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buses

Reinventing bus service for a growing economy

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Photo of EZ Ride shuttle service moving through Kendall Square.

Current bus service provides a third of all MBTA rides in the Boston Area, approximately 450,000 bus trips each weekday. While buses offer the opportunity to make connections that cannot be made by the core rail system, the MBTA bus system has been woefully underinvested in, and no comprehensive service planning has been done in 30 years. This has led to gaps in connectivity, and an increasing challenge to ensure Kndall Square businesses are able to attract the employees they need without increasing traffic. These gaps could be filled by new and improved bus service, and/or more efficient use of private shuttle services.

ACTIONS

  • Study bus priority treatments —Lechmere to Kendall Square
  • Improve CT2/85 frequency and reliability
  • Extend 64/70/70A into Kendall Square
  • Increase EZRide shuttle service
  • Implement new CT4 service
 

RECENT NEWS

The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) is pleased to share our recent report which provides conceptual streetscape designs for Broadway (Ames Street to Galaxy Park), Third Street (from Galaxy Park to Binney Street), and Main Street (from Vassar Street to Galaxy Park) in Kendall Square.

The goal of this report is to connect existing and planned streetscape infrastructure in Kendall Square and incorporate the region’s vision of a multi-modal transportation network with context-specific amenities and landscaping. The process was conducted in collaboration between the CRA, the City of Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW), Cambridge Traffic Parking and Transportation (TPT), and the Cambridge Community Development Department (CDD), and the designs were developed with input from property owners, transportation providers, stakeholders, and the community to ensure the designs align with existing uses and future development plans.
The MBTA is currently in the midst of its first Bus Network Redesign plan in many decades. The routes that will be impacted are still under review and are subject to change. For a look at the project's work to date, click the link below.
 
 

Section Rendering of the proposed streetscape layout for Main Street in Kendall Square between Vassar Street/Galileo Galilei Way and Ames Street.

 

Photo of an MBTA CT2 bus entering Main Street in Kendall Square.