Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/public-transportation/page/2/)
Charlie BreitroseAn MBTA 71 Bus. The MBTA released the final report for the Better Bus Project, which includes changes to multiple routes serving Watertown. Some routes have been altered, or even replaced. Others have increased or reduced service. And there are some new routes.
The City of Watertown provided the following information:
Take the Watertown Transportation Management Association’s survey. This is an opportunity to be represented in transportation-related developments within Watertown. Your participation can help decision-makers to understand the needs and preferences of the community and make informed decisions. Take the WATConnector survey and make a difference in your community. The survey will be up for one month.
Charlie BreitroseA 71 bus run by the MBTA. The following information was provided by MassDOT:
The Bus Network Redesign project has released a Revised Bus Network map. The map can be found on the project website. In May 2022, the Bus Network Redesign project released a Draft Bus Network Map and sought public feedback. Over the spring and summer, we received over 20,000 comments on the Draft Bus Network Map.
Charlie BreitroseBuses in Watertown including the 71 bus will run less frequently starting the fall of 2022. Changes to the MBTA schedule and service will begin on Aug. 28, and some routes in Watertown will be impacted. Three bus routes in Watertown — the 70, 71, and 73 buses — will run less often. The changes will impact the 70 (which runs from Waltham to Central Square/University Park in Cambridge via Main Street and Arsenal Street) on weekdays.
Charlie BreitroseBuses like this one on the 71 bus will get priority heading toward Harvard Square on Mt. Auburn Street in the new Cambridge-Watertown Bus Priority Pilot program. The following information was provided by MassDOT:
Bus Network Redesign’s proposed bus network map is now available for your review at MBTA.com/BNRD. This proposal for bus service will create a more equitable network with more frequent service, better connections, and more all-day service every day. You can view the full proposal here.
Charlie BreitroseAn MBTA bus in Watertown. The MBTA announced changes to services beginning on Dec. 19, 2021, including decreased frequency and schedule changes for some bus lines serving Watertown. The 70 bus line from Waltham to the Central Square area in Cambridge will have decreased frequency during weekday mornings and afternoons, Saturday afternoons, and Sunday afternoons. The 504 express bus from Watertown Yard to Copley Square will have decrease frequency in the morning and afternoon.
Charlie BreitroseBuses like this one on the 71 bus will get priority heading toward Harvard Square on Mt. Auburn Street in the new Cambridge-Watertown Bus Priority Pilot program. The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:
The MBTA and MassDOT will host a virtual public meeting on Zoom on Wednesday, October 27, at 6 p.m. to discuss the Bus Network Redesign Project. An initiative of the Better Bus Project, the MBTA and MassDOT’s Bus Network Redesign Project is taking a look at the bus system as a whole in order to recommend a new network that better serves the needs of the region. The project’s second public meeting will present the approach and principles used by MassDOT and the MBTA to propose a transformed bus network through the Bus Network Redesign process.
Watertown TMAThe Watertown Connector started running the week of Labor Day. The shuttle goes down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and then heads to Harvard Square. It is open to the general public. Watertown residents have a new public transportation option with the addition of the Watertown Connector, which runs along Pleasant Street and ultimately takes people to Harvard Square. For about a decade, the Town of Watertown and residents have been working to start a shuttle to the westside corridor that would serve not only businesses and apartment complexes that help fund it, but also the general public.