MBTA and City of Everett testing bus-only lane on Broadway December 5-9

BOSTON – During the week of December 5-9 from 4 a.m., to 9 a.m., each day, the MBTA and the City of Everett will pilot a bus-only lane on Broadway between Glendale Square and Sweetser Circle. Affecting Routes 97, 104, 109, 110, and 112, the bus-only lane will use the existing parking lane on the southbound side of Broadway. Parking is prohibited on the southbound side of Broadway during this time and MBTA bus customers should plan for buses to arrive earlier than scheduled.

The bus-only lane was a recommendation made by MassDOT as part of the Everett Transit Action Plan as bus-only lanes help to improve bus reliability and speed. During the morning peak hours, approximately seventeen buses traverse the corridor, carrying as many passengers as there are people traveling in cars. While bus-only lanes exist along other MBTA bus routes, this portion of Broadway is the first instance of a bus-only lane outside of the City of Boston. The Broadway bus-only lane pilot will gather information regarding bus operations along the corridor and overall traffic flow. If deemed successful, this information will be used to develop a longer-term pilot program in the spring. Potentially shortening trips from Glendale Square to Sullivan Square by up to ten minutes, the bus-only lane could allow buses to make additional trips and reduce instances of overcrowding on these routes.

Through Focus40, the MBTA’s long-range planning effort currently underway, MassDOT and the MBTA have been working to identify high priority corridors for bus lanes across the MBTA service area and build partnerships with municipalities to help provide better bus service.