MBTA teams up with local communities to implement new bus lanes

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the city of Everett and the city of Chelsea in Massachusetts have partnered together to create new dedicated bidirectional bus lanes. The new bus lanes will help to prepare for the new Frequent Route 104 bus service as part of Bus Network Redesign Phase 1. This is part of the MBTA’s overall Transit Priority Strategy.   

Approximately one mile of bus lanes are being added to 2nd Street in Everett and Chelsea to support the new route of Frequent Bus Route 104 and to help ensure the service remains fast and reliable. The lane will stretch between Spruce Street in Chelsea to Revere Beach Parkway in Everett in the westbound direction and there will be an eastbound segment in Chelsea from the Everett City line at Market Steet ending just shy of Spruce Street.   

Installation of the bus lanes began Oct. 20 and is anticipated to last approximately three weeks (weather permitting). Existing lanes will remain for traffic in each direction. No parking spaces will be removed for the bus lanes.  

The Dec. 15 launch of new frequent route bus service will include changes to six bus routes: 86, 104, 109, 110, 116 and 117, serving the communities of Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Malden, East Boston, Somerville, Cambridge, Allston and Brighton. The agency plans to increase service on these routes by 60 percent overall compared to current services.    

“Transportation systems must work if we want our communities to thrive and the new route for Route 104 buses, which will run at least every 15 minutes, is well planned and efficient,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “The MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign initiatives like the new Route 104 route take into account where people want to go in today’s world and in a world decades into the future. The strategic plans for bus service which we are implementing will strengthen the state’s economy, provide access to employment and housing and improve the quality of life for our residents.”    

The revised route will create a new connection from Malden and Everett to Chelsea and East Boston by redirecting the current route south of Everett Square to serve Mystic Mall Plaza, Bellingham Square and Airport Station. This will also double the existing service on Route 104. The new 104 route will help people get to and from key employment and shopping areas. It will offer new connections to the Orange and Blue lines.  

The new Frequent Bus Route 109 will replace service between Everett Square and Sullivan Square, also with service running every 15 minutes or better all day during MBTA service hours.  

The MBTA worked closely with city officials and the Chelsea and Everett communities to design and implement bus lanes to protect this new bus service from traffic. Outreach took place with businesses along 2nd and Spruce Streets and included health and human services entities, education, consumer service and retail, restaurants and cafes and community and nonprofit groups.