Todd G. Johnson
Chief Transportation Officer
MassDOT Rail & Transit Division/MBTA

In a further communication with Mr Hurley the T stated:

Yes there will be service on Eliot street. Due to the limited clearance on Eliot street we utilize one of our accessible shuttle vans to service this stop. We did this last storm and that might have been some of the confusion. I also received complaints about our signage and we have made additional A-frame signage that will direct customers to the location where the pickup and drop off location will be. I usually email Annemarie Fagan ahead of time with information of a closure, would you like to be added to this list? I am not sure if you have ever been informed of our reason for this process. If we receive over 4 inches of snow the vehicles begin to absorb the snow in the traction motors and this will cause disabling damage to this component. With the age of these vehicles we only have a limited supply of replacement parts and most including the motors we manufacture and rebuild them in house. We have 10 vehicles and we require 5 to deliver the service. For years we would impact our service on the Mattapan line for weeks after a storm. We decided to be proactive and shut the line down when we receive the 4 inches or more, clear the tracks after it stops snowing and then return normal service. We understand the impact to the customer but we think in the long term the impact is lessened. If there are any concerns with the service at anytime or if you have questions please contact me.”