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Warren Street Bus Priority Corridor

Update: The Warren Street Project is now part of the Roxbury Transportation Corridors Project. To see the latest information on Warren Street, please visit this new page.

About

More than 20,250 daily MBTA riders along Warren Street experience some of the region's worst delays. To help, we've made improving travel along the street a high priority.

While the population in Greater Boston increases, so does congestion and travel times for commuters. This is especially true for residents in neighborhoods south of Dudley Square. They have seen their travel times for trips to and from Boston's major employment and education centers increase severely over the last decade. If we don't develop a plan, this trend will continue.

The goal of this project is to shorten above average travel times and prevent severe delays. Warren Street carries some of the most bus riders in the entire MBTA network. For that reason, we'll focus primarily on public transit users and safety improvements. That said, with your input and the help of our diverse team of partners, we plan to put in place designs that help improve travel for pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders, and motorists alike.

Updates

Boards for 2nd Public Meeting

Latest project information

The Warren Street Project is now part of the Roxbury Transportation Corridors Project. To see the latest information on Warren Street, please visit this new page.

Below you can see the last public update on the former Warren Street project process. Note that some of this information may no longer be current. Please contact btdtransitprograms@boston.gov if you have any questions.

Second public meeting content

This project snapshot includes information on:

  • the results of our parking study
  • the measured transit performance benefits that we have seen on similar projects
  • what bus stop features we are proposing, and
  • the factors that are influencing our design. 

Existing conditions and challenges

High Ridership

High Ridership

5 routes served

Routes 14, 19, 23, 28, and 44 all travel along Warren Street.

#1 highest ridership

Route 28 hosts the highest ridership in the entire MBTA bus network.

20,272 daily T riders

Between Blue Hill Avenue and Dudley Street, more than 20,000 bus riders travel along Warren each weekday.

Severe Delays

Severe Delays

20-minute delays

The average bus rider experiences 20 minutes of longer than necessary travel on Warren Street each day.

30-minute delays

When traffic is at its worst, bus riders can spend 30 minutes longer than necessary along the corridor.

2.5 hours per week

Due to severe delays, bus riders are spending up to 2.5 hours longer than necessary on Warren Street every week.

Heavy Disparities

Heavy Disparities

90% minority riders

Ninety percent of bus riders traveling along Warren Street identify as minorities. As a result, delays are mostly affecting commuters of color.

62% low-income riders

Sixty-two percent of bus riders are low-income earners. These riders face a disproportionately negative travel experience.

65 hours a year

On average, black riders each spend 65 hours longer a year on buses than white riders. Warren delays have a big impact on that.

Poor Reliability

Poor Reliability

Second-worst reliability

As of 2018, Route 19 had an on-time performance rate of 43 percent. That's the second-worst in the entire MBTA system.

Fourth-worst reliability

Route 14 had an on-time performace rate of 49 percent, the fourth-worst in the entire system.

What's been done

Roxbury mural

Near-term project timeline

  • April 2019: Began data analysis of existing conditions
  • May 2019: Assessment of parking demand conducted
  • July 2019: Corridor walks and bus ride-alongs with Warren Street users
  • August 2019: First meeting with Project Advisory Team
  • October 2019: Traffic analysis
  • November 2019: First public meeting focused on identifying needs
  • December 2019: Creation and modeling of potential design concepts; second Advisory Team meeting
  • March 2020: Second public meeting, this time focused on street design - POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19
  • March 2021: Project restart, Warren Street pulled into Roxbury Transportation Corridors Project

Ongoing work in the area

Related
Image for new traffic signal
New traffic signals

We're installing 16 new traffic signals along Warren Street and Blue Hill Avenue, between Dudley and Mattapan Stations. Each of these new signals will be able to host transit signal priority. The system prioritizes getting buses through an intersection by lengthening the amount of time the signal stays green when buses approach. This allows for shorter travel times by decreasing the number of red lights for buses.

Image for warren street bus stop
Accessible stop upgrades

Several bus stops on Warren Street have been identified by the MBTA as needing upgrades. We're working with the MBTA on stops in both directions along Warren Street, between Dudley Station and Blue Hill Avenue. Our goal is to improve passenger safety and experience through potential stop relocations. We're also looking at ADA compliance and amenities. These include benches, real-time information, and shelters.

Image for blue hill 3
Blue Hill Transportation Action Plan

As we begin the planning process for our Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan, we have launched a call for ideas. On this site, you can take our three-minute survey or join our project mailing list to learn about project progress and meeting dates. We also feature links to several open, full-time positions for mobility planners and community engagement experts. We are looking for planners with a wealth of local knowledge.

Our Neighborhood Partners

Our best work is done when many voices are raised, different perspectives shared, and varied skills merged. This project is made better through collaboration with our dedicated partners.

Our partners

 

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