city_hall

Official websites use .boston.gov

A .boston.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the City of Boston.

lock

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Last updated:

Roslindale Bus Lanes

We are working toward prioritizing transit on Washington Street, between Roslindale Village and Forest Hills Station.

Upcoming Events

Events

There are no related events available at this time!

Project background

High Ridership

High Ridership

10 Routes Served

Routes 14, 30, 34, 34E, 35, 36, 37, 40, 50, and 51 travel along Washington Street in Roslindale.

Key Routes

Route 34 and Route 34E have higher weekday ridership than two Silver Line routes and five key bus routes. 

19,000 Daily T Riders

Between Forest Hills Station and Roslindale Village, about 19,000 bus riders travel along Washington each weekday.

Parking

parking icon

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council conducted a parking study for the Washington Street Corridor in October 2019, from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. The analysis included both sides of Washington Street in the industrial, residential, and commercial zones. They found that: 

  • There were 274 parking spaces between Ukraine Way and Roslindale Village. Spaces were 40 percent occupied at 7 a.m., and 53 percent occupied at 5 p.m.
  • From 6 a.m. - 10 a.m., the share of vehicles parked and registered within the study area decreased from 50 to 18 percent.
  • “Peak Demand” was at 11 a.m., with 65 percent occupied during the period.
  • The vehicles parked closest to Forest Hills Station had higher parking durations than other blocks within the residential zone.

High Activity

chart

 

 

 

 

Delays

During congestion, the average bus rider can spend 10 to 15 minutes longer than necessary along Washington Street.

Transit Corridor

About 60 percent of people along the corridor are traveling on buses. Forty percent are traveling in cars in the p.m. peak.

Community Center 

There are about 85 businesses along the corridor along with residences, schools, and medical facilities. The corridor directly connects to Forest Hills Station, a major transit connection in Roslindale.

Implemented projects

Northbound Bus Lane

Image for roslindale bus lane

Pilot testing

We conducted a four-week pilot testing on the northbound a.m. peak bus lane in May 2018. The bus lane was made permanent in June 2018. We found that:

  • The average reduction in travel times for those traveling on buses ranged from 20 to 25 percent during the worst congestion periods.
  • The average bus rider saved at least an hour each week on the a.m. bus lane on Washington Street.

Demonstrated success

check

Ninety-four percent of people riding transit along Washington Street supported the permanent shared bus lane.

Ninety-two percent of people riding transit along Washington Street perceived that the lane has decreased travel time.

Eighty-nine percent of cyclists reported feeling safer in the shared lane, compared to previous conditions.

SOUTHBOUND BUS LANE

buslane

Highlights

We have implemented a southbound p.m. peak bus lane! The bus lane is operational between 2 - 7 p.m. Please do not park in the bus lane between 2- 7 p.m.

The Southbound lane was identified as a priority project for the Healthy Streets initiative to respond to COVID-19.

Due to cold weather, we were unable to paint the bus lane red. But, we plan to stripe red paint this coming spring along with other improvements along the corridor!

northbound bus lane extension

A map of the northbound bus lane extension on Washington Street from Albano Street to Poplar Street

The Boston Transportation Department striped a new inbound bus lane on Washington Street in Spring 2023! This bus lane is in operation from 5am to 10am on weekdays from Albano Street to Popular Street. Please make sure to move any parked vehicles on Washington Street in this area at the time. 

Future projects

MORE TO COME! 

pencil

Highlights

The north and southbound bus lanes are operational! However we still want to engage with you and receive feedback on current and future improvements! 

Further construction improvements — such as curb extensions, bus bump outs, bus stops, and pedestrian crossings — are still to come! 

We are also working to plan improvements for the areas by Forest Hills Station and Cummins Highway.

Related projects

Related
Blue Hill Avenue

We want to improve on our current state of transportation-related equity. We're re-imagining structures and functions on Blue Hill Avenue. The project stretches from Mattapan Square to Grove Hall, at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Warren Street.

Hyde Park Avenue

Hyde Park Avenue connects residents to the Orange Line and Commuter Rail. We want to create transit enhancements along Hyde Park Avenue. Our goal is to improve user experience, decrease delay times, and accommodate developing areas.

Cummins Highway

We want to improve the streetscape through a reconstruction of Cummins Highway, between Blue Hill Avenue and Harvard Street. We are hoping to create a design for everyone traveling along the corridor, across transportation modes.

Back to top