
The T and the city coned off all the parking spaces from Roslindale Square to Forest Hills on Washington Street this morning to test out the logistics of having a dedicated bus and bike lane on the road that serves as a congested funnel for numerous bus routes serving Roslindale, West Roxbury and Dedham.
T workers in yellow vests stood at each intersection to keep cars out - aided by T police, who patrolled the route.

Bus riders were loving it, especially after months of delays at Ukraine Way due to the Arborway project that had gotten so bad many people had taken to getting off at Tollgate Way and walking to the Orange Line. Scotteric reports/a>:
Our 34e is at capacity so we didn’t stop to pick up anyone. Just arrived at the bus station. That was pretty amazing! Let’s do this all the time! 6 minutes, fastest ride from the square to forest hills I’ve ever had.
Tucc06, whose bus did make stops, reports the ride from the square to the station took all of 8 minutes.

Bicyclists also seemed to approve - they had a much wider lane in which to not worry about motorists. As I stood at South Street taking photos, one woman gliding by yelled out: "Best! Thing! Ever!"
Local activists Steve Gag and Alan Wright, who were walking the route handing out fliers explaining the test, said the one problem seemed to be at Archdale Road, because of the large number of motorists turning there. Moving the bus stop to the Forest Hills side of the route might fix that, they said.
There will be a similar test next Tuesday. . The T and BTD are planning a more formal three-week pilot this spring.
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Comments
I think ideas like this are great
By Stevil
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:27am
Look at that traffic. Make driving during rush hour so difficult that it makes the T the better choice so that the only people on thecroad are those that really need to be there (emergency vehicles, local deliveries, contractors, salespeople etc.)
When can we get two lanes of this on the expressway?
If anything, it'll improve
By Rob Not Verified
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:29am
If anything, it'll improve the vehicle travel lane since they won't be stuck behind buses anymore. When I rode it this morning, vehicles were moving along smoothly with minimal backup. Everything bottlenecks as you approach Forest Hills due to the construction, that has nothing to do with this bus lane.
Plus, when buses are even
By baustin
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:33am
Plus, when buses are even more awesome from having dedicated lanes, more people will ride them, thus cramming the passenger loads from 40+ cars into a single vehicle in another lane. Love these dedicated lanes!
Perhaps
By whyaduck
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 12:58pm
Yes, possibly more people will ride them only if the bus schedule is convenient to them. It is too early to say whether one bus will replace 40 plus cars that now exist.
Obviously, there are some
By R Hookup
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:20pm
Obviously, there are some elements of a bus schedule that are going to be inconvenient for certain passengers, but I found using the GPS-driven bus schedule apps really opens up the value of taking a bus. I started taking a bus to work 3 years ago and being able to glance at my phone and know how far away the bus is and what alternatives there might be for my location have been mind-opening.
A bus behind schedule (especially when you are home) is less of a hassle if you know it and can delay your departure.
Yeah, but
By whyaduck
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:31pm
not everyone has a smart phone, including yours truly.
And you may have more flexibility in taking the alternatives.
Good for you, though.
Yeah, but
By spin_o_rama
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 2:01pm
not everyone has a car, including yours truly.
I knew you'd find a way to complain about this and make it about cars, totally threw a curveball with the smart phone issue.
Good for you, though!
Your phone doesn't need to be that smart
By Waquiot
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 2:13pm
I'm stingy with my data, so I call 617-531-0173 every time I'm walking to the bus stop to find out when the next bus is coming. You just need to know the bus stop number (and the Roslindale municipal building's stop number is 00636.)
Did someone quack?
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 2:19pm
How are we supposed to hear you if you never get out of your car?
Oh. Wait. That's a feature.
If you have a computer, you
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 3:32pm
If you have a computer, you can check on the bus from home.
If you have unlimited texting
By Ari O
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 7:30pm
https://mbta.com/news/1880
I tried it.
By Lee
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:24pm
It doesn’t work.
The "Catch the Bus" app makes
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:39pm
The "Catch the Bus" app makes life so much easier!
yeah, the availability of
By ruthling
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 3:45pm
yeah, the availability of decent real-time information has made bus riding so much more usable for me and many others.
Traffic
By Robert Roslindale
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 4:34pm
This won’t help vehicle traffic at all if you cannot get around left turning vehicles.
Not the intention
By HenryAlan
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 9:33am
but how do you do that in the first place? When it's not a bus lane, there are parked cars, and bikes. The only solution on left turning vehicles is for the traffic headed in the other direction to stop and let them turn.
