Fall 2022 Bus Service Schedules Take Effect August 28

BOSTON – The MBTA today issued its Fall 2022 Bus Service Schedules taking effect on August 28. The MBTA typically adjusts service schedules quarterly to reflect the levels of service being delivered.

For a full listing of all upcoming service changes for all modes, please visit mbta.com/servicechanges.

Bus Service Details:

The MBTA continues its aggressive hiring campaign for bus operators. Hiring outreach has included updated online information, updated information at Registry of Motor Vehicle locations, email blast campaigns, MassHire events, and more. Advertising campaigns specifically targeting bus operator recruitment have been in operation since December 2021 with the latest campaign launching on August 1, 2022, including the promotion of a “One-Stop” bus operator hiring event that took place in April. During the One-Stop event, 109 interviews took place with 18 hiring offers extended on the spot. The MBTA continues to aggressively promote the bus operator position, including the benefits of working for the T and a sign-on bonus of up to $4,500, through both paid and in-house assets, including in-station advertising, outdoor billboards, on-vehicle advertising, community and foreign language print advertisements, broadcast radio, paid social media, and paid search online advertising. The MBTA’s HR Department is also actively working to reduce the onboarding process for new operators.

Because of ongoing difficulties in hiring new bus operators, approximately 3% of scheduled T bus trips did not occur over the summer months. While the MBTA continues its aggressive hiring campaign, the MBTA is adjusting bus service on some routes beginning August 28, 2022, to better match scheduled service with the actual level of service being delivered. Since January 2022, the T has hired 152 bus operators and is in need of approximately 300 additional drivers.

Hiring challenges are not unique to the T. According to a poll by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), nearly three in four transit agencies nationwide said that they have either had to cut service or delay service increases because of worker shortage issues.

MBTA bus route service changes will be made with special focus on maintaining service levels on routes with durable ridership, increasing service on the most crowded routes, adapting service to accommodate school and work trips, and maintaining the T’s flexibility to make changes to schedules as needed. Some routes will operate with more frequency, others with less frequency, and some routes will undergo routing or departure time changes.

If a route or bus stop is affected by schedule changes, the T advises riders to use its Trip Planner to find alternative service.

Two routes will see more frequent service than during the summer months. The Route 455 includes an additional Saturday morning trip and the Silver Line 1 will operate with increased weekday evening frequency.

Forty-three routes will operate with less frequency during varying times of day. Nine routes will experience some routing changes and over thirty routes will see departure time changes.

Riders can visit mbta.com/servicechanges for more information.