Route 39 Transit Priority Corridor
We're working to improve the experience of Route 39 bus riders!
The Boston Transportation Department is planning improvements to the Route 39 corridor to reduce transit delay, enhance safety, and generally make the bus work better for Route 39 riders. Improvements could include changes to bus stops, re-timing signals, or changes to how traffic operates at intersections.
Sign up on the right to get updates and learn about upcoming public events!
-
Have questions? Contact:
-
Stay Connected
Survey
Over the summer of 2023, we conducted a survey to better understand the experiences of bus riders, pedestrians, bus operators, and other road users along the Route 39. We used that data, as well as a technical analysis of existing conditions, to develop a suite of concept ideas for the Route 39 corridor. Now, we're asking for feedback on these ideas. Fill out this survey to comment on how how well these concepts address your concerns along the route.
We evaluated each concept based on the following metrics:
- Reach - How many riders will be impacted by this concept? Concepts that improve service where many riders are on the bus, at high ridership stops, or at stops with high transfer activity should be prioritized.
- Safety - Does the concept improve safety, particularly at high crash locations?
- Accessibility & Passenger Experience - Does the concept improve access to or at the stop for riders boarding or alighting? Does the concept improve the passenger waiting experience?
- Reliability & Time Savings - Does this concept help reduce delay and/or increase reliability, especially where many riders are on the bus?
Project Goals
Goals
Access
We want to ensure that all bus riders are able to wait comfortably at their bus stops and board the bus safely.
Reliability
We will look at infrastructure and signal improvements to help buses run on schedule.
Time Savings
We will study where buses are currently experiencing delays along their routes and explore solutions to save time for bus riders.
Project Background
Route 39 is a high ridership route that serves riders from Forest Hills to Back Bay Station. The route heavily serves:
- Jamaica Plain
- Mission Hill, and
- the Longwood Medical Area.
Route 39 travels primarily down Huntington Avenue, paralleling the Green Line E branch from Copley until Heath Street. After Heath Street, the bus branches off towards Forest Hills and connects riders to the Orange Line / Commuter Rail.
Safety, reliability, and efficiency are key to improve the rider experience for the thousands of people using the Route 39 bus every day.
This project is part of the Boston Transportation Department's Transit Priority Corridors program, which will target corridor improvements for different bus routes each year.
We conducted a post-implementation analysis of the Huntington Avenue bus lanes, which run from Gainsborough Street to Brigham Circle. These bus lanes, which were finished in November 2022, were evaluated for:
- bus rider time savings
- general traffic impacts, and
- vehicle speeds down the corridor.
Overall, we found that the Huntington Ave bus lanes help save riders a total of about 125 hours every work week, providing better mobility for nearly 5,000 daily trips. Individual bus riders are saving up to two minutes per trip, while automobile trips have increased by less than 45 seconds on average. Implementation of the bus lanes has also coincided with slightly lower vehicle speeds on Huntington Avenue, providing safer conditions for all road users.
If you are curious about how we conducted this analysis, you can view the data sets below!
Route 39 Map
Events
EventsRelated Projects
Other initiatives happening in our study area
This plan aims to complete a missing link in the bike network between Tremont Street and Beacon Street.
We plan to add a one-way separated bike lane on Boylston Street in the Back Bay.
A project looking at near-term safety improvements for people walking and biking on South Huntington Avenue.
A past effort looking to develop engineered plans for the Centre South corridor in Jamaica Plain.
Route and schedule information for the route 39 bus.
-
Have questions? Contact:
-
Stay Connected
