HomeMy Public PortalAboutWatertown Queue Jump Press Release Aug 8, 2018Gerald S. Mee Jr.
Superintendent
TOWN OF WATERTOWN
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
124 ORCHARD STREET
WATERTOWN MA 02472
(P) 617-972-6420
(F) 617-972-6402
Watertown Debuts "Queue Jump" Lanes to Speed Up Bus Commute, Improve Traffic Flow on Mt.
Auburn Street
Lanes a ramp -up to larger fall bus pilot in partnership with Cambridge, MBTA
WATERTOWN (August 8, 2018) — Following days of initial testing, the Town of Watertown has debuted
two "queue jump" lanes at School Street and Walnut Street. Queue jump lanes allow buses to move more
quickly through intersections by "jumping" to the front of a line of traffic. Bus rapid transit (BRT)
systems around the world use queue jump lanes to create a faster and more reliable bus ride and improve
overall traffic flow.
"Roughly 5,000 bus trips are made each day in Watertown in this corridor, and the Route 71 bus is an
important asset to the community," said Matthew Shuman, Town Engineer for the Town of Watertown.
"We also know from research in other places that moving Watertown closer to BRT with queue jump
lanes has the potential to speed up the commute for everyone by separating buses from cars at
intersections. As we redesign Mount Auburn Street and Watertown Square using a Complete Streets
approach, queue jump lanes will be a helpful tool to meet the needs of residents whether they ride the bus,
drive, or cycle."
During the morning peak period of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., on the inbound side of Mt. Auburn Street
leading up to Walnut Street and School Street, the Town will stripe a far right lane as the travel lane for
buses and right -turning cars. The lane will allow drivers turning right on School Street or Walnut Street to
proceed without waiting for a green light and enable buses to move to the front of the traffic line and
through the intersection without delay.
The queue jump lanes are a ramp -up to a larger pilot to test BRT elements on the Route 71 and Route 73
bus lines through Watertown and Cambridge. The full pilot, set to launch in October in collaboration with
the City of Cambridge and the MBTA, with funding from the Barr Foundation, will also include a
dedicated bus only lane down Mt. Auburn Street in Cambridge as well as innovative new signal
equipment that gives buses a head start moving through intersections.
More information on the pilot is available at CambridgeMA.Gov/MtAuburnBusPriority.
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