East of College Avenue, that makes sense, as the bus runs parallel to the new light rail service.
West of College Avenue, A Better 80 to Arlington Heights would provide Somerville, Medford, and Arlington neighborhoods with convenient access to the new Green Line and Boston.
Join your neighbors in supporting A Better 80 bus service connecting the new Green Line Extension with Somerville, Medford, and Arlington neighborhoods. Join our Facebook group to lend your support to our effort.
Rationale:
- The Boston
Region Metropolitan Planning Organization walked
back its initial commitment to extending the
Green Line to Mystic Valley Parkway, in
order to reduce the project's cost. Aligning bus
service along Boston Avenue to the Green Line
trains, west of Tufts, compensates for the unbuilt
portion of the Green Line Extension.
- The MBTA charges Arlington an annual assessment weighted by nine times the town's population. These weights are equal to communities with extensive fixed rail service like Newton, Medford, and Somerville.
- On December 2, 2020, Arlington's Select Board cited the unfair MBTA assessments and the heavy utilization of transit in town as critical reasons for improved service to the Green Line Extension. They argued against the elimination of Route 80, because it is the only bus service connecting Arlington to the Green Line Extension.
Walk off the train, get on the bus. A
Better 80 would align service to allow for a
fast, easy transfer from Green Line trains to buses.
Click
here for a sample Route 80 bus schedule and
weekday travel times.
Join us on our Facebook Groups page.
