Somerville Making It Easier On Buses In Davis Square

SOMERVILLE, MA — The city will install short sections of red bus-priority pavement markings in the heart of Davis Square this week. Markings will be installed between the Red Line station entrance and Davis Square on both Holland Street and College Avenue. The Holland Street markings will extend to Day Street. General traffic will still be permitted to enter both bus lanes to take a right turn.

The change will enable buses on MBTA Routes 87, 88, 89, 94 and 96 to bypass traffic at busy intersections, formalizing bus movements that have been in place since outdoor dining accommodations were installed earlier this summer. These new markings will not repurpose any on-street parking and will not change how drivers or cyclists navigate the Square.

Long-term changes to the intersection are being designed as part of the Holland Street and College Avenue Mobility Improvements project, with construction expected to begin in 2021. Quick-build bus-priority lanes are key elements of the city's COVID-19 mobility response and broader regional efforts to immediately improve bus operations.