Buses should have priority
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:31am
There are likely to be a lot more people on them than in those cars anyway.
The bus lane is not to blame
By Neal
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:42am
It's 50 people in 50 empty cars that are taking up roadway space, causing traffic congestion and making driving during rush hour difficult. Three buses carrying 45 people each should be given priority over 50+ single occupancy vehicles clogging the roadways.
Apologies to Stevil
By Neal
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:49am
I initially misinterpreted your post, but just reread it (I thought you were blaming the bus lane for the traffic) -I shouldn't comment before coffee.
No offense taken
By Stevil
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:43pm
I take the bus occasionally on this stretch of Washington and drive there. This looks like a win win once people get used to it. Hat tip to the transit peeps.
"50 people in 50 empty cars"
By Steeve
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 2:02pm
"50 people in 50 empty cars"
G-g-g-ghosts?!?!
Haha maybe! :-)
By Neal
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 10:57am
It's all a matter of perspective. If one were driving a box truck or a van with no cargo in the back, they'd likely be referred to as empty. The same standard should be held for a sedan, van, or SUV, etc. with no passengers.
I know, just playing. It is
By Steeve
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 12:03pm
I know, just playing. It is outstanding, though, how much traffic is caused by, and complained about, by people who are THE reason why it's so bad: people who don't carpool, or take public transportation.
Haha maybe! :-)
By Neal
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 10:57am
It's all a matter of perspective. If one were driving a box truck or a van with no cargo in the back, they'd likely be referred to as empty. The same standard should be held for a sedan, van, or SUV, etc. with no passengers.
Should help traffic for cars, too
By HenryAlan
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:44am
When there is a dedicated bus lane, then there is also a dedicated car lane. Take all those busses out of the car lane, and there is a faster drive time, too.
Emergency vehicles
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:30am
They can also use this lane to get through the traffic faster.
Kudos
By Rob Not Verified
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:28am
I rode it this morning and it really was transformative. It knocked the bus commute time down by at least a half and that's probably being conservative. It even put riders in a much better mood, you could see and feel it. Thank you to the city and MBTA for being willing to think differently especially for residents in this part of Boston who don't live on the main subway. Hoping this can become a permanent solution eventually.
make this permanent..
By formerlyTheSoBo...
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:58pm
..and do a trial in other parts of the city. The #9 Bus in South Boston, South End and Back Bay should have this same setup. That includes East and West Broadway in SoBoston.
Fantastic!
By formerlyTheSoBo...
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:31am
Nice work MBTA and the City of Boston. Dedicated bus lanes and bike lanes are a no-brainer for moving people around a city.
Make these permanent!
Awesome!
By Pippo
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:33am
What can I say? I enjoyed my morning commute! Doesn't get much better than this. Well, it does, with the Orange Line Extension, but this is a very welcomed band-aid.
It Was Really Fantastic!
By HenryAlan
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:42am
I usually bike or take the commuter rail because that stretch of Washington can literally take 25 minutes to go just one mile. But I took the bus today to see how things went, and aside from the construction impact where the bus lane ended, it was amazing. Took all of four minutes to get from Roslindale Square to Tollgate Way, and I suspect the pending completion of the Arborway project will make the last 200 yards nearly as easy. Regarding timing, my entire commute was only 10 minutes longer than the usual commuter train based commute. If the end of construction can shave off another five minutes (that part took 7, so it's not hard to imagine saving another 5), then I will see no reason to spend more for the train.
Finally....
By BennyWu
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:01am
....kicking and screaming the City of Boston is dragged into the present and doing something other than preserving free parking at all costs. If you travel anywhere you will see that most cities around the world implemented bus lanes a long time ago. This is neither novel nor innovative, just a standard low-cost low-hanging-fruit measure to get people where they are going. I hope to see the City of Boston, other municipalities, DCR and MassDOT Highway implement bus lanes throughout the area! Remember, the MBTA only drives the buses they don't control the roads.
Mass Ave next?
By markroberts
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:53am
This is fantastic! Mass Ave should be next, at least on the southbound side from Hynes to Washington. There is a parking and bike lane here, which could both be easily repurposed — sacrificing about 200 parking spaces (and the uber/left drivers’ waiting aimlessly zone) for far better commutes for about 10,000 people a day. Let’s do it.
They
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:55am
Still need to make the commuter rail in West Roxbury and Roslindale zone 1A!
