Melrose Residents, Businesses Lament Proposed MBTA Cuts

MELROSE, MA — In pre-pandemic times, Seamus Kelley and his wife would wake up, rush their kids to the YMCA daycare and get back home before walking to catch the 7:40 train at Cedar Park station. They'd grab a train back about nine hours later, walk home and pick up the kids.

The Kelleys are working from home now, but post-pandemic their routines — along with those of many other commuters — are likely to change.

The MTBA this week proposed closing Cedar Park and two local bus routes as part of its sweeping service cuts. The closures could take effect as early as January if the MBTA's Fiscal Control Board votes them in in December. It would likely be years until service is restored.

For people who rely on the transit options, it's no small change.

"One of the major reasons why we chose our neighborhood is its proximity to public transit, the commuter rail specifically," Kelley said.

Now his 35-minute door-to-door commute from West Emerson Street to his Boston office could get a lot longer.

"When things are back to normal, it would change how we get our kids up and out, our kids to daycare, to work," Kelley said.

Never mind the changes to his morning coffee routine.

As if local businesses didn't have enough coronavirus-related issues to contend with, the Cedar Park closure would almost certainly cut down the commuter foot traffic to places like Bohemian Coffeehouse and Sweet Spot Bakery.

"I'm sure it will have some impact on our business," Bohemian owner Hillary Poravas said from behind the pick-up table in the popular cafe's doorway. "We do have a tremendous amount of people who come in who are car commuters or work from home, but absolutely, it's going to be an unfortunate thing to see it go."

Across the street is Sweet Spot Bakery, where commuters would come in for a breakfast item in the morning and dessert on the way home. Now that rush may not return once the pandemic clears.

Victoria Grisanty, who has worked at Sweet Spot since 2002, said Cedar Park can get very busy during "normal" times. Sometimes she adjusts her own schedule to avoid the crowd.

But those days feel like an eternity ago. The MBTA's ridership has evaporated during the pandemic, contributing to a shortfall of nearly $600 million. Cedar Park is one of three commuter rail stations in the city, perhaps making it an easy target to be among six the transit agency is closing. The MBTA cited low ridership as a primary reason for closure.

That doesn't lessen how much people rely on it, whether now or on the other side of the pandemic.

Peter Ton jumped on the train at Cedar Park five days a week to get to his job in Cambridge before COVID-19. He'll be able to walk the extra half-mile or so to Wyoming Hill, but that's not as easy for one of his older neighbors.

"If Cedar Park shuts down, it’ll be tough for all of us here in this neighborhood," he said.

The short distance between stops, about 0.6 miles, according to the MBTA, adds up when you're trying to juggle kids and work. It's even more difficult in the winter.

"[Cedar Park is] one of the major reasons my family and I moved to Melrose," Brett Reed said. "I was always able to drop my daughter off at school, return home and make my way to the train, without fail. It would be a major blow to the local community to lose that stop. If it was definitely temporary (as in 3 months), I could see it being tolerable, but we all know once budget is cut, it’s hard to win it back."

Adding to local commuters' problems is that the 131 and 136 bus routes are also on the chopping block. People who take the 131 bus told Patch it's sparsely filled during the pandemic, but before would be quite full.

Liz Whitcomb has been taking the 131 since she moved to Melrose in 2003. She still takes it to Oak Grove at times, but if it gets eliminated she'll have to find another way to the station the three days a week she commutes into Boston for work.

She could walk to a further bus or 30 minutes to Oak Grove or catch a ride with someone or park — "the $9 parking fee seems pretty steep," she said — but the familiar convenience of the past 17 years would be no more.

Zach Barker is getting it from all sides. He lives between the Melrose Highlands and Cedar Park stops and prefers the latter, but sometimes takes the 131 to get to the Orange Line for his commute into Boston or back home.

That 131 could look more like an Uber when his office brings him back next year.

"Once they stop these services it's going to make a little hardship because we're going to have to change our schedules," he said.

Kristi Wiswell is a senior citizen living in the Highlands. She depends "heavily" on the 131 to get to the Orange Line. When it's nice out, she walks to Cedar Park.

"Walking to Main Street to use the 136/137 routes is a last resort, as it is time consuming, as well being a cold and treacherous winter walk ... so the 131 is great," she said.

Thursdays could be particularly sour without the Cedar Park stop. The Farmers' Market hosts its weekly summer market just steps away from it.

Julie Unger, a Farmers' Market board member and former manager, said the afternoon trains bring customers.

"That's a short-term solution that's going to have major long-term effects to the businesses around those stops," she said. "I see it all the time. People grabbing a coffee and running to get the train."

Patch hopes readers can support local businesses through these unprecedented times.

• You can order from Bohemian Coffeehouse at 781-979-0005 or in person at 132 West Emerson St.
• You can order from Sweet Spot Bakery at 781-665-3290 or in person at 163 West Emerson St.
• You can support the Farmers' Market at their final market of the season on Sun., Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

You can reach Mike Carraggi at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news alerts and newsletters.