Around Town

Watertown Shuttle Starts Running from Pleasant Street to Harvard Square, Available to the Public

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Watertown TMAThe Watertown Connector started running the week of Labor Day. The shuttle goes down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and then heads to Harvard Square. It is open to the general public. Watertown residents have a new public transportation option with the addition of the Watertown Connector, which runs along Pleasant Street and ultimately takes people to Harvard Square. For about a decade, the Town of Watertown and residents have been working to start a shuttle to the westside corridor that would serve not only businesses and apartment complexes that help fund it, but also the general public.

Transportation

Labor Day Weekend Travel Tips from MassDOT

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The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is advising the public to plan ahead for Labor Day Weekend travel, drive in off peak hours if possible, utilize available technology tools for trips including www.mass511.com, consider public transportation if possible to reach destinations and bring a face-covering as some municipalities have a mask mandate for indoor venues. “We expect traffic levels to be high this Labor Day Weekend especially during the afternoon hours on Thursday and Friday,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “Anyone driving should plan ahead, anticipate that trips will take longer than expected, and if possible use public transportation to reach destinations.”

Due to the anticipated higher than normal daily traffic volumes for several days leading up to and including Monday, Labor Day, MassDOT is taking several steps to ease congestion:

Shutting down scheduled non-emergency construction effective at 5 a.m., Friday, September 3. Scheduled road work will then resume at the start of normal business hours on Tuesday, September 7. Deploying the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on I-93 between Boston and Quincy earlier than usual in the afternoon by opening at 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, September 2 and at 1:00 p.m., on Friday, September 3. The HOV lane will be closed on Monday, September 6.

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Shuttle to Start Running Down Pleasant Street After Labor Day

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Watertown TMAA shuttle will start serving Pleasant Street in Watertown in the fall of 2021. Residents of the Westside of Watertown will have a new public transportation option in September when the Pleasant Street Shuttle launches. The shuttle run by the Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA) will operate along Pleasant Street, then stop in Watertown Square before going to the Red Line subway stop in Harvard Square. The first day of shuttle service will be Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021.

Buses

MBTA Seeks Input with Online Bus Network Redesign Travel Survey

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Charlie BreitroseMBTA Bus. The following information was provided by the MBTA:

Share Your Input with the Bus Network Redesign Travel Survey! 

We’d like to announce a new survey that will help us better understand what you need from the bus network. We want to create a better and more equitable bus network—to do that, we need your input: 

Does the MBTA take you where you need or want to go? When you need to get somewhere, is riding the MBTA a good option for you? 

You can provide your input into the future of the MBTA bus network by taking our survey at mbta.com/bnrdsurvey. To use the interactive features, please use a desktop or laptop computer. 

This survey has some features that may not be accessible to those using assistive technology, mobile devices, or tablets. A text-based version is available here. You can also call 1-857-366-1871 to take the survey over the phone.  

Buses

MBTA Holding Virtual Meeting on Redesigning Bus Network

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Charlie BreitroseAn MBTA bus in Watertown. The MBTA announced it will host a meeting about its Better Bus Project, which will redesign its bus network. MBTA officials sent out the following announcement:

Virtual Public Meeting on June 8th  

We’d like to remind you of the Bus Network Redesign virtual public meeting on Tuesday, June 8 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

What will I learn at the meeting and how can I contribute?  

At this meeting, we will be presenting an overview of the Bus Network Redesign and what we have found so far.  Following a presentation, the team will be available to take feedback and answer questions.   

The meeting will be held online, via Zoom. To pre-register, please click this link:  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIsd-mvqjIiGNw-dx6bbtLcxMYYNGKrLG0w  

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Upon joining you will be prompted to share your first name, last name, and email address.

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Shuttle Will Serve Pleasant Street Area Residents, Link to Harvard Square

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Watertown TMAA shuttle will start serving Pleasant Street in Watertown in the fall of 2021. After years of planning, the Pleasant Street shuttle will begin serving residents and businesses on the westside corridor this fall and will go all the way to Harvard Square. Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2022 Town Budget will include $96,000 to help fund the shuttle. The route will go through Watertown Square and will operate on a commuter schedule, with runs in the morning and late afternoon/early evening, said Watertown Transportation Planner Laura Wiener. The general public will be able to use the shuttle for $1 a ride, and residents living in complexes which are members of the Watertown Transportation Management Agency will be able to ride for free.

Transportation

MBTA Extends Five-Day Pass, Proposes Change to Youth Pass

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An MBTA bus in Watertown. The MBTA today announced updates to current fare pilots that include an extension of the Five-day Flex Pass on mTicket as well as upcoming fare change proposals that include improvements to the Youth Pass and converting all Outer Express Bus Routes to Inner Express Bus fares. These changes help to improve reduced fare programs and simplify complex fares for both customers and operations. “We’re pleased to temporarily extend the availability of the Five-day Flex Pass, which has been a popular fare option for our Commuter Rail riders as travel patterns have adjusted and evolved during the pandemic,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We’re also excited about our upcoming fare proposals that make improvements to the Youth Pass and Express Bus Route fares.

Transportation

MBTA Holding Virtual Public Meetings on Changes to Purchase Fares

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An MBTA bus in Watertown. The following announcement was provided by the MBTA and MassDOT:

Three virtual public meetings are being held this month regarding the MBTA’s Fare Transformation program and upgrades to its sales network. In the future, riders will be able to purchase MBTA fares and passes online, via their smartphones, and with contactless credit/debit cards. Though customers will no longer be able to use cash to pay onboard vehicles once the new fare collection system is implemented by 2023, the MBTA is currently introducing more places to load cash onto CharlieCards than were previously available. Aimed at serving cash-dependent riders, this expansion will result in a larger, more robust, and more diverse sales network of retailers, in-station fare vending machines, and new streetscape fare vending machines at bus stops, Commuter Rail, Green Line, and Mattapan Line stations across the network.