BOSTON, March 5, 2024 — We are pleased that the City of Boston has officially confirmed the transformation of Blue Hill Avenue into a multimodal corridor, equipped with center-running dedicated bus lanes, that improves safety and efficiency for all. Serving more than 37,000 riders each weekday, Blue Hill Ave is a crucial corridor that connects the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods. Many buses including the 28, 29, and 31 utilize the Blue Hill Ave corridor but often experience delay and unreliability. The 28 bus has the highest ridership in the MBTA network and serves mostly low-income and transit dependent riders, but it experiences severe bus bunching and slowdowns along its route due to the lack of bus priority.
Aging infrastructure along Blue Hill Ave has created safety concerns for drivers, transit users, and pedestrians alike. This investment, with funding from the City of Boston, the federal government, and the MBTA, will improve mobility in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Through the implementation of this bus lane, significant time savings will be had by its thousands of riders, further promoting equity in the MBTA bus network as Black riders spend significantly more time on buses than white riders. The Blue Hill Ave dedicated bus lane, along with the project’s other mobility upgrades, is a major advancement essential to supporting historically disinvested communities.
TransitMatters applauds the City of Boston for its robust community engagement process, which helped shape this project. The modernization of Blue Hill Ave will promote mobility and transform it into a multimodal corridor that prioritizes safety and accessibility for everyone. We're excited to see the additional beautification elements that along with the transportation improvements, will support local businesses and make the corridor more vibrant and livable.
TransitMatters supports implementing bus priority measures, such as center-running dedicated bus lanes, to increase reliability and protect buses as a dignified transit option. The success of this project will improve experiences for those of all modes, bus riders, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, and create a safer and more livable corridor in the Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan neighborhoods.
For media inquiries, please e-mail media@transitmatters.org.
###
Photo credit: James Wang