The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently installed “googly eyes” on five of its trains after a public campaign requested the items be added.
“After receiving public suggestions, our team found a safe way to install these ‘googly’ eyes on a limited number of vehicles – five, to be exact – as part of our ongoing efforts to bring moments of joy to our riders’ daily commutes,” Joe Pesaturo, director of communications at the MBTA, told Fox News Digital via email on Friday, June 28.
The new additions to the trains are one of the many “creative ways” the MBTA is seeking to improve the rider experience, Pesaturo said.
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He noted the agency has also staged “in-station musical performances and children’s voice-over announcements.”
“We hope these initiatives, combined with our transit ambassadors’ dedication and our staff’s hard work on infrastructure upgrades, will continue to be a source of community connection and brighten someone’s day,” he said.
The googly eyes were added to five trains, including these two trains on the MBTA’s Green Line. (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
The googly eyes are currently on select trains on the MBTA’s Green Line and commuter rail.
The idea to add a most unusual accessory to the MBTA’s trains came as a suggestion from John Sanchez and Arielle Lok, two Massachusetts residents and MBTA riders.
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On April 29, Lok and Sanchez organized “a march to advocate for the installation of googly eyes on the front of MBTA trains,” according to an April 30 blog post on Lok’s website recapping the event.
“This vision aims to inject a sense of fun into the daily commute. That is the only purpose of the eyes. There is no hidden or underlying message. We simply want googly eyes on the T,” she said.
One of the people who initially campaigned to add googly eyes to the MBTA’s trains said the goal was to “inject a sense of fun into the daily commute.” (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
In an email shared with Fox News Digital, Lok called the installation of the googly eyes “the best news we’ve ever received in our inboxes.”
She said, “We’re stoked that there was a safe way to stick the eyes on,” she said.
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Lok added that it’s “incredible to see this come to life!”
Fox News Digital reached out to Lok for additional comment about the success of the campaign to add googly eyes to trains.
One person who advocated for the changes said she is “stoked” to see the googly eyes come to life. (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
The MBTA’s transit network includes subways, light rail, commuter rail, bus and ferry routes, according to its website.
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In 1897, the Tremont Street subway became North America’s first subway tunnel, according to the MBTA.
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This tunnel is still being used in 2024, connecting the Government Center, Park Street and Boylston stations.