Boston Bus Signal Priority Project Yields Faster Travel Times

The city now plans to expand a year-long pilot project that reduced the time buses waited at traffic signals.

1 minute read

February 6, 2025, 6:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Multiple MBTA buses parked in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Tupungato / Adobe Stock

A bus priority pilot project in Boston resulted in a 21 percent drop in delays and 8 percent faster travel times, prompting the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to announce its expansion, reports Christopher Carey in Cities Today.

The project added signal priority for buses to a segment of Brighton Avenue that had a new bus lane installed in 2019. “The MBTA reports that up to 50 percent of transit delays consist of waiting at red lights in signalised intersections, and these new upgrades have the potential to significantly reduce that time.”

The city now plans to expand the program citywide to improve reliability for bus riders.

Friday, January 31, 2025 in Cities Today

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