Busier commute expected on Massachusetts roads, public transit

While traffic on highways has been increasing over the past few weeks, don't expect normal weekday service on the MBTA for at least another week.

THOMPSON SHOWS US HOW THEY’REGEARING UP.REPORTER IT MAY BE MONDAYMORNIN, BUT IT’S STILL VERYQUIET AT SOUTH STATION.AND EVEN AS MORE PEOPLE HEADBACK TO WORK IN BOSTONBUT DON’T EXPECT TO SEE MORETRAINS JUST YET.THE MBTA IS SUPPOSED TO TAKE ASTEP CLOSER TO NORMAL SERVICEDURING PHASE TWO.BUT AT LEAST THIS WEEK WE WILLSEE SERVICE RUNNING AS IT HASBEEN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.INCREASED SERVICE IS PART OFTHIS PHASE OF REOPENINAND THEY ARE GETTING READY.WE TALKED TO JOSH ESQUIVAL HESBEEN BACK AT WORK FOR A FEWDUTCH WHO HAS BEEN AT WORK FOR AFEW WEEKS AND HE SAYS T SERVICEHAS BEEN CONVENIENT FOR HIM.IT HAS BEEN GOOD, NOT TOOMANY PEOPLE.I TRY NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING, ANDUH, YEAHREPORTER: MEANWHILE THE HOV LANEREOPENED TODAY ON THE SOUTHEASTEXPRESSWAY.MASSDOT MAKING THE DECISION TOOPEN IT BACK UP AFTER BEINGCLOSED FOR NEARLY 3 MONTHS.THE EXPRESSWAY IS ONE AREA WEARE CERTAINLY SEEING VOLUMEINCREASING STEADILY.OVERALL, IT WILL LIKELY BE ASLOW TRANSITION FOR MANY FROMTHE ROAD BACK ONTO PUBLICTRANSPORTATION.BACK ON THE T THE AGENCY HASSEEN AN INCREASE IN RIDERS, TOABOUT 140,000 TO 170,000 PERDAY.THAT’S STILL WELL BELOW NORMAL.GENERAL MANAGER STEVE POFTAK ISREITERATING THAT WHEN RIDERSHIPDOES PICK UP, IT WILL BE UP TOCOMMUTERS TO SOCIAL DISTANCE.THERE ARE NO PLANS FOR OPERATORSTO COUNT RIDERS WHEN THEY BOARDOR DISEMBARKAND STAFF WILL NOT BE ADDED TOSTATIONS TO MONITOR CROWDLEVELS.AS I’VE SAID IN THE PAST, RIDERSARE BEING REQUIRED TO WEARMASKS, BUT THERE’S NO O