(The following story by Jason Schreiber appeared on the Hampton Union website on April 18.)
EXETER, N.H. — Doug Kenyon is one of the lucky ones.
The 33-year-old software engineer is planning to work from his Fremont home when the Democratic National Convention comes to Boston in July.
Kenyon is among the dozens of commuters who catch Amtrak’s Downeaster train in Exeter to get to work each day.
And he’s one of the commuters who will likely get a migraine when the train’s Boston destination – North Station – gets shut down during the convention at the FleetCenter, which shares a building with the rail station.
The decision to close North Station entirely and the nearby Interstate 93 – one of the city’s major transportation routes – during the evening rush hour was made after the Secret Service ordered the city to take steps to ensure security during the political event. It is the first convention since the Sept. 11 attack, and some officials worry it could be a prime target for terrorists.
North Station will be closed beginning July 23, three days before the four-day convention begins. It will remain closed until July 30.
To avoid the commuting nightmare, Kenyon gave his employer two options: Either give him the week off or let him work at home.
“I couldn’t even drive there if I wanted to,” he said.
The planned North Station closure has rail officials scrambling to find another way to get their passengers into Boston.
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority, which oversees the Downeaster operations, is hoping to get the green light from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to run the Downeaster to the Oak Grove Station in Malden, Mass., when North Station closes. Oak Grove would allow commuters to catch the subway’s orange line into the city.
“If we are able to get into Oak Grove, it will really be a great alternative for people,” said Patricia Douglas, spokesperson for the rail authority.
The MBTA is expected to make a decision on the NNEPRA’s request within the next couple of weeks.
If the Downeaster stops at Oak Grove, the train would have to cancel its regular stop in Woburn, Mass.
“The T is working as diligently as they can to accommodate all of the passengers. They’re aware of the needs of the Downeaster passengers,” Douglas said.
Douglas said she is not sure if the North Station shut down will force rail officials to change the Downeaster’s schedule.
“We’re going to try to keep things as close to normal as we can,” she said. “It’s a situation we just have to deal with. Like anybody, it would be great if we didn’t have to interrupt our service, but it’s a decision that’s outside our realm of expertise.”
With so many summer travelers trying to get into the city, the Democratic National Convention couldn’t be coming at a worse time for the Downeaster passenger train. The last week in July is traditionally the Downeaster’s busiest time of the year, with the train carrying up to 1,000 passengers a day. Rail officials have already planned for a revenue loss during the convention as ridership is expected to be down.
“We know it could have a negative effect on us. We’re planning for the worst and hoping for the best,” Douglas said.
Paul W. Smith, a commuter who rides the Downeaster regularly into Boston, said he knows of about 20 commuters who plan to take vacation during the week of the convention. Unfortunately, Smith said, he’s not one of them.
“I’m kind of stuck with it because I can’t take vacation until after,” said Smith, 48, of Fremont.
Some commuters are simply taking the disruption in stride, saying there’s nothing they can do about it.
“I’m just going to roll with the punches,” said Noreen Corcoran, a Downeaster commuter from Brentwood who works in the banking industry.
Meanwhile, local bus transportation officials are bracing for some nightmarish commutes as well when I-93 is closed each night.
C&J Trailways President Jim Jalbert said the commute should be normal each night until about 7 p.m. when the highway is shut down. The Portsmouth-based bus company has other runs into Boston after 7 p.m. that would be affected.
Jalbert said he anticipates his buses will see additional passengers, including not only those trying to get to Boston for the convention, but those who will decide to take a bus instead of a commuter train.
“We just have to deal with the cards that have been put n front of us,” he said. “We’ll just do the best we can. I think people have to work together and make the best of it.”
As for additional steps to ensure the safety of the Downeaster train during the convention, Douglas said the rail authority hasn’t been told of any new security measures that will be taken.
“I know there are many task forces and committees working on these things. Right now, we’re just kind of in a wait-and-see mode,” she said.
Commuters like Kenyon questioned why the convention is being held at the FleetCenter in the first place, since it’s located smack dab in the middle of the city’s transportation hub.
“If security is such a concern, then why are they having it there?” he said.
Despite security concerns, Corcoran, 48, said she’s not going to stay away form the city.
“You can’t plan your life around what these terrorists did,” she insisted.
Kenyon agreed. He recently took American Airlines Flight 25, formerly Flight 11, from Boston to Los Angeles. The flight number was changed after the terrorists hijacked a plane on that flight and crashed it into the World Trade Center.
“I thought it was kind of creepy taking the flight, but what can you do about it?” he said. “If I worry about all these things, then they’ve won.”