Planned dedicated bus lanes on Boston's Columbus Avenue in Eggleston Square are shown in this rendering. Image courtesy of the city of Boston
The MBTA and city officials in Boston, Somerville, Everett and Chelsea will install up to 14 miles of dedicated bus lanes across the region through the spring, a project that they said will help minimize the risks of COVID-19 for bus commuters.
More than 50,000 weekday riders will be able to travel on buses in the dedicated bus lanes through the $20 million project, MBTA officials said as they announced the partnership Thursday. Some of the areas targeted already had bus lane planning underway, while others are newly selected based on ridership trends since the pandemic started in March.
T officials said they worked with municipal leaders to select areas with the highest ridership during the COVID era to receive new bus lanes, including some on routes with large numbers of essential employees. Because buses can travel more quickly in dedicated lanes, the T hopes that it will be able to run faster service and reduce crowding – steps that will support social distancing on the vehicles while the public health crisis remains ongoing.
Six bus lane projects will be implemented this fall or next spring: Columbus Avenue between Walnut Avenue and Jackson Square Station in Boston; North Washington Street from Cross Street to Causeway Street in Boston; Broadway between Chelsea City Hall and 3rd Street; Washington Street in Somerville between McGrath Highway and Sullivan Square; Sweetser Circle and nearby parts of Main Street and Broadway in Everett; and Washington Street from Forest Hills Station to Roslindale Village.
Four others in Boston will undergo additional planning for potential installation by the spring: Warren Street between Grove Hall and Nubian Square; Malcolm X Boulevard between Nubian Square and Tremont Street; both Columbus Avenue and Tremont Street between Jackson Square Station and Ruggles Station; and Hyde Park Avenue between Metropolitan Parkway and Forest Hills Station.