Nope
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:32am
Then Winchester, Winchester Center and stops in Newton would be 1A, too.
Not the town you live in, it is the distance.
Don't confuse them with the facts
By Waquiot
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 11:51am
They also think the city runs the T.
Actually that's not the case
By Ann
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 12:32pm
Actually that's not the case as it is Zone 1A to Fairmont on the Readville Line, and that is a longer distance than Roslindale and West Roxbury on the Needham Line.
Yes, it should actually be 1A
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:45pm
Yes, it should actually be 1A. Looks at the maps; we are subsidizing Needham. It costs half the price to go from Bellevue to Needham Center even though it is a longer ride (mileage wise).
You can also take the train from Hyde Park to RI for less money than BB to Bellevue!
Yes, people who cross the 1A
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 3:44pm
Yes, people who cross the 1A-1 boundary are subsidizing the very few people who only ride from 1 to 2.
Commuter rail fares are out of control, except 1A is kept artificially low. This makes for absurd situations involving the 1A-1 boundary.
The solution? Lower the fares. Make them distance-based without any huge steps, and charge about 30 cents per mile with a $2.25 minimum.
Charging $1.50/mile is absurd if our goal is to encourage transit use.
Not artifically low
By anon
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 9:37am
BUILD ME A GODDAMN LIGHT RAIL LINE AND WE WILL TALK.
1A are stations CLOSER than Braintree.
Same people who bitch about commuter rail fares are also bitching about "just drive buses on the lowell line right of way". Leave your couch and see the world people.
A light rail line would cost
By anon
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 3:35pm
A light rail line would cost a billion dollars.
Running the commuter rail more often and charging a lower fare? Nobody knows what that would cost, because nobody has officially proposed it.
Yes, but this is not nearly
By DTP
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 4:30pm
Yes, but this is not nearly as ridiculous a situation as you present it. Of course tickets that don't involve Boston are going to be significantly cheaper - all the congestion and crowding is headed into Boston. Why shouldn't the T be discounting interzone travel, since every butt they get into a seat on those trips is essentially free money - it doesn't cost anything extra to carry a passenger from Hyde Park to RI.
I hope to see this happening...
By Lee
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:56am
...elsewhere in Boston. Soon!
This looks promising. But how
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 9:58am
This looks promising. But how long until it looks like those dedicated bus lanes for the silver line on Washington Street in the South End?
Not the same type of lanes
By HenryAlan
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:18am
I get your concern, but the implementation is quite different because it's only for two hours, rather than 20. They put cones all along Washington St. to physically separate the bus/bike lane from the car lane, and there was also a heavy staff presence, though I'm sure it will become smaller as the tests continue. With the cones and probably a greater density of buses than the Silver line creates, there really wasn't any good way for cars to try to use the lane. Also worth noting, the car lane was flowing better than usual, as there were no longer any buses to gobble up real estate.
The Silver line bus lanes in the South End have no physical separation because a parking lane remains between the bus lane and the curb. This requires that cars be able to cross through at any point along the route, and also encourages double parking. Neither is really possible in the Roslindale implementation.
As long as everyone behaves
By KellyJMF
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 11:18am
I saw a cab make a right turn onto Washington (around Archdale) and zip right up the bus lane. If people cheat, the buses will lose all the gains. I hope they add some enforcement if the experiment continues.
In some cities, taxis are
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 6:19pm
In some cities, taxis are allowed to use bus lanes.
I know it's not the rule here (if there even is a rule behind the bunch of cones). But it works in other places, even when they have a lot more buses per hour than we do.
Exactly
By Neal
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 12:24pm
The bus lanes on Washington St in the South End are backwards: They should be where the parking is and parking should be where the bus lane is. Another thing the City should look at is what Paris does. There, HOV lanes on city streets are physically separated by a curb, with breaks every few hundred feet and restricted for use only by buses, multi occupancy vehicles and vehicles accessing the parking lane.
My understanding is that
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 12:37pm
My understanding is that Paris doesn't get very many instances of accumulating snow. Any dividers on streets need to address the fact that we get snow and it has to be removed physically instead of waiting for it to melt.
Irrelevant. A bus lane is
By DTP
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 4:31pm
Irrelevant. A bus lane is going to be plenty wide enough for a snowplow, since a snowplow is not any wider than a bus.
