I recently sat down with senior bus operations managers at the MBTA to get an update on their efforts to keep service properly spaced.
71 Watertown Bus
Electrifying public transportation
If we could electrify most vehicles and then make all power sources on the grid carbon neutral, we would make the transportation sector (airplanes aside) carbon neutral and much cleaner. How soon could that happen?
Ridership and Trip Counts on the 71 and 73
I frequently get asked questions about the relative count of buses on the routes 71 and 73. Often riders on one line suspect that riders on the other are getting better service.
The Better Bus Project
The MBTA is holding a number of meetings to support the better bus project.
Dedicating Asphalt to Bus Lanes
The MBTA’s recent call to create more dedicated bus lanes reflects a fundamental reality: in many congested road segments, a large share of the people are hidden away in buses, many of them standing. Where the data prove high bus ridership, it is common sense to shift road resources towards the buses.
Making buses move through traffic faster
The MBTA has working for several years on “transit signal priority”, which utilizes GPS technology to help buses and surface light rail improve reliability and reduce delays. Now that the system is being tested, I’m hopeful that its rollout can include crowded bus routes in my district, particularly the 71 (Watertown) and 73 (Waverley) buses.