In early December 2016, the City of Everett launched a bus-only lane pilot program on Broadway, which has become permanent and a national model for other cities and towns.
In a recent Boston Globe article, Shirley Leung highlights the bus-only lane and how other communities, including Boston would benefit from following the DeMaria administration’s lead of creating a bus-only lane to help reduce traffic.
Shirley Leung stated, “Last September the bus-only lane was made permanent with paint, and Everett has been hailed as a model for bus rapid transit in the region.”
The bus-only lane was a part of the Everett Transit Action Plan, which explored a number of ways to improve transit accessibility and reliability in the City. The DeMaria administration was pleased to see the dramatic and positive impact of the bus lane in expediting both vehicle and bus travel and have started to introduce other lanes throughout the City.
Mayor DeMaria stated, “I’m proud of the continued success of this lane. Commuters have seen significantly reduced times, while traveling to work and have strongly endorsed this initiative.”
In June 2017, the City was awarded a grant by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for $150,000 that will provide funding for the preliminary design and engineering of a bus-only lane on the west side of Broadway/ Route 99 from the Everett city line to Route 16/ Sweetser Circle, a primary traffic corridor for expected casino related traffic.
The City will also launch a similar lane on Main Street and will be studying feasibility for a bus-only lane on Chelsea and Ferry Streets.