Fall 2020 Bus Service Changes
We're committed to public health on public transportation.
Compared to other MBTA services, bus ridership has been the steadiest during the COVID-19 pandemic. As more riders return to the MBTA over the next several months, we are making changes to service in response to the impacts of COVID-19. These changes will:
To accommodate social distancing on the MBTA, we’ve changed our definition of crowding. We now base our planning on the new, lower passenger thresholds on buses to make sure we’re planning to prevent overcrowding.
We’ve seen from our ridership that different communities have responded to the pandemic in different ways. Some riders are taking fewer or no trips as they work from home, while others continue to rely on the MBTA for their essential trips. Our service changes will prioritize service where we’ve seen steady ridership during the pandemic, especially in communities that have few transportation alternatives and many essential workers.
The MBTA has a fixed number of buses and bus operators—and COVID-19 has further impacted the availability of our workforce. The changes we’re making this fall will balance these resources by restoring service at reduced frequencies in some areas and adding service in areas where we’ve seen crowding and steady ridership throughout the pandemic.
The next several months are likely to change in ways that we cannot anticipate. To allow for this uncertainty, our plan for the upcoming service changes includes some built-in flexibility for reallocating service to areas with high demand or crowding.
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How We Made These Service Decisions
We reviewed rider, community, and bus operator feedback to help us make these service decisions. We also analyzed our COVID-19 ridership levels, travel patterns, and traffic in our region as well as in regions around the country.
To make these important service decisions, we’ve also had to make some assumptions about how, when, and where ridership will return:
- Bus ridership is expected to return to 50% of baseline by September, and this growth in ridership is expected to continue throughout the fall. However, we don’t expect the growth to be consistent across all routes, so we based our decisions on the assumption that growth will likely occur on the routes that had the steadiest ridership during the pandemic.
- We’ve prioritized crowding thresholds over service frequency when deciding where to add service. That means that where we observed crowding on a route, we removed resources from another less-crowded route to accommodate the crowded one, even if we had to decrease service below the minimum frequencies in the Service Delivery Policy.
- Since ridership and crowding are expected to continue to increase, we’ve reserved 5% of bus service to act as a flexible resource.
What's Changing This Fall
Service Changes
Effective August 30, 2020, most bus routes will run on a regular schedule, similar to (or better than) pre-COVID service.
Check your route's schedule page after mid-August, when the new fall schedules will be available.
Additional changes include:
These routes will have more service compared to the spring: 1, 9, 22, 23, 28, 32, 39, 47, 57, 65, 66, 70, 71, 75, 80, 86, 104, 106, 108, 109, 111, 112, 116, 117, 134, 238, 240, 350, 504, and 553.
These routes will run on a regular schedule, similar to the spring: 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 50, 51, 61, 64, 69, 74, 78, 83, 89, 93, 95, 96, 97, 100, 101, 110, 119, 120, 132, 201, 210, 211, 212, 215, 220, 222, 225, 226, 230, 230, 411, 429, 430, 436, 441, 442, 450, 455, 465, 712, 713, SL4, and SL5.
These routes will continue to run with reduced service: 4, 55, 91, 92, 99, 216, 354, 426, CT2, SL1, SL2.
These routes will run during peak hours only with reduced service: 18, 43, 52, 79, 236, and 245.
Routes resuming regular weekday service: CT3, 27, 67, 68, 72, 85, 114, 121, 131, 202, 217, 221, 424, 439, 450 (to Haymarket), and 501.
Routes resuming reduced weekday service: CT2, 4, 52, 79, 214, 426 (to Haymarket), 554, 556, and 558.
The following routes continue to not run. Please see alternative options below, or use trip planner.
Route | Alternative Service | ||
---|---|---|---|
Route | 62 and 76 | Alternative Service | Combined 62/76 (some trips will not stop at Hanscom Civil Air Terminal). Riders can also use Lexpress buses or the 128 Business Council's REV Alewife shuttle. |
Route | 84 | Alternative Service | 78 (all trips will run via Arlmont rather than Arlington Heights) |
Route | 170 | Alternative Service | 61, 70, other Waltham bus routes, Fitchburg Line, or 128 Business Council's Waltham shuttles |
Route | 325 | Alternative Service | 100 or 101 and Orange Line |
Route | 326 | Alternative Service | 94, 95, or 134, and the Red or Orange Lines |
Route | 351 | Alternative Service | 350 and LRTA 14 |
Route | 352 | Alternative Service | 354 |
Route | 428 | Alternative Service | 119, 411, 426, 429,430, and/or the Orange or Blue Lines |
Route | 434 | Alternative Service | 435 or 436 |
Route | 451 | Alternative Service | Newburyport/Rockport Line or Beverly Local Bus |
Route | 456 | Alternative Service | 424 or 450 |
Route | 502 | Alternative Service | 504 (nearly all trips will service the Copley/Back Bay area) |
Route | 503 | Alternative Service | 501 (all trips will serve the Copley/Back Bay area) |
Route | 505 | Alternative Service | Framingham/Worcester Line to Newton, Fitchburg Line to Waltham, or Route 57 and connect to local service on the 553, 554, 556, or 558. |
If your route or stop is affected, please use trip planner to plan alternative service.
