Salem city councilor challenges Gov. Baker to commute using the MBTA

SALEM, Mass. — For commuters who rely on the MBTA daily, the struggle to get to places on time is an all too common woe.

For Salem City Councilor Christine Madore, a working mother who commutes into the city with the only public transportation option available, expressed her frustrations on Twitter.

Madore took the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail line into the city and then switched over to the Orange Line, which is when the problems started.

"It's like a Russian roulette almost," said Madore. "When I got to my 8:30 a.m. meeting one hour late, half the room was empty or on a conference line because nobody could make it to work on time.

As an elected official, Madore said she felt compelled to share her aggravation with her fellow riders.

"Standing in a really packed train and listening to people’s frustration it gives you a different kind of experience," Madore wrote in a Tweet.

But that wasn't all.

Madore also challenged Governor Charlie Baker through the social media platform as well, writing, "Imagine if @MassGovernor's only commute option for 1 day was by #MBTA and he was hours late for his first appt of the day?"

Other T riders say delays and frustrations are a common occurrence, often times daily.

"I’m late several times a week, almost every day," said Sydney Tuttle, a commuter.

"I think most people on there we know there’s gonna be times when it’s late," said Ryan Queenan, a commuter. "And then you’re sitting there [thinking], 'Is it gonna be 5 minutes late, is it gonna be 30 minutes late?' That can be the issue.”

Madore says that, while tweeting at the governor won't solve the problem, she hopes this will bring awareness to other elected officials of what everyday people face on their MBTA commutes.

"If we stop speaking up we are normalizing the status quo and the status quo is not ok," said Madore.

Boston 25 News has reached out to the governor's office for a statement on whether he'd take up City Councilor Madore's challenge of using the T to get to work but have not heard back.

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Cox Media Group