MBTA expands fall bus service due to ridership demand and prevent crowding

Service is being added on 23 of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) bus routes beginning Aug. 30 and the T is expanding service on certain routes due to ridership demand and to allow for physical distancing.

Meanwhile, some bus routes with low ridership or routes with other service options nearby will have service frequency reduced or will continue to have service suspended.

Additionally, effective Sept. 1, CharlieTicket and cash fares will be lowered to CharlieCard prices. These customer-driven fare tariff changes were approved by the Fiscal and Management Control Board on May 21.

“As the commonwealth continues to reopen, we continue to monitor and evaluate service, and make adjustments in order to provide the safest ride possible for our workers and customers,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Bus service in particular has seen our most durable ridership. The changes coming on Aug. 30 prioritize safety and the T’s efforts to limit crowding on vehicles. We will also be adding service above our previous regular service schedule in communities that have few transit alternatives, and which have many essential workers who use the MBTA to get to their jobs.  I want to again thank our riders for their patience and for continuing to wear face coverings while using the system. I also want to express my appreciation to our frontline workforce, who work every day to provide essential transit services.”

While passenger volumes continue to be lower than pre-pandemic levels, bus ridership has generally been more durable than other modes throughout the pandemic and the MBTA is altering some route schedules effective August 30, including:

• Buses on 23 routes that were not operating during the initial phases of the pandemic will resume operations.
• Some bus routes that have been operating on a reduced Saturday schedule will begin operating weekday service or close to it with service on some routes increasing above pre-pandemic, regular weekday levels to accommodate high ridership that has been observed. 
• Some bus routes will have reduced frequency on weekdays, weekends and/or during off-peak times as ridership levels indicate that is the appropriate step for the T to take.
• Some bus routes have been combined, extended, restructured or will still have service suspended.
• Customers should check for specific route information on MBTA’s website.
• Ridership levels are also leading to some schedule changes on other MBTA modes of travel.

Effective Aug. 30, minor service adjustments will also be made on the Blue and Green Lines in response to both COVID-19 ridership and as part of the Lechmere Viaduct/Green Line Extension work, respectively. Service on other subway lines, commuter rail, ferry and The RIDE will remain at their current levels through the fall.

The MBTA encourages essential travel only. Customers should make efforts to distance and face coverings are required within the MBTA system. The MBTA reminds the public that providing safe transit service during the pandemic is a shared responsibility among the MBTA, its customers, employers and cities and towns. The MBTA urges employers to continue to allow telecommuting and to consider staggered work schedules to promote social distancing on public transit. The MBTA also encourages cities and towns to assist in this effort by expanding available space at busy bus stops and working with the T to implement dedicated-bus lanes.

How the fall 2020 bus service changes were made

The fall 2020 bus service changes remain in keeping with COVID-19 prevention guidance, including lower bus capacity thresholds; prioritizing service where there is steady ridership, especially in communities that have few transportation alternatives and many essential workers; optimizing service in keeping with the T’s fixed number of vehicles and operators; and allowing for flexibility for what ridership is likely to be in the fall.

The MBTA reviewed rider, community and bus operator feedback to help make these service changes. MBTA planning staff also made some assumptions about how, when and where ridership will return:

• Bus ridership is expected to return to 50 percent of baseline by September with ridership growth expected to continue throughout the fall. However, this growth is not expected to be consistent across all routes. Decisions have been based on the assumption that growth will likely occur on the routes that had the steadiest ridership during the pandemic.
• Crowding thresholds have been prioritized over service frequency when deciding where to add service in order to provide the safest ride possible. This means that resources have been diverted from less-crowded routes to accommodate routes where heavy crowding is observed, even if it means decreasing service below the frequencies in the MBTA’s Service Delivery Policy.

Bus service details

Bus service continues to be tailored to allow for operational flexibility with crowding closely being monitored. The MBTA says it is operating its full complement of buses with five percent reserved to be deployed where there is increased demand for service.

Effective Aug. 30, 23 bus routes will resume operating, including Routes CT2, 67 and 68. Additionally, many MBTA bus routes will begin operating with significantly more frequent service, including Routes 22, 66, 112, 114, 116/117 and 504.

In order to resume operating these routes and increasing frequency where high ridership currently exists, other bus routes with less-crowded conditions will experience reduced frequency during certain times of the weekday, on weekends or both. Several routes have also been combined, extended and/or restructured to reduce redundancy. Some bus routes that have parallel or nearby alternate service will also continue to be suspended.