Columbus Day Commute

Happy Columbus Day to everyone who has the holiday on this gorgeous Monday. I, alas, do not have today off. Which is a shame because it is so nice outside.

Today's commute was fine. The MBCR commuter rail runs on a regular schedule today, not a holiday schedule. Commute-a-holic, who only rode the commuter rails for a brief amount of time, had some questions about the holiday schedule, which I will touch-upon.

The P508 arrived at South Station at around 8:20 a.m. Then we had to wait almost 15 minutes for a Silver Line bus.

Commute-a-holic sent me an email earlier today with "have fun riding on your holiday schedule." The email was prompted by an announcement on WCVB-TV Channel 5's morning news program, which stated that the T would be running on a holiday schedule.

The MBTA and MBCR have different holiday schedules.

For the MBCR, which runs the commuter rail, the holiday schedule (also known as weekend services) runs on New Year's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. All other holidays run on a regular schedule.

The MBTA has a different holiday schedule for buses and subway trains.

Buses run on a Saturday schedule on Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Patriot's Day, and Columbus Day (hence my 15 minute wait for the Silver Line). A Sunday schedule is in place for New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas.

The subway holiday schedule is as follows: Saturday service on Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, and Columbus Day. Sunday service on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Labor day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Special schedules for Independence Day and New Year's Eve.

Obviously, I would like to see media outlets use the correct terminology when discussing changes to the schedule. So this morning, Commute-a-holic should have heard "the MBCR is running commuter rails on their regular schedules, while MBTA buses and subways are following a Saturday schedule."