Permanent Bus Lane Coming To East Arlington

ARLINGTON, MA — The bus priority lane piloted in fall 2018 in East Arlington will be permanently installed on Massachusetts Avenue during the week of Oct. 7. The bus lane will be implemented in the parking lane on the eastbound section of the road between Varnum Street and Alewife Brook Parkway and will serve MBTA routes 77, 79, and 350.

It will run Monday through Friday, 6-9 a.m.,and will be designated by pavement markings and signs. No stopping, standing, or parking will be allowed in the parking lane while the bus lane is in operation.

"Last year’s pilot was very well received by the community. Analysis showed that the new bus priority lane reduced morning commute times of MBTA buses and improved reliability," Diane Mahon, Arlington Select Board Chair, said in a statement. "The Board was happy to approve making the bus lane permanent and would like to thank the MBTA and Barr Foundation for their financial support and the Department of Planning and Community Development for shepherding the project along."

The 2018 pilot was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Barr Foundation. The permanent installation of the bus lane, primarily the cost of paint, initial police details, and signs, will be funded by the MBTA and TNC funds for approximately $95,000.

See below for additional information, courtesy of the town of Arlington website:

What to Expect

As part of making the bus priority lane permanent, regulatory signage will be placed along the dedicated bus lane to establish its location and that it will be enforced. Pavement markings will be placed along the dedicated bus lane to establish its location and clearly communicate to drivers that parking is not allowed during weekday mornings. The bus lane will be painted red and the words "BUS ONLY 6-9 AM" will be used. However, the bus lane will be shared with bicyclists, who will also be able to travel in the lane without restriction during its hours of operation. Bus drivers will be instructed to not pass bicyclists in the bus priority lane to ensure safe operations for all users.A public information session to showcase the permanent bus lane, which was developed by the Town in coordination with the MBTA, is scheduled for October 2 at the Fox Library from 7-8 PM. Community members and local businesses are invited to attend.

Enforcement

To ensure the bus lane is free from vehicle obstructions, the Arlington Police Department will dedicate one traffic officer to the area for the first 30 calendar days of implementation to enforce the parking restriction in the bus lane during its operation. After this 30 day period, a Sector Officer will be assigned to the area who can periodically monitor the bus lane for illegally parked vehicles and take enforcement action as necessary.

Winter Operations

During winter, the parking lane will be cleared of snow and ice as normal, so that parked vehicles and buses can use the lane after the snow event has finished. However, if there is so much snow that the parking lane cannot be fully cleared, buses can continue to use the regular travel lane during the morning commute, as they do currently.