MBTA and City of Revere Announce Extension of Bus Lane on Broadway to Revere Beach Parkway Interchange

The extension is funded by a MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces grant and will extend the southbound morning peak-only bus lane, which serves more than 11,600 daily riders on Routes 116 and 117.

Today, the MBTA and the City of Revere announced the extension of the existing morning peak-only bus lane along the southbound side of Broadway from Revere Street to the Revere Beach Parkway Interchange. The extension is made possible through funding from the MassDOT Shared Streets and Spaces grant. Installation of the extension is scheduled to begin June 10 with completion anticipated within the following few days (weather depending). The project includes an inbound lane from Page Street across the southwest ramp and under Revere Beach Parkway, extending it to the Chelsea line. This road segment serves MBTA Routes 116 and 117, carrying 11,600 riders a day, along one of Revere’s busiest corridors and lays the groundwork for future permanent capital reconstruction of the interchange. The project fulfills a critical need for bus priority improvements identified by the MBTA in their Transit Priority Vision and uses design guidance from the MBTA’s Transit Priority Toolkit.

“We are pleased that the funding from the Shared Streets and Spaces grant program will be going toward a permanent dedicated bus lane in Revere as one of the program’s goals is to improve connections to make it more efficient for residents to travel on transit, on foot, or on bicycles,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Strong partnerships with municipalities have improved travel options state-wide as the Shared Streets and Spaces Program has awarded a total of $52 million to 492 projects since it was launched during the pandemic.”

“We know dedicated bus lanes provide quick, cost-efficient solutions to speeding up travel times for our riders, and I’m pleased to see this morning peak-only lane extension move forward,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “The 116 and 117 are critical bus routes for thousands of bus riders traveling through the Revere community and making connections to the Blue Line. Extending this lane will improve their commute while also encouraging more folks to get out of their cars and take public transit. We thank our partners at MassDOT for funding these kinds of important projects, the City of Revere for their continued collaboration, and the MBTA Transit Priority Group for their diligent work on improving our network.”

“Thousands of Revere residents rely on MBTA bus service to access work, appointments, and other critical needs,” said City of Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe Jr. “By improving the efficiency of bus operations, this project will set the stage for a successful launch of the Bus Network Redesign Phase 1, a system-wide transformation of the MBTA bus system that starts in Revere later this year."

The initial one-mile bus lane was launched in October 2020 as part of a pilot program to prioritize bus service for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a successful pilot period with temporary roadway markings, the Revere City Council voted in August 2022 to make the bus lane permanent. New permanent road markings were put in place in September 2023.

The extension of the morning peak-only bus lane will support faster, more reliable bus service, providing an improved experience for thousands of riders. Additionally, Route 116 will receive significant improvement as a Frequent Bus Route in Bus Network Redesign Phase 1, expected in December 2024.

The MassDOT Shared Street and Spaces Grant funds quick-build projects to help transit authorities and municipalities quickly implement improvements to public spaces. These include sidewalks, curbs, streets, bus stops, and parking areas to support public health, safe mobility, and strengthen commerce.

The MBTA Transit Priority Group is part of the Better Bus Project, which aims to transform bus service throughout the MBTA system. The group is responsible for designing and implementing transit priority infrastructure defined in the MBTA’s Bus Priority Vision, and working with municipal and fellow state agencies. To date, the group has delivered more than 40 miles of bus lanes and activated transit signal priority at more than 80 locations in 12 municipalities.