MBTA Buses & Infrastructure

[alewife]

Routes 66 and 86

Originally, in the 2022 Revised Network Map, the 66 and 86 were planned to make the loop around (and layover at) Waterhouse St north of Harvard Square, similar to what the 71 and the 73 did when they used trolleybuses until 2022.

This change no longer appears in the 2025 BNRD map. Now, it calls for the 66 and the 86 to maintain the status quo:

• Northbound buses terminate at Harvard Upper Busway, then makes a non-revenue turn to Dawes Island and layover there.
• Southbound buses pick up at Dawes Island as the first stop.

It's unclear why the Waterhouse St loop was suggested in the first place. Unlike the 71 and the 73, the 2022 map didn't even have the 66 and the 86 use the lower busway for boarding; it also didn't have the 66 use the upper busway for alignting. If it did, we could have suspected that they wanted the 66 and the 86 to use left-door buses, but now that's moot.

Perhaps they were initially concerned about Dawes Island's ability for 2 routes to layover? Now that the 86 has been truncated for half a year, they may have decided that it's no longer an issue.

Based on my observations, the 66 and 86 currently loop around Cambridge Common via Waterhouse Street to lay over after alighting in the upper busway, as the 71 and 73 did in the trackless trolley era (and are planned to when left-door-equipped BEBs enter service at North Cambridge).

However, unlike the 71 and 73, those routes do not serve any of the stops on the loop (Garden St/Mason St and Waterhouse St/Mass Ave), which is likely why it doesn't appear on the map.

 

[MBTA DMA]

How does the new routing align with the BNRD proposals?

it's separate from the BNRD but still aligns within it.

 

[Teban54]

Based on my observations, the 66 and 86 currently loop around Cambridge Common via Waterhouse Street to lay over after alighting in the upper busway, as the 71 and 73 did in the trackless trolley era (and are planned to when left-door-equipped BEBs enter service at North Cambridge).

However, unlike the 71 and 73, those routes do not serve any of the stops on the loop (Garden St/Mason St and Waterhouse St/Mass Ave), which is likely why it doesn't appear on the map.

Hmm, the 66 and 86 still had their layovers at Dawes Island as of Q1 2025 when I last visited there. Perhaps that was a more recent change?

 

[sm89]

Hmm, the 66 and 86 still had their layovers at Dawes Island as of Q1 2025 when I last visited there. Perhaps that was a more recent change?

The Waterhouse and former Dawes Island layovers also have space on Mass Ave south of Waterhouse now: these parking spaces: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yjgax8HRhADaYWgd7
They're trying to address bus layover in active stops because a bus laying over at Dawes Island for example blocks accessible boarding for other routes.

 

[BOS2BON]

Tuesday hearing will offer new insights on Blue Hill Ave. plans | Dorchester Reporter

Mattapan meeting set for 4-7 at veterans’ post A city council oversight hearing planned for Tuesday afternoon (June 10) in Mattapan Square will offer a fresh update on the long-anticipated infrastructure plan intended to improve safety and access to public transit along the Blue Hill Avenue...

www.dotnews.com

Blue Hill Ave bus lane meeting tonight!

 

[cubbe8]

Community remains at odds with Wu team on a center bus lane for Blue Hill Avenue - Dorchester Reporter

City officials and their key supporters reiterated their support this week for the advance of plans for a controversial center bus lane on Blue Hill Avenue, while a considerable number of the residents spoke roundly against the idea at a City Council hearing held on Tuesday in Mattapan Square...

www.dotnews.com

Good lord

 

[FK4]

Community remains at odds with Wu team on a center bus lane for Blue Hill Avenue - Dorchester Reporter

City officials and their key supporters reiterated their support this week for the advance of plans for a controversial center bus lane on Blue Hill Avenue, while a considerable number of the residents spoke roundly against the idea at a City Council hearing held on Tuesday in Mattapan Square...

www.dotnews.com

Good lord

First, these people don’t represent the “community”. It was 100 people. Second, the whole idea of community process has gone so far to the extreme… maybe urban renewal in the 60s was too extreme, but at a certain point the govt needs to make changes for the greater good and recognize that individuals never embrace the changes most needed if you ask them.

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

One wonders how the 28 ever had the ability to become the highest-ridership route in the entire MBTA bus system when we're told so repeatedly that every user of BHA needs a parking space and that local civilization would collapse with even 1 space's worth of reduction.

Couldn't be reporting bias, could it?

