Watertown MBTA Bus Routes Up for Changes, Improvements in July, August

The MBTA Monday, June 17, announced the beginning of consturction for its Key Bus Routes Improvement Program, which will impact 15 bus routes throughout the service area during the summer months.

The selected 15 routes are the busiest in the network, according to an MBTA press release, and service about 885 bus stops in eight communities, including Watertown.

The routes include: 

• Route 71, which runs from Watertown Square to Harvard Square. Improvements will occur in August, and

• Route 57, which services several stops in Newton Corner enroute between Watertown Yard and Kenmore Square, is scheduled to receive the improvements from July 15 to Aug. 30.

According to a press release from the MBTA, the Key Bus Routes Improvment Program is intended to "improve the overall quality of service for the bus-riding public by making improvements and adjustments to both physical characteristics and service."

Improvements will include consolidating bus stops and reducing them by 25 percent, which is expected to reduce trip times by 13 percent. Currently, many bus stops are visible to one another, the press release reads.

Additional work will included making stops ADA accessible and improving or adding amenities such as shelters, benches, trash barrels and signage.

"The MBTA is looking forward to improving the quality of amenities and service on some of our most utilized services,” said MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said. "This aggressive and ambitious project will reduce trip times, enhance customer comfort, accessibility, convenience and safety, and make service more reliable and cost-effective."

The work is being completed as part of $10 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant.