State Budget Expands Burlington-To-Lowell Bus Service

BURLINGTON, MA -- In a move that could make it easier for Burlington restaurants and hotels to find workers for second shift job openings, Middlesex3 Transportation Association secured $125,000 in the recently-passed state budget to expand bus service between Burlington and Lowell. The coalition currently offers daytime service, but the new funding will be used to help subsidize evening service.

"Currently, there are hundreds of new restaurant and retail jobs available in Burlington and Lowell, but no consistent public transportation to and from both destinations," state Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington) said in a press release touting her support of the Senate's passage of the budget. "Funding for shuttle transportation services would help connect potential employees to available jobs, supporting working families and energizing our regional economy."

The budget still needs to go through a conference committee to work out differences with a version passed by the House of Representatives in April. If passed and signed by Gov. Charles Baker by the start of the fiscal year on July 1, the funds -- and service -- could be in place by the end of the year. The Lowell-Burlington bus line is operated by the Lowell Regional Transit Authority.

The authority currently offers 14 daily trips on weekdays between Lahey Clinic in Burlington and Kennedy Center in Lowell. The route includes stops at the Burlington Mall, as well as stops in Bedford and Billerica. But the last bus departs Burlington at 8 pm.

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Photo by Lowell Regional Transit Authority.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).