 

[cubbe8]

 

[CBCArch61]

This would be a great improvement. Similar to the Blue Hill Ave conversation, bike lanes would be a great plus (I want them as much as possible) but the bus lanes are the shining gem of that proposal.

I get a kick out of the folks who talk about not seeing bikes as a reason for not have the space for them. I'm willing to bet back in the early days of cars, the idea of building roads with asphalt that was bad for horse's feet was also looked upon poorly.

 

[JeffDowntown]

This would be a great improvement. Similar to the Blue Hill Ave conversation, bike lanes would be a great plus (I want them as much as possible) but the bus lanes are the shining gem of that proposal.

I get a kick out of the folks who talk about not seeing bikes as a reason for not have the space for them. I'm willing to bet back in the early days of cars, the idea of building roads with asphalt that was bad for horse's feet was also looked upon poorly.

Also, you don't see many cars on dead end streets for the same reason you don't see many bikes on dead end bike lanes. Until the network is complete, connected, and goes somewhere, it will be underutilized.

 

[Koopzilla24]

First, these people don’t represent the “community”. It was 100 people. Second, the whole idea of community process has gone so far to the extreme… maybe urban renewal in the 60s was too extreme, but at a certain point the govt needs to make changes for the greater good and recognize that individuals never embrace the changes most needed if you ask them.

Somehow they dont see the irony in claiming making all spots 15min only would fix everything but also that they themselves ignore the current 30min limit. They then claim they want people to come and stay in the neighborhood patroning their business but also want people to get ticketed for their 15min parking idea. I grabbed a sub at Brothers last week (by bus) and just getting my order in and recieved was 15min. All the other business in the area like groceries, appliance stores, and hair salons will take even longer. This is all not to mention they already did a parking analysis study that revealed only like one side of one segment had parking usage at or exceeding 100% during rush hour only. Which they accounted for in their redesign, strategically increasing spots in that area at a reduction in a less utilized area. This is all all not factoring a single 28 carries more people than every car filling every spot on one side of the existing BHA configuration.

The math doesnt math

 

[themissinglink]

Cambridge study of local transit to start in August, with staffers urged to use real experts: the riders - Cambridge Day

Cambridge plans to launch a yearlong study of its transit gaps in August, looking for ways to increase use of private shuttles available to the public and improve those offerings, including by adding shuttle routes where they lack.

www.cambridgeday.com

Part of the presentation were existing or soon-to-be available citywide transportation services, starting with the EZRide shuttle bus service that began running seven days this spring in Eastern parts of the city: from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. A formal start to seven-day service, with officials present for a ribbon-cutting, was June 3 at the CambridgeSide mall.

The presentation by Reker said there would be improvements from the regional Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, though the agency has not committed to a start date.

In the next year or so, more buses would come to Massachusetts Avenue, “so that during rush hours in particular, a bus [would] come every seven minutes,” Reker said.

A new MBTA bus route may be set up to connect Inman Square, Central Square and Cambridgeport with regional connections to Boston’s Fenway and Longwood Medical Area as well as Union Square in Somerville, Reker said, but the timeframe on this is also unclear, and further out – the route is expected to become operational only in a few years.

 

[themissinglink]

Another Bus Lane Bites the Dust: Wu Administration Forces Chelsea, Charlestown Transit Riders to Wait In More Traffic - Streetsblog Massachusetts

The change comes just weeks before the MBTA rolls out a new bus lane enforcement system, which is expected to improve bus service considerably – at least on the dwindling number of streets where dedicated bus lanes still exist.

mass.streetsblog.org

Mayor Wu's administration has removed a dedicated bus lane from North Washington Street between Haymarket and the North Washington Street Bridge, a decision that will force roughly 15,000 daily bus riders – the vast majority of whom are lower-income and Hispanic riders – to wait in more traffic.

Last week, the City of Boston repaved North Washington Street between Haymarket and the new Bill Russell Bridge.

The paving project removed all lane markings, but a city spokesperson told StreetsblogMASS on Tuesday that the city does not plan to restore the northbound dedicated bus lane, which serves MBTA bus routes 92, 93, and the 111.

The city's decision was made without any public hearings or input.

