The desired implementation of extended service on the MBTA’s Route 55 won’t come to pass this month as buses are now being taken out of service for maintenance.
The T suspended service on the 55 bus route after the pandemic struck, and when service on the line was later restored in June of 2021, its daily hours were reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from the previous hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The last stop on the line was also changed then to Copley Square from Park Street.
As a component of the T’s ongoing Bus Network Redesign program, the 55 line has been under consideration to have seen its hours of operation and service expanded, including during weekday peak hours, while also connecting the West Fenway neighborhood to Copley Station.
The first phase of the Bus Network Redesign changes began in December 2024, with work in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Malden, Somerville, Cambridge, and East Boston. A fall rollout of the program was then implemented on Aug. 24, which again didn’t include changes to the Route 55 service.
Meanwhile, buses are being removed from service for ongoing maintenance at the garage at the MBTA’s Cabot Yard on Dorchester Avenue. When this extensive work has been completed and its bus fleet returns to capacity, the T will then consider making further changes to service via its Bus Network Redesign program in ’26.
“Improving bus service and connectivity continues to be a major priority for the MBTA,” wrote MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston in an email. “Ample evaluation of ridership data and considerations, such as equity, play a role in bus route changes. Keeping the entire system in mind, we aim to create an even more robust network and are consistently looking at ways to increase service.”
Battiston added: “We do expect to have more fleet capacity when vehicle overhauls are completed. Future bus improvements continue to be planned and will be implemented during the MBTA’s quarterly seasonal schedule adjustments as bus operators and supporting infrastructure are available and ready.”
On Oct. 2, the 55 Bus Route Coalition, which the nonprofit Fenway Forward coordinates, spearheaded a well-attended community demonstration to lobby for extended hours on the Route 55 line.
Nearly 30 participants joined the rally, which started with a 55 bus ride along from Queensberry Street at Jersey Street to St. James Avenue at Arlington Street and concluded at the MBTA headquarters at 10 Park Plaza. Along with Fenway residents and bus riders, others in attendance included Fenway Forward organizers; Sen. Lydia Edwards and Rep. Jay Livingstone; and representatives from the offices of other elected officials, including District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan and City Councilor at-Large Henry Santana.
Moreover, the coalition’s petition in support of getting longer hours implemented immediately on the 55 bus line has garnered nearly 70 signatures to date. Visit https://c.org/GfhRns8bNJ to sign the petition.
Regarding the present uncertainty surrounding future expansion of hours and service on the Route 55 line, Jamie Culbertson, a Fenway Forward community organizer who facilitates the 55 Bus Route Coalition, wrote: “It’s frustrating to hear about this additional delay after Fenway residents have been waiting so long for the promised 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours. I hope the MBTA will prioritize extending the hours of this vital cross-neighborhood transportation link as soon as possible.”
To learn more about the 55 Bus Route Coalition, email Jamie Culbertson at [email protected].