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Fall schedules add 1,569 weekly service hours for the MBTA's scheduled bus operations – a a 3.4 percent increase over summer 2025, bringing the bus system to 96.5 percent of its pre-pandemic (fall 2019) service levels. However, many of the service increases are going into some of the T's...

An update on bus operator hiring and Bus Network Redesign Phase II: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/07/28/the-ts-bus-driver-shortage-is-easing-but-increasing-traffic-is-delaying-benefits

I tried to explain this in the story – the grants colloquially referred to as "reconnecting communities" actually came from two separate laws, and thus have two legally-distinct funding sources from the Treasury. The Allston I-90 money was supposed to come out of the Neighborhood Access and...

We've been able to confirm that all but $8 million of the $335 federal grant has been rescinded by the Trump budget cuts. And because this is a legislative act, it'll be almost impossible to challenge it in court. MassDOT didn't get a legally-binding grant agreement signed in time, and now...

The Senate Ways and Means budget proposal would leave the T with a budget shortfall of approximately $200 million: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/05/07/mass-senate-budget-proposal-would-impose-major-transit-service-cuts

We dug into this a little bit for our localized version of this story: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/04/30/house-moves-to-rescind-3-1b-for-reconnecting-communities-divided-by-highways Basically, the "Reconnecting Communities" money comes from two separate laws. The "Bipartisan...

There's also an idea floating around from the BPDA to disconnect N. Beacon from this rotary by running it through to SFR via the McDonalds property or the adjacent strip mall parking lot. That change might simplify this intersection by getting eastbound Brighton-to-the-river traffic out of the...

Bear in mind that the two roads to the west (Nonantum Road in Newton and Beacon St. in Watertown) have already been put on a road diet without any issues – they both narrow to 2-lane streets about 800 feet west of the rotary. Of the three roads to the east, Parsons Street is already two lanes...

Here's the Streetsblog take: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/04/03/boston-releases-30-day-review-memo-of-safety-projects

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/03/20/the-path-forward-for-massdots-west-station-plans-is-getting-narrower “What are we giving up by placing a rail yard within this area where we’re creating a new neighborhood, one that could certainly use additional housing?" asked Albert Ng, Harvard...

I thought this might be a story, so I reached out to Amtrak's press office to see if it was true. Unfortunately, they told me that this is *not* because the new trainsets are starting operations: So I won't be doing a story on this after all – but thought y'all would appreciate this update.

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/02/03/designers-tempers-fray-as-major-issues-remain-unresolved-for-allston-i-90-project

Two school bus news items: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/01/20/epa-will-finance-177-new-electric-buses-for-mass-school-districts https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/01/22/want-safety-cameras-on-your-kids-school-buses-heres-how-to-get-them

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2025/01/16/a-little-wider-a-little-later-an-update-on-the-mystic-river-bike-ped-bridge

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/12/11/utility-poles-limit-the-utility-of-newtons-new-complete-street

Some photos here: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/11/18/eyes-on-the-street-two-new-back-bay-bikeways

Green Line B branch accessibility project overview, with some renderings of how the new stops will look: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/11/15/heres-the-mbtas-plan-to-make-the-green-line-b-branch-accessible

Three new separated bike lane projects are getting installed this month in Allston-Brighton: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/10/15/eyes-on-the-street-better-bike-lanes-for-allston-and-brighton

MassDOT is planning to demolish the southern bridge abutments while it removes the highway viaduct, rebuilds Soldiers Field Road, and rebuilds the Turnpike where the current GJ tracks are located. See pages 16-22 of this April 2023 project task force presentation...

Another key difference between now and pre-pandemic service (and one we didn't mention in the article) is that the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act took effect in 2021. We've heard anecdotal reports that under that new law, more employees are on the payroll but not working –...