 

[FK4]

Another Bus Lane Bites the Dust: Wu Administration Forces Chelsea, Charlestown Transit Riders to Wait In More Traffic - Streetsblog Massachusetts

The change comes just weeks before the MBTA rolls out a new bus lane enforcement system, which is expected to improve bus service considerably – at least on the dwindling number of streets where dedicated bus lanes still exist.

mass.streetsblog.org

So I would really like some input from some neutral parties here. How bad was the traffic because of this bus lane (and obviously I’m asking about rushhour)? I’m not looking to hear from anyone who’s going to show me traffic counter numbers or who just doesn’t think that any of the bus lane and bike lane stuff has caused traffic to get worse. In my opinion, I’m almost entirely for all of the lane reductions as a matter of principle, but most of the urban core areas, there is no question they have made traffic worse. I’m never in this particular area though, so I just don’t know. I guess what I want to know is not just whether traffic around here got worse because of that bus lane, but because the answer to this question sheds light on why the mayor is doing this: is it to actually reduce a traffic problem, or is it because the people who are going to see the removal of this bus lane are all redblooded townies and she’s trying to get their vote?

 

[Highwayguy]

is it to actually reduce a traffic problem, or is it because the people who are going to see the removal of this bus lane are all redblooded townies and she’s trying to get their vote?

Theoretical maximum vehicular flow is 1800 veh/lane/hr. Assuming 40% green time at the Causeway St intersection, a continuous 22 hours of perfect traffic flow (ha) would move 15,840 cars.

Also total coincidence all but 10 of the 16,000, about-to-be-pissed daily bus riders just so happen to live East of the Mystic, unable to cast ballots in the Boston mayoral race.

 

[The EGE]

Also total coincidence all but 10 of the 16,000, about-to-be-pissed daily bus riders just so happen to live East of the Mystic, unable to cast ballots in the Boston mayoral race.

Per that article, about 1/3 of the riders using it are 92/93 riders, who do live in Boston.

For the record, this was the press release when it was installed:

MassDOT, MBTA, and City of Boston Announce The Completion of a New Outbound Bus Lane on North Washington Street To Improve Commutes for Thousands of Riders as The Region Re-opens | News | MBTA

Official website of the MBTA -- schedules, maps, and fare information for Greater Boston's public transportation system, including subway, commuter rail, bus routes, and boat lines.

www.mbta.com

 

[real_EthanHunt]

So I would really like some input from some neutral parties here. How bad was the traffic because of this bus lane (and obviously I’m asking about rushhour)?

the bus lane was put in when the bridge was already under construction and there was only 1 NB lane going over the bridge. theory was that you didnt need 2 lanes feeding it. The bridge is now 'complete' and there are 2 lanes again. the 1 NB lane at the bridge is what caused the traffic issue, the bus lane came after. If the bus lane stayed it would certainly become the choke point and there wouldnt be anybody abiding by it (they already didnt even when there was a forced merge at the bridge).

Assuming 40% green time at the Causeway St intersection,

this is a 150 second cycle intersection with 5 phases (SB advance, SB/NB, WB Commercial, Endicott St, EB Causeway). none of the approaches are getting 40%.

Per that article, about 1/3 of the riders using it are 92/93 riders, who do live in Boston.

and all of the riders coming over the Tobin now have an inbound bus lane from the Tobin off ramp all the way to the existing N Washington SB bus lane (which is staying).

Historically, traffic outbound wasnt typically terrible, but there has only been 1 lane open outbound on the bridge since 2018 (when emergency repairs to the old bridge started). will be interesting to see how it all operates again. its been a long time

 

[eber]

this is a 150 second cycle intersection with 5 phases (SB advance, SB/NB, WB Commercial, Endicott St, EB Causeway). none of the approaches are getting 40%.

oh shit, is this "150 second cycle" something you can look up via massdot or something? I would love to add it to my arsenal of "things in my mind that are almost totally useless but pretty cool if i can use it in a scenario that helps save time". or are you basing it off empirical evidence (or extrapolating from 5 phases + 30 seconds per interval)

 

[Highwayguy]

this is a 150 second cycle intersection with 5 phases (SB advance, SB/NB, WB Commercial, Endicott St, EB Causeway). none of the approaches are getting 40%.

Absolutely. Should have clarified my point:

Even with wildly overly generous auto throughput assumptions, if we prioritize moving the maximum number of people, it is mathematically impossible this change is an improvement.

Frankly, the NB parking lane along this entire stretch should have been on the chopping block way before the bus lane, or the second vehicular lane for that matter. IMO the cars vs bus/peds/bikes fight often misses the forest for the trees; the removal of the bus lane and the prior removal of the vehicular lane are great examples of mobility consistently losing the war against on street self-storage units(?).