Route | Structural Change | ||
---|---|---|---|
Route | 55 | Structural Change | All trips will terminate at Copley and not serve Park Street Station. |
Route | 62/76 | Structural Change | This route will only stop at Hanscom Civil Air Terminal outbound in the morning and inbound in the afternoon. |
Route | 78 | Structural Change | All trips run via Arlmont rather than Arlington Heights. |
Route | 136 and 137 | Structural Change | Midday service 10 AM – 2 PM will operate inbound as Route 137 and outbound as Route 136. Some passengers may need to ride through the end of the route. |
Route | 214 and 216 | Structural Change | Midday service 10 AM – 2:30 PM will run as Route 216 Hough’s Neck via Germantown. |
Route | 245 | Structural Change | There will be no service to Brook Rd. |
Route | 354 | Structural Change | Service will be extended to North Burlington. |
Route | 501 | Structural Change | All trips will serve the Copley/Back Bay area. |
Route | 504 | Structural Change | Nearly all trips will serve the Copley/Back Bay area |
Route | 553, 554, 556, and 558 | Structural Change | These routes will run local service only and will not go down the turnpike past Newton Corner. Transfer to Routes 57, 501, or 504 for continued service to Boston. These changes will also take effect: |
Routes with increased weekend service: 1, 8, 15, 16, 22, 23, 57, 66, 104, 109, 111, 212, 226, 236, 238, and 240.
Routes with decreased weekend service: 10, 11, 44, 45, 89, 91, 94, 95, 96, 99, 101, 211, 216, 504, and 553.
Changes by Route
Route | Service Change | ||
---|---|---|---|
Route | SL1 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | SL2 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | SL3 | Service Change | Weekday schedule resumes with nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | SL4 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | SL5 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | SLW | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more trips than pre-COVID. |
Route | CT2 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with reduced frequency. |
Route | CT3 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 1 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Weekend trips added. |
Route | 4 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with reduced frequency. |
Route | 7 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 8 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday morning service added. |
Route | 9 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 10 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday trips reduced. |
Route | 11 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. Weekend service reduced. |
Route | 14 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 15 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 16 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. Saturday service added. |
Route | 17 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 18 | Service Change | Weekday schedule changes; service operates during peak peak periods only. |
Route | 19 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 21 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 22 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 23 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 24 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 26 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 27 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 28 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 29 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes, including service to Franklin Field Housing. |
Route | 30 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 31 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 32 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 33 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 34 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 35 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 36 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 37 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 38 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 39 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 40 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 41 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 42 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 43 | Service Change | Weekday schedule changes; service operates during peak peak periods only. |
Route | 44 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 45 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 47 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 50 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 51 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 52 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with reduced peak-only service. |
Route | 55 | Service Change | Weekday schedule changes. Service operates during peak and evening periods only. All trips terminate at Copley and do not serve Park & Tremont. |
Route | 57 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 59 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 60 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 61 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 62 | Service Change | 62 remains suspended; all trips will operate as combined 62/76. Selected trips omit Hanscom Airport. Improved peak frequency. |
Route | 64 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 65 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 66 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Weekend trips added. |
Route | 67 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 68 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 69 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 70 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 71 | Service Change | Trackless trolley service resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Detours at Harvard busway. |
Route | 72 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 73 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 74 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 75 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 76 | Service Change | 76 remains suspended; all trips will operate as combined 62/76. Selected trips omit Hanscom Airport. Improved peak frequency. |
Route | 77 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes; 77A trips remain suspended due to Harvard busway construction. |
Route | 78 | Service Change | Weekday route change. Peak trips will serve Arlmont and omit Arlington Heights due to temporary suspension of Route 84. |
Route | 79 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with reduced peak-only service. |
Route | 80 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 83 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 84 | Service Change | 84 remains suspended; peak 78 trips modified to serve Arlmont. |
Route | 85 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 86 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 87 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 88 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 89 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 90 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 91 | Service Change | Weekday and Saturday frequency is reduced. |
Route | 92 | Service Change | Weekday frequency is reduced. |
Route | 93 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 94 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 95 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 96 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 97 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 99 | Service Change | Weekday and Saturday frequency is reduced. |
Route | 101 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday and Sunday service reduced. |
