Just boarded and all I have to say is: FIX THE FARE CONTROL PROCESS, ASAP.
(I know it's the first day and people are adjusting)
There were 15 or so people who got on at the same time and everyone was sharing 2 ticket machines, which are what's used for fare validation. If you have don't have value on your card, need a charlie ticket, or need a pass, etc., you are holding up everyone who needs to do a quick fare validation. Also, a blind man was very worried about how to use it and needed a lot of help - how does that look? Don't engineers tell things like that to those approving budgets? The poor blind man slowed down the line (not his fault).
So at this point, they might as well buy 3 more ticket machines or just put in fare gates...I really wonder what the cost difference is there. They might only need gates at busy-enough stations anyway (Union, Lechmere).