Could it be? Could Southie see an Express #7 bus? Last week, Senator Nick Collins filed several bills to address Southie’s transportation woes including one key piece of legislation to force the MBTA to start a limited stop #7 Express bus route. The route would leave City Point for South Station bypassing a significant section of Summer Street instead using East and West First Streets and D Street during peak hours.
Way back in 2014, Collins began calling for this express service hen he was a state representative, after 4 years of letters, hearings and meetings requesting this service, no action by the MBTA has been taken on the express service – or really anything at all. Recently, the MBTA announced they were starting over when it comes to improving bus service in the neighborhood by rolling it into the system wide bus planning initiative: the Better Buses Program.
Via press release from Collins’ office:
“Over the last 4 years I have tried to work with MBTA leadership to move an agenda that will improve bus service in South Boston for commuters. But the community can’t wait anymore.
Introducing the #7 express bus I have been calling for for 4 years is a no brainer for the T, since we got them to build out City Point Bus Terminal to allow for passenger pickup and drop off.
A #7 express bus would bring faster, more reliable bus service for thousands of morning commuters who can’t rely on bus service today. We need to meet the unmet demands we currently have today not plan new developments that would overburden an already maxed out system. That is why I filed this legislation and will be working hard to see it become MBTA policy. We need these changes now to even attempt to keep up with demand but it does come close to addressing future strains that overdevelopment will put on the system,” said Collins via statement.
It’s a start! What do you think Southie?
SO, the way I read this, a new special bus that goes from the City Point bus Depot will travel practically empty from City Point to 1st Street / L Street and continue to South Station avoiding the particularly over crowded bus spots like N Street / Broadway and L Street and Broadway?
Sounds like a world class solution to absolutely nothing…
This being said, having once long ago been one of the 2-3 riders per bus who hopped on at 1st Street / L street (often to not be picked up because of full buses!) this will greatly benefit these riders. The riders who already walk over half a mile to get to L / Broadway will either have the choice to walk another half mile to City Point OR just deal with one less bus to pick them up.
For the record, my criticism stems not as a rider who often has to wait for the bus because of where I hop on, but rather from the folks who i see every day watching 1-2 buses drive by completely full when all they are trying to do is get to work!
Nice work Nick…
Agreed, the main issue here is # of buses & drivers allocated to the 7 route. Anything else is a band-aid & a political move from the pols so they can say “we did something”.
Until MBTARF goes under a complete overhaul (aka hands the keys over to PRIM), and the Carmen’s union gives up their insanely lavish benefits, nothing is going to change long-term.
I’m not sure how this helps anyone. So they want people to walk down to the first street depot to get the bus? The way I see it is this makes things easier for the T and more difficult for commuters. Who is going to want to walk down to the bus depot rather than wait at the bus stop that is closer to their home? I don’t think the issue here was ever the amount of time it took to GET to downtown, it was the ability to actually get ON the bus due to over crowding. This just moves the availability of a bus ride further away from the commuters and puts the onus on the residents to trudge down to first street and then maybe even wait just experience the overcrowding down there. Am I missing something? – if so–please let me know….I’m open to being convinced this is a better idea than it sounds like it is.
From what I’ve read it will be the normal route until it hits the light at L & First, then it will take a left onto first and be express to south station via the route described above.
Ohhhhh. OK. Thank you. If that’s the case it makes much more sense. Appreciate the clarification
SO if i understand correctly, the route would literally pick up as normal between the City Point Depot and L / Broadway stop that always has people waiting.
– Then the bus would travel on the normal route without stopping directly to East 1st Street
– Take a left and travel down East 1st Street to D Street
– Take a right onto D Street continue on to Summer Street
– Take left on Summer st and continue onto to South Station, without making any stops after L/Broadway?
This sounds better than the first time I read it if i have it right?
I think that is what is going to happen based on the other posters comment?. The more I think about it though……after L and Broadway /first there are only two (maybe three) stops on the way to South Station? It almost turns into an express bus after that. I don’t think those two stops are really a big deal? In fact taking the route it is now going to take as an ‘express’ would probably be slower.
so based on the new graphic, please see my first comment as to the validity to this solution. the City Point bus terminal is conveniently located to the smallest portion of people within the City Point community, the least amount of people will benefit from this who use the #7 each day to go to work.
So who came up with this plan…the bus drivers? Total Bull****. !!!
Just as I initially suspected. Make everyone walk down to us. How is this good for anyone??????? Traffic on 1st and D at peak times will make it even slower than stopping at the 3 lousy bus stops on a fairly traffic free summer street. Marry this plan up with the lengthening of the bus stops on Broadway (taking away 3-5 parking spots) under the guise of increased capacity at the bus stops….none of it is cohesive. Is the left watching the right at the MBTA?? Is anyone actually watching the MBTA?
This is not an MBTA proposal.
Just re-read the article at top. I missed the “legislation will force the MBTA” part. Mea Culpa.
Are the squares stops or just squares?
This would be a serious hindrance to the elderly, disabled and individual traveling with children of this community,
Remember people the # 11 Bayview although it takes longer ends up at South Station to and that runs empty until almost L St…..not everyone in Southie takes the # 7 so it’s not everyone else’s fault that we have thousands of people that moved here to have “easy access to downtown and the Seaport district”….and now we’ll be waiting because I’ve gone to those T meetings and they said before they don’t have the buses or manpower to add extra routes….so my guess is another route will suffer – I get the# 7 buses are really crowded believe me – they have passed me many times in the evening coming from my night job….but it can’t be and WILL NOT be at the expense of us other riders on the other routes. Thanks and Go Pats
They don’t have the buses or man power because the MBTA is the most financially incompetent agency in the state.
Why can’t they attract drivers? Because the wages are so low no one wants to do it. Why can’t they buy more buses during all time highs of ridership and the highest fee’s ever? Because $0.40 of every $1.00 they collect goes to retired pensioners who no longer produce anything for the agency.
MBTARF needs to die and the Carmen’s union needs to be dissolved.
I take the 11 also and get on at E8th and Dorchester, If the bus is not too crowded and actually stops.
Or I will take the 10 to Andrew if that comes first. Of course, that one sometimes never comes at all!
None of the busses, 7,9 10 and 11 have kept up with the population increase.