I have received requests to show more photos of yesterday’s incident in which 3 MBTA buses needed help from a “T” tow truck to free them from the small Clarendon St. bridge over the Pike, due to the morning snowfall. Four other buses were impacted and rendered “down” due to the 3 blocked buses. I started my Boston Herald work shift yesterday at 6am with the knowledge that I was going to have to move fast to photograph the snow prior to it changing to sleet and/or rain. I took some photos in Copley Sq. and then headed up Clarendon, toward the South End. Just past the Hancock Tower and Stuart St. I noticed a small backup of traffic. I saw two of these 60′ long buses, stuck near the entrance to the parking garage next door to the rear entrance to the Back Bay MBTA bus turnaround. I parked. I walked up past the buses and noticed another one stuck near the intersection of Columbus Ave. This bus had come out of the bus turnaround and slid within inches of a parked vehicle. Shortly thereafter, 2 more of the articulated buses entered the Clarendon St. area, just having past Stuart St. These 2 buses now became incapacitated because they were caught in the gridlock and could not safely be backed out. The drivers of these 2 buses then put blocks under their tires so that the buses could not move. Now we have a total of 5 incapacitated buses (3 stuck on snow/slush and 2 stuck in the gridlock. All of these buses were Route 39 buses. The buses needing tow truck help had license plate #’s of 1037, 1022, 1220. At this time 2 Transit Police officers arrived and started to direct the morning commute past the stuck buses. These cars were flowing slowly through one small lane. I heard plans to bring in a powerful MBTA tow truck tug. The maintenance workers associated with the tug did a remarkable, speedy job in getting these buses moving. I then noticed two more buses that were unable to get out of the bus turnaround due to the one that was stuck at Columbus and Clarendon. This whole incident took about 1hour, with 5 buses down for the hour and the two that had driven in, down less time than that. Boston Herald reporter Matthew Stout as today’s story here.
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses, and it’s driver, standing at bus, is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and Stuart St., were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. Two of 5 MBTA elongated buses are seen stuck during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and Stuart St, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and Stuart St, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is seen stuck during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and Stuart St., were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is seen stuck during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One of 5 MBTA elongated buses is freed from it’s stuck position during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
12/29/2015-Boston,MA. One bus that was stuck and two at the rear that had driven into the traffic jam, are seen disabled during Tuesday morning’s snowfall. The buses, on Clarendon St. between Columbus and St. James, were stuck for approximately one hour. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel
