Increase service and passenger capacity on Blue Line

"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Line trains exceeded passenger capacity at peak hours and late at night. Growth in East Boston, notably the waterfront and Economic Development Areas, will increase the need for more Blue Line capacity over time. The Suffolk Downs Redevelopment alone will increase total daily Blue Line ridership by more than 40 percent compared to 2019 levels. Blue Line cars are small, exacerbating overcrowding. Each Orange and Red Line car can hold 64 and 90 percent more people than a Blue Line car, respectively." (Source: "PLAN: East Boston," pg 179) "Current operations at 4.5-minute headways provide room for 10% capacity growth with the existing fleet. Capacity could be expanded by another 15% using the existing fleet but also expanding trainsets. "Modernizing the signal system is a necessary component of improving capacity and reliability. The Blue Line’s outdated trip stop signal system requires manual resetting when a signal is violated, resulting in longer than necessary delays and a significant amount of manual labor. New signal technology could be applied throughout the Blue Line to improve reliability and add capacity." (Source: "Focus 40: Positioning the MBTA to meet the needs of the region in 2040" (2019), pg 39)