents will have the opportunity to transport themselves to the remote and beautiful Arctic, experience a rock-and-roll journey through space and time, stand before one of the world’s most complete Triceratops fossils, and much more, all free of charge, when the Museum of Science hosts September Salem Days. This program, generously funded by the Norman H. Read Trust, will allow Salem residents to explore more than 700 exhibits, four Planetarium shows, and three giant-screen films in the Mugar Omni Theater. This is the fourth year that the Norman H. Read Trust is providing this exclusive opportunity for Salem residents.

The Norman H. Read Trust will also subsidize two free MBTA train rides to and from North Station. The first train ride will take place on Saturday, September 15 and will be led by Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll and family. The second train ride, led by State Representative John Keenan and family, will be held on Saturday, September 22. Both train rides will depart from Salem and the offer is only valid for the 10:38 a.m. North Station bound trains on each day. Museum of Science staff and volunteers will accompany passengers on both train rides to provide interpretive and hands-on science activities during the rides. Museum of Science volunteers will guide train riders from North Station to the Museum of Science.7.

September Salem Days Program Information
The program includes free Exhibit Halls, Planetarium, and Omni Theater passes for all Salem families, individuals, and children. Passes have been mailed to each Salem household. Passes will admit up to four individuals. To obtain additional passes, residents can visit one of three distribution centers, which include Salem City Hall, Salem Public Library, and the Salem Parks and Recreation Department. Passes will also be distributed in classrooms at the Salem public schools. Exhibit Hall passes can be presented at the Museum entrance with a valid Massachusetts driver's license or identification card indicating Salem residence. Charles Hayden Planetarium and Mugar Omni Theater passes must be exchanged for a timed ticket with valid identification. Salem residents must obtain passes in the mail or from a distribution center prior to arriving at the Museum. The Museum of Science will be closed on Tuesday, September 4. The Charles Hayden Planetarium will be closed September 10 through September 14.

Throughout the month of September, the Charles Hayden Planetarium will show Ghosts of Jupiter: Music Experience, Undiscovered Worlds: The Search Beyond Our Sun, Explore the Universe: Live!, Dynamic Earth. The Mugar Omni Theater will show To The Arctic, Born to be Wild, and Dolphins. Exhibit Halls highlights include Colossal Fossil: Cliff T. Tops, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center presentations, design challenges, and much more. For more information the public can call 617-723-2500 or visit mos.org/salem.  

Free Train Ride Information:
Please join us for a FREE ride on the MBTA’s Commuter Rail from Salem to North Station in Boston on Saturday, September 15 or Saturday, September 22, 2012.

This offer is only valid for the 10:38 a.m. train from Salem to North Station. Once at North Station it is a short walk to the Museum of Science. Special Commuter Rail tickets will be distributed at the Salem Station between 9:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. prior to boarding the train; only those passengers who have passes to the Museum of Science and proof of Salem residency will be provided free round-trip tickets for the commuter rail. The return ticket will be valid for travel on any regularly scheduled train from North Station to Salem and must be used on that day only (departure schedule: 1:30, 2:15, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30, 8:30, 10:15, and 11:30 p.m.).

For more information visit: http://www.mos.org/events

MBTA Community Meeting

There will be an MBTA Community Meeting, Thursday, February 16, 2012 from 6:30 pm –8:30 pm at the Carlton School, 10 Skerry Street in Salem. The meeting will be to address the status of  improvements to Salem Station including the new parking garage.
The Meeting agenda is as follows:
• Project Update
• Project Impact
• Design Process
• Schedule
If you use the MBTA to commute to work in Boston or the North Shore you may want to attend this meeting.