No standing ovation, but reviews not bad

Rider feedback favorable by 2-to-1 ratio for T’s ‘Big Red’ program

The first batch of rider feedback on the T’s “Big Red” cars is in — the majority of respondents have been favorable to fewer seats and more standing space, according to the MBTA.

On Dec. 8, the T unveiled a six-car train with two cars stripped of all but two of their seats for rush-hour service. Since then, many riders have suggested adding more handles to grab on to and adding a few more seats, according to MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas.

The T heard from 290 riders, and nearly two-thirds (191) said they would use the cars again. When asked about their comfort level, nearly 47 percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied,” while 35 percent were “unsatisfied” or “very unsatisfied.”  On overall convenience, nearly 57 percent of responses were favorable and about 28 percent were unfavorable.

Several Red Line riders yesterday were positive about the experiment.

“I think it will help for rush hour,” said Anusce Solatka, a 29-year-old law school student. Another rider, 21-year-old Andrew Murray, called it a “smart” idea.

But not everybody was happy.

“A train with no seats?” a rider yelled as she boarded at Charles/MGH. “Why am I paying all this money to stand?”

The pilot program will run for a couple of months, and riders’ feedback will ultimately determine whether it is expanded or scrapped.

“It’s a decision yet to be made,” Grabauskas said yesterday. “We want to give people the opportunity to ride and comment.”