Irrelevant ---
By John S. Allen
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 5:16pm
Yes, a bus lane is wide enough for a snowplow but it isn't just that simple. If there's a barrier next to the bus lane, the snowplow can't push the show from the middle of the street all the way to the curb. Then there is a line of snow on the barrier and it melts and refreezes into black ice in the bus lane.
The issue is not the snowplow
By roadman
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 6:14pm
The issue is the bollards/dividers, which both increase snow accumulation in the lane and impede snow removal.
If they go with an actual
By DTP
Thu, 12/14/2017 - 9:09am
If they go with an actual curb, it's still only maybe 6" tall - plenty low enough for the plows to push snow right over. You might end up with a little bit of snow sitting there, but that's hardly going to be a major issue.
If this actually were an issue, every road with a median would be a problem with snow removal.
One problem
By anon
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 9:39am
How will the plows get all the snow to the wheelchair ramps and bus stops if there's a divider in the way?
Good point.
By Lee
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:51am
We need better enforcement in the South End.
What adding another travel lane can do
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:03am
Keep up the good work. Add more travel lanes on more roads please!
Induced demand
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:33am
is a thing. google it.
Induced demand - Yes, more people will take the bus
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 1:12pm
and then more buses will need to be added. Such a horrible thing for government to satisfy transportation demands of the public.
Our roads have mostly been at current capacity for 75 years while construction of new residences and businesses has continued unabated. It only makes sense to add roadway to satisfy the huge, pent up need for more transportation.
Boston population in 1940:
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 6:21pm
Boston population in 1940: 770,816
Boston population in 2017: 673,184
The problem isn't the number of residences. It's cars. And a lack of fast, frequent transit.
Here's the cool thing about these bus lanes
By Ari O
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 7:35pm
They actually make it so you can run more service without adding any buses. Because the bus is faster and more predictable, the schedule can be shortened and layover/recovery time reduced. So a bus that used to make 2 round trips at rush hour can instead make 3.
Take the sidewalk?
By Thor's Anvil no...
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 11:27am
Take the sidewalk?
Pay for it?
Just "Add more travel lanes" is not particularly constructive without suggestions as to how..
I suggest "Fewer sing-occupancy motor vehicles please!" but without systematic murder, I don't know how to achieve that. And apparently that's really bad when state-subsidized.
Great!
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:35am
What took them so long? This should have happened years ago.
Only weird thing was the sign at Cummins Hwy
By Parkwayne
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 10:56am
As you came down Cummins into the square there was a big DOT sign which said 'No Stopping!' alternating with something about the bus lane. I then saw the person in front of me stop at the line, then run the red light as they presumably thought they were supposed to. There was a transit advocate there at the sidewalk who helpfully gave the driver the finger so good times abounded.
I waited for the green light assuming the No Stopping warning was for someone else although it was set up to be read by the drivers on Cummins Hwy.
Traffic vs Parking
By SteveE
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 11:07am
I've joked about signs pertaining to parking being on the same poles as traffic regulations (Stop sign with No Stopping Anytime Tow Zone underneath). It's very rare that common sense doesn't prevail though... I'm concerned for this driver in a general sense.
There is a clear difference in design between traffic and parking regulatory signage. It's not a new thing.
Sure
By Parkwayne
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 11:54am
It's just that in this location, the sign made no sense as worded. The curb parking on Cummins Highway wasn't impacted...
Is a portable electronic sign
By anon
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 6:23pm
Is a portable electronic sign a parking sign or a traffic sign?
Parking signs are still traffic signs
By roadman
Wed, 12/13/2017 - 7:00pm
They just happen to convey parking restrictions and permissions, which is why they are of specific size, shape, and legend. Now, the majority of drivers typically encounter electronic message signs in situations that involve actual traffic movement. And, with rare exceptions, these electronic signs cannot be programmed to look like standard traffic signs.
So flashing "NO STOPPING" on an electronic message sign, which does not look like a normal permanent parking sign, at an intersection controlled by standard red-yellow-green traffic lights is a recipe for possible confusion. However, the solution is very simple - just MOVE the electronic sign far enough away from the intersection so that it's obvious the message does NOT apply to movements through the intersection.
duplicate comment
By roadman
Thu, 12/14/2017 - 2:24pm
deleted
Duplicate comment
By roadman
Thu, 12/14/2017 - 2:27pm
deleted
No Stopping means no stopping
By cden4
Tue, 12/12/2017 - 11:24am
No Stopping means no stopping (i.e. parking or waiting) at the curb. It doesn't mean ignore red lights :-)
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