Boston, Bitter cold drives homeless to shelters
The extreme temperatures, expected to reach single digits in Boston by Friday morning, have pushed thousands of homeless men and women to crowded shelters like the Pine Street Inn, caused a raft of delays in public transportation, and kept countless people penned indoors and out of frostbite’s way.
At least 10 MBTA subway trains were disabled Thursday on the Red, Orange, and Green lines when the cold caused their air-based propulsion systems to fail, said Kelly Smith, a T spokeswoman.
Most of the problems occurred on the south side of the Red Line and caused moderate delays for riders heading into Boston from the South Shore, MBTA officials said. Two commuter-rail trains were delayed by the cold.
Amtrak service in the Northeast Corridor is expected to be affected Friday, with fewer trains and possible delays on the Acela Express and Northeast Regional service, which connects Boston and New York.
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At shelters in the region, the homeless outnumbered beds and sought warmth on floors, in corners, or wherever they could find an empty chair. At the Pine Street Inn, 83 homeless people slept in the lobby overnight Wednesday because the 254 beds at the main men’s shelter were occupied, staff members said.
“If you’re out, it could be life or death. It is that cold out,” said Barbara Trevisan, a Pine Street Inn spokeswoman. “We will not turn anyone away.”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/24/bitter-cold-drives-homeless-shelters/xH5IzmdONaSrYVvK1rIftJ/story.html
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stay safe out there