Do you have a plan for dealing with the upcoming 16-day shutdown of the Ashmont branch of the Red Line? If not, you should. Even if you aren’t a frequent MBTA rider, the suspension of service on the rail line— including the Mattapan trolley— is almost certainly going to impact everyone who needs to move around this part of the city.

The 16-day, round-the-clock “surge” is happening so that MBTA workers can expedite “major track improvements” along the Ashmont leg that T officials say would otherwise take six months to complete if the job were confined to nights and weekends.

The closure starts at the end of the service day this Friday (Oct. 13) and will continue through Sun., Oct. 29. Train service will be replaced primarily by shuttle buses that will run up and down Dorchester Avenue. The shuttles will operate every 5-6 minutes during peak weekday hours and every 10-15 minutes on off-peak hours and weekends.

But as the T itself is broadcasting: “Riders are encouraged to allow extra travel time during this service change.” Translation: Dot Ave is going to be even more congested than usual with the extra bus traffic, not to mention what will almost certainly be a big bump in additional motorists, including ride-shares.

For those who have the option, this might be a good time to ask your employer for some flexibility to work from home or to adjust your schedule to travel at off-peak times when the roads might not be as snarled.

For most people, unfortunately, there’s no choice: We’ll need to alter our commutes and account for more travel time. Some neighbors in our section of Dorchester are arranging to form or join existing carpools for the two full work weeks. Now would be a good time to ask neighbors who might drive into the city— or whose route brings them by an unimpacted T station— for a lift. Others might use this opportunity to explore bicycle routes.

This would be an excellent time to get familiar with the schedule on the Fairmount Line, which is being offered up as a free alternative to the Red Line during the October surge. The Fairmount Line runs between Readville and South Station with several stations in Mattapan and Dorchester, including Blue Hill Ave., Morton Street, Talbot Ave., Four Corners/Geneva Ave., and Uphams Corner.

Trains on the commuter rail run less frequently, but will likely be a much faster option than sitting on a shuttle bus crawling along Dot Ave. Just be sure to check the schedule ahead of time and get to the platform promptly. Again, it’s free for the 16-day period — but only for those riding in Zone 1A, which includes all the Dot and Mattapan station stops.

The MBTA has created an online guide with “alternate travel options and more” available here.

Good luck.