MBTA Cuts: Lexington Commuters Have A Chance To Weigh In

LEXINGTON, MA — The MBTA bus service is facing major service cuts and consolidations, including several lines in Lexington, but Lexington commuters this month will have a chance to tell transit leaders what they think.

On Monday, the MBTA revealed the extent of the cuts, which are being proposed amid a major drop in ridership because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ridership is at about 26 percent of what it was before the pandemic — 330,000 daily riders in October compared to 1.26 million per day in 2019.

"I want to reassure our riders that these service changes are not permanent, do not include any fare changes, and will not take effect immediately," MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement Monday. "We are carrying out a comprehensive outreach process and encourage all members of the public to provide comments and feedback, as we want to hear from riders to help us identify and protect the services that support transit-critical populations and communities."

For bus service, the MBTA is proposing a reduced frequency on essential routes by 5 percent on average and by 20 percent for non-essential routes.

The MBTA is proposing consolidating 14 routes, including four that run through Lexington which would be consolidated to the 62/76 and 84/78.

There will be a virtual public meeting for riders in Lexington at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Registration is available online.