The MBTA is on a new fall service schedule which features an updated route for the Route 66 bus.
The changes, which went into effect on Aug. 25, use the Harvard Bus Tunnel to offer new stops and a new layover location. The bus will no longer stop at JFK at Eliot Street, and instead stop at 16 Eliot Street. The Route 66 will also no longer stop at Mass. Ave and Johnston Gate, which used to be the final stop on the Route. Instead, it will end at the Harvard Bus Tunnel.
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The Route 68 and 69 buses will still stop at Mass. Ave and Johnston Gate.
T officials say these changes will offer better access to the Red Line and other bus routes for riders moving from Allston and Roxbury. The tunnel will help buses avoid traffic congestion and offer better weather protection for riders.
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"This bus stop move is a big improvement for the Route 66, which is one of the busiest routes in the bus network serving thousands of riders,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng in a media release. “Route 66 riders heading to Harvard Square will now disembark directly in the Harvard Bus Tunnel instead of at the street level, allowing better access to the Red Line and other Harvard bus routes as well as sheltering riders from challenging weather.
This is just one of several changes the MBTA is making as part of its efforts to improve bus service across the system. The changes will also help accommodate the Bus Network Redesign Phase 1, which is set to launch in December 2024. That will include changes to the 86, 104, 109, 110, 116, and 117 bus routes.
The MBTA is also celebrating the end of speed restrictions on six areas of the Red Line. This was part of ongoing track work across the system. It involved replacing more than 9,700 feet of rail, more than 1,720 feet of restraining rail, more than 470 ties and other significant improvements.
Slow zones were lifted at the following locations:
| Southbound between Charles/MGH and Park Street |
| Southbound between Charles/MGH and Park Street |
| Southbound between Charles/MGH and Park Street |
| Northbound between Charles/MGH and Park Street |
| Northbound between Kendall/MIT and Charles/MGH |
| Southbound between Kendall/MIT and Charles/MGH |
Slow zones have been a pain point for many riders who found their commutes slowed as the MBTA made a push to complete long-overdue maintenance across the system.
