Bus, Bike Lane Changes Aim To Improve Malden Center Access

MALDEN, MA — A series of quick-build multimodal roadway treatments have been completed along Florence Street in Malden, the MBTA, MassDOT and city of Malden announced Thursday. These include shared bus-bicycle lanes, bicycle lanes and improved pedestrian crossings to enhance access to the Malden Center T stop and surrounding downtown area.

The changes are part of the state's Shared Streets & Spaces Program, which facilities quick-build projects to support safe, sustainable transportation modes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bus improvements are in effect immediately.

"These street improvements are a wonderful example of how public space can be shared to benefit all travelers," Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack said in a statement. "We thank city of Malden officials for their leadership to make this project possible, which will provide a vital last-mile link for bus customers and people walking and bicycling between Malden Center, the Orange Line station, and other important destinations, including the Northern Strand Community Trail."

Components of the Florence Street project include a shared bus-bike lane heading inbound toward Malden Center Station and a buffered bike lane heading outbound toward Washington Street.

The city used a $211,715 Shared Streets grant to complete the project. Through the end of October, the program had awarded $10 million to 103 communities for 124 projects.

"The city of Malden is doing everything we can to ensure our residents are safe and supported throughout the pandemic," Mayor Gary Christenson said. "Transportation is a key component of our city's response; from improving bus service reliability, to upgrading bike safety, and creating more open space to supporting small businesses, Malden is meeting the challenges faced by COVID-19."

Shared Streets is modeled after the Complete Streets Funding Program, created in February 2016, which, as of January 2020, had awarded a total of $46 million to cities and towns for municipal projects improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transportation riders. The Baker-Polito administration included $20 million for the Complete Streets Program as part of the $18 billion Transportation Bond Bill, which was filed in July 2019.

MassDOT is extending the Shared Streets & Spaces Program to help communities address the challenges of cold weather during the pandemic. Shared Winter Streets & Spaces has a total of $10 million in funding available and will provide cities and towns with grants as small as $5,000 and as large as $500,000 to improve plazas, sidewalks, curbs, bus priority, streets, parking areas, and other public spaces to support public health, safe mobility and renewed commerce.

In addition to partnering with the city of Malden on the Florence Street project, the MBTA has worked to improve reliability for Bus Route 104 and other bus services through quick-build bus lanes like those on Sweetser Circle in Everett as a part of the Rapid Response Bus Lane Program. The program's goal is to build up to 14 miles of bus lanes across multiple communities in under one year.

"During the pandemic, bus routes like the 104 are experiencing higher rates of ridership than many other routes in the system," MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said. "Bus lane projects are key to making service more reliable, which can reduce crowding and improve service for our riders. I thank MassDOT and the city of Malden, particularly Mayor Christenson, for their leadership and support in helping to make the Florence Street dedicated bus lane a reality."