For several years, the City of Watertown has been looking for ways to supplement the MBTA’s bus service in town and provide more options for people to get around town and commute. The most visible ones are the two shuttle routes that connect to Harvard Square. One runs along Pleasant Street and is open to the public, and another along Arsenal Street, which is only open to offices and residential buildings that are members of the TMA — but that will change in the near future.
The City of Watertown is part of the Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA). The TMA operates the WATConnector shuttle links two corridors to Harvard Square, and the City has also invested in bicycle infrastructure, including Bluebike stations. The City is looking for ways to improve public transportation and other ways of getting around town in a Mobility Study.
Shuttles
When the City and the Watertown TMA looked for transit routes that are not being served by the MBTA, they identified the Pleasant Street area and the Arsenal Street Corridor. Both have had significant new development over the past 15 years. Pleasant Street has limited MBTA service, while Arsenal Street has the 70 bus, but does not link with Harvard Square.
The Watertown TMA runs shuttles from both areas to Harvard Square, dropping people near the Harvard Red Line station and bus hub.
The public can ride the Pleasant Street WATConnector for $1 a trip, and people working or living in a development that is a partner of the Watertown TMA can rid for free, said. Zeke Mermell, the City of Watertown’s Senior Transportation Planner.
“The Pleasant Street shuttle is here. It’s a great way of getting around,” Mermell said. “It’s cheaper than using MBTA buses. It’s comfortable. It’s a one seat trip from the Mews, and other stops, to Harvard Square. If you get on any of these stops, your chances are you are likely making fewer stops than with MBTA bus.”
The Pleasant Street Connector is free to the Watertown TMA partners (66 Galen, Watertown Mews, Riverworks, Watermills, Aver, 580 Pleasant St., 64 Pleasant St.). It makes 10 roundtrips from Watertown to Harvard Square each day. Outbound, the shuttle starts at Watertown Mews, and makes stops at Riverworks, Watermills, and 66 Galen Street/Watertown Yard, and ends in Harvard Square. Inbound, it leaves Harvard Square, stops at 66 Galen/Watertown Yard, Aver, Riverworks, and ends at Watertown Mews.
Over the first nine months of 2025, the Pleasant Street Shuttle had a total of 6,228 rides, an average of 692 rides a month, according to figures provided by the City of Watertown.
The shuttles also roll down Arsenal Street, but it is only open to people associated with TMA partners, for now.
“It is not open to the public yet, but we’ve heard the public,” Mermell said. “So, in 2026 we’re going to roll out that piece as well to the public.”
On the Arsenal Street corridor, the TMA runs a corporate shuttle — with stops at both ends of the Arsenal on the Charles (AOTC) campus, Arsenal Yards, and the LINX building — and a residential shuttle — with stops at Gables Arsenal Street, Elan Union Market Apartments, and BLVD & Bond in Arsenal Yards. The corporate shuttle makes 13 round trips to Harvard Square and the residential one makes six round trips.
Sophia Galimore, director of the Watertown TMA said that she wants to add more partners, and has received some interest.
“I actually got something in earlier this (month), from a property manager saying, ‘Oh, I saw this shuttle passing Watertown. Mews. Can you just reach out to me and give me some more information?'” Galimore said.
Those who want to learn more about the Watertown Connector shuttles, Galimore and Mermell will team with Live Well Watertown for a Watertown Walk. It will start at 64 Pleasant Street (the former Sasaki building) head across Watertown Square to 66 Galen Street, the new life science building south of the Charles River and home to Triangle Coffee. The walk takes place on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 1 to 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
New Options
As part of the effort to improve transit in Watertown, the City has been working on a Mobility Study. A draft report was recently released (click here to view it).
The Charles River Chamber notes that: “Watertown’s latest transportation study underscores what many businesses already know: the city’s transit network doesn’t match its economic profile.”
Some areas highlighted in the report were the lack of north-south connections through town and to transit hubs like the Waverley Station commuter rail stop in Belmont, and linking shuttle routes to others in neighboring communities, such as the one serving Boston Landing in Brighton.
The north-south recommendations also include sidewalk and bicycle access improvements. A map in the report shows corridors along Lexington Street, Waverley Avenue, Common Street, and School Street.
The City and the TMA are also working on programs to enhance bicycle use in town using grant funds. Part of that will be educational efforts.
“We want to introduce bike safety — as you’re riding your own personal bike, or even if you’re on Bluebikes — how to ride in the winter, and educational type programs,” Galimore said. “And more bike safety checks that we can do to keep people safe out there on the road. And webinars and more bike related things, so that we can help spread the word that we have nice bike lanes.”
I would love to see if the shuttle can alleviate some of the barriers for working parents to get their kids to aftercare programs in town when they can’t go to the ones at their school buildings. It’s great we have a bus to the Boys and Girls Club but there are still families who are on the waitlist for the bus.