MBTA Fall Schedule Reduces Bus Service, Extends Subway Frequency Cuts

BOSTON, MA — Service cuts across much of the MBTA are set to deepen for the fall season beginning on Sunday as the agency plans to reduce frequency on more than 40 bus routes. The T will also extend a period of decreased subway train frequency, immediately impacting riders of the Red Line and the Blue Line.

The extended subway cuts will additionally remain in place for the Orange Line once its service resumes following the now ongoing Orange Line shutdown.

MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak discussed elements of these changes at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. The MBTA then rolled out its full announcement hours later, including a list of bus routes impacted by upcoming cuts.

At issue, the T said, is staffing.

“While the MBTA continues its aggressive hiring campaign, the MBTA is adjusting bus service on some routes beginning August 28, 2022, to better match scheduled service with the actual level of service being delivered,” the agency said in its announcement.

A total of 43 bus routes will see decreased service, while nine will experience route changes. More than 30 routes will have departure time changes for the fall season.

Two routes will get more service, with a new Saturday morning trip added on the 455 bus and increased frequency added for the Silver Line 1 route.

On the Orange, Red and Blue lines, the MBTA already cut weekday service by more than 20% back in June after the Federal Transit Authority flagged a series of safety issues as part of its review of the MBTA.

Poftak said on Wednesday that that cuts would remain in place through the fall, citing continued staffing shortages at the MBTA’s Operations Control Center.

“Our priority is always going to be safety,” he said.

Current staffing shortages are not a new problem for the MBTA. Efforts to add staff, however, have fallen short, the agency said.

Despite broad efforts to promote bus driver positions, the agency had hired for just 152 of the roughly 300 driver positions it is looking to add as of Wednesday.

The MBTA said on Wednesday that bus route changes “will be made with special focus on maintaining service levels on routes with durable ridership, increasing service on the most crowded routes, adapting service to accommodate school and work trips, and maintaining the T’s flexibility to make changes to schedules as needed.”

A full list of service changes is available here.

The T has advised riders impacted by service changes to use its Trip Planner service to find alternate routes.