Mt Auburn Bus Priority Pilot to Launch Week of Oct. 15th


10/11/2018 • 5 years ago

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71 Bus

The Cambridge-Watertown Mt. Auburn Bus Priority Pilot will launch the week of October 15, 2018, bringing more efficient and reliable service to the 12,000+ daily bus riders on MBTA routes 71 and 73 along the Mt. Auburn Street corridor west of Fresh Pond Parkway. 

The pilot incorporates bus rapid transit (BRT) features including:

  • Dedicated Bus Lanes that take buses out of car congestion for segments along Mt. Auburn Street, most notably between Brattle St. and Coolidge Ave. These dedicated lanes will improve overall traffic flow along the corridor, as buses will no longer need to pull in and out of car traffic. The lanes will also be open to employee shuttles, emergency vehicles, and bicycles. 
  • Inbound "queue jump" lanes that give buses and shuttles priority at intersections along Mt. Auburn St. where buses sit the longest at red lights, including the intersections at School and Walnut Streets in Watertown and at Belmont Street in Cambridge. 
  • Re-times Traffic Signals and Transit Signal Priority (TSP) to give buses more green light time when needed and improve overall traffic flow. 

Watch this brief video to learn more about how the pilot will impact travel along Mt. Auburn St. :

Cambridge and Watertown received funding from the Barr Foundation for the project, and worked closely with the MBTA and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) throughout the planning implementation process. The pilot will remain in place while staff from Cambridge and Watertown work with community members and local business to evaluate it and determine whether further adjustments are appropriate.

To learn more, visit cambridgema.gov/mtauburnbusprioritypilot.