Rapid Bus Lane Project On Mt. Auburn Street Is Working: Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, MA — City officials say the Cambridge-Watertown Mt. Auburn Street Bus Priority Pilot has improved travel time and service for the more than 12,000 daily MBTA bus and shuttle riders along Mt. Auburn St., west of Fresh Pond Parkway.

And MBTA route 71 and 73 riders save 4-5 minutes on average during morning rush hour trips to Harvard Square, according to officials.

In October last year the city, introduced segments of bus-only lanes, transit signal priority, and in-bound queue jump lanes in an effort to help bus reliability and overall traffic flow in the area notorious for traffic.

Data, traffic counts, and responses to municipal surveys, city officials say there is reason to cheer.

“The data generated from the pilot projects underscores the tremendous potential of bus rapid transit to move more people more efficiently and equitably, cutting down on traffic congestion and air pollution while creating a more reliable commute for everyone,” said Julia Wallerce, Boston program manager for the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, which collaborated with Cambridge and Watertown for the project.

Wallerce said public support around the pilots is a good step toward implementing a full bus rapid transit corridor in the Boston region.

Data before and after the changes show queues appeared longer for cars at the lights, but move more consistently through the area. The travel patterns have been simplified by keeping most traffic in a single lane, according to officials.

Some other benefits, according to the report:

• MBTA route 71 and 73 riders save 4-5 minutes on average during morning rush hour trips to Harvard Square. Although it's not clear how many people were surveyed, feedback showed that time saved felt even more significant to the bus riders, with more than half reporting that they save between seven and 10 minutes.
• MBTA route 71 and 73 riders gained more certainty about the length of their daily commute. During peak commuting hours in the project area, buses operate more reliably, with approximately 59 percent less variance – the amount of time that people factor into commute planning to account for delays on some of the worst traffic days.
• People who bike in the shared bus lane in the in-bound direction toward Harvard Square and use the new bicycle lane in the out-bound direction reported increased comfort when riding along the corridor.
• More than half of survey respondents indicated satisfaction with their commute after the pilot was implemented, compared with 19 percent who indicated satisfaction prior to implementation.

The BostonBRT initiative conducted the pilot, which was funded by the Barr Foundation. Cambridge and Watertown collaborated with the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, the MBTA, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation on the project and evaluation.

“The Mt. Auburn St. Bus Priority Pilot reinforces our commitment to our Vision Zero and Complete Streets missions," said Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale in a statement. "By improving bus reliability on one of Cambridge’s most congested corridors, we are helping more people commute to their homes, jobs, and other destinations safely and sustainability.”

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).