Route | 104 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Weekend trips added. |
Route | 105 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 106 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 108 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 109 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Weekend trips added. |
Route | 110 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 111 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 112 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 114 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 116 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 117 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 119 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 120 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 121 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 131 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 132 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 134 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 136 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. From 10AM to 2PM, Weekday service will operate in the outbound direction only. Use 136 for inbound service. |
Route | 137 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. From 10AM to 2PM, Weekday service will operate in the inbound direction only. Use 137 for outbound service. |
Route | 170 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 201 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 202 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 210 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday schedule changes before 9AM. |
Route | 211 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 212 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service increased. |
Route | 214 | Service Change | Weekday mid-day trips will operate as combined 214/216 with reduced frequency. Saturday frequency reduced. |
Route | 215 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 216 | Service Change | Weekday mid-day trips will operate as combined 214/216 with reduced frequency. Saturday frequency reduced. |
Route | 217 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 220 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 221 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 222 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday schedule changes after 6PM. |
Route | 225 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 226 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday service increased. |
Route | 230 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. Saturday schedule changes after 2:30 PM. |
Route | 236 | Service Change | Weekday schedule changes; service operates during peak peak periods only. |
Route | 238 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 240 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. Saturday trips added. |
Route | 245 | Service Change | Weekday schedule changes; service operates during peak peak periods only. No service to Brook Rd. |
Route | 325 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 326 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 350 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more service than pre-COVID. |
Route | 351 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 352 | Service Change | 352 service remains suspended. Use 354 service extended to North Burlington instead. |
Route | 354 | Service Change | Weekday schedule resumes but with reduced frequency. Service extended to North Burlington. |
Route | 411 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 424 | Service Change | Weekday frequency improves to nearly pre-COVID service levels. |
Route | 426 | Service Change | Weekday schedule resumes but with reduced frequency. Haymarket service resumes. |
Route | 428 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 429 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 430 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 434 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 435 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 436 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 439 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation. |
Route | 441 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 442 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 450 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes, including service to Haymarket. |
Route | 451 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 455 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes. |
Route | 456 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 501 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation with more trips than pre-COVID. All trips serve Copley Sq/Back Bay due to temporary suspension of 503. |
Route | 502 | Service Change | 502 remains suspended. Use 504; nearly all trips are extended to serve Copley Sq/Back Bay. |
Route | 503 | Service Change | 503 remains suspended. Use 501 which is extended to serve Copley Sq/Back Bay. |
Route | 504 | Service Change | Regular weekday schedule resumes with more trips than pre-COVID. All Weekday trips after 6:35 AM serve Copley Sq/Back Bay due to temporary suspension of 502. Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 505 | Service Change | Service remains suspended. |
Route | 553 | Service Change | Weekday schedule begins operation with modified route and schedule. Local service to/from Newton Corner only; no express service on Masspike. Weekday frequency improved, but Saturday service reduced. |
Route | 554 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with modified route and schedule. Local service to/from Newton Corner only; no express service on Masspike. Service only operates during the morning and evening peaks. No service to Trapelo Rd. |
Route | 556 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with modified route and schedule. Local service to/from Newton Corner only; no express service on Masspike. Service only operates during the morning and evening peaks. |
Route | 558 | Service Change | Weekday service resumes operation, but with modified route and schedule. Local service to/from Newton Corner only; no express service on Masspike. Service only operates during the morning and evening peaks. |
Maps
Click on the map images below to view larger versions.
Frequency Levels
Operating Modes
Fare Changes
Effective September 1, 2020, the difference between CharlieTicket/cash fares and the lower CharlieCard fares will be eliminated for subway and bus. Fare payments will be the same, regardless of how you pay your fare.
Send Us Your Feedback
We’re collecting written feedback from the public on our Fall 2020 Bus Service Changes and service allocation process. There are two ways to get involved:
Survey
Help us better understand how you've been traveling during the pandemic and your priorities when it comes to bus service. Your responses will help inform how we allocate service.
Accessibility
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation and/or language services, please email athomas@mbta.com.
Para más información o para pedir arreglos razonables y/o servicios lingüísticos, por favor envíe un e-mail athomas@mbta.com.
如需進一步瞭解或要求合理的便利設備和/或語言服務,請電郵athomas@mbta.com.
如需进一步了解或要求合理的便利设备和/或语言服务,请电邮athomas@mbta.com.
Para mais informações, ou para solicitar serviços de acesso e/ou linguísticos em termos razoáveis, contactar por email athomas@mbta.com.
Pour plus d’informations ou pour obtenir un accommodement raisonnable et/ou des services linguistiques, veuillez envoyer un athomas@mbta.com.
How The MBTA is Ensuring Your Safety
See what else we're doing to help protect riders and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Couldn't make a public meeting?
Watch a video or download the presentation.
How The MBTA is Ensuring Your Safety
See what else we're doing to help protect riders and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.