Watertown Buses Affected by Proposed MBTA Cuts [POLL]

Do you rely on MBTA buses to get to and from the Watertown area? will likely affect your commute. 

The MBTA has proposed two service scenarios; in both cases, service cuts are made to bus lines that run through Watertown including the 70 and 558. Numerous other routes that run on the outskirts of town will also be affected. 

According to the MBTA's impact analysis, the first scenario looks to eliminate bus routes that are not meeting a "cost standard", or a cost that is greater than three times the MBTA's average net cost per customer. This scenario eliminates 23 weekday routes, 19 Saturday routes and 18 Sunday routes.

In addition, the first scenario proposes raising rates by 35 percent, which would increase bus fares from $1.25 to $1.50 on a Charlie Card.

The second scenario will eliminate and change routes to save an estimated $60 million. Those service eliminations will be based on cost and coverage area, the cost analysis says. 

In exchange, the second scenario looks to improve frequencies of the remaining bus routes by 10 percent.

The second scenario also increases fares by 43 percent, which would put bus Charlie Card fares at $1.75. 

Overall, the bus route cuts in the first scenario will affect 2 percent of riders system-wide, remove 48 buses and eliminate 110 MBTA jobs. The second scenario will affect 24 percent of the MBTA bus riders, remove 261 buses and eliminate 564 MBTA jobs, according to the analysis.

The MBTA will be holding 20 public meetings throughout the state over the next couple of months to hear feedback and questions about the proposed fare increases and service cuts. A meeting will be held in Newton on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the War Memorial at , 1000 Commonwealth Ave, Newton. Another will be held in Waltham on Thursday, March 1 at 6 p.m. at the Auditorium, 119 School St., Waltham.

How Watertown Buses will be Effected by Service Changes

*Currently no weekend service
**Currently no Sunday service