Staffing shortages at the MBTA are leading to more service changes this fall, as the troubled transportation agency plans to cut the number of trips on several bus lines during certain times of day.
Forty-three bus routes will experience service cutbacks at different times of day, transit officials announced Wednesday. The MBTA says it's making the changes as it faces challenges in hiring new bus drivers. The T still needs to hire 300 additional drivers.
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Over the summer, about 3% of scheduled T bus trips did not happen because of hiring difficulties.
Meanwhile, there are also staffing challenges at the MBTA's Operations Control Center, which is forcing the agency to continue reduced service on a number of train lines.
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The new service schedules take effect Sunday.
Here's a chart, showing bus routes that will see decreased service frequency.
| 1 | Frequency decreases between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM on weekdays. Frequency decreases between 11:30 AM and 6:30 PM on Saturdays. |
| 7 | Frequency decreases between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 8 | Frequency decreases between 6:30 AM and 8:30 AM on weekdays. |
| 9 | Frequency decreases between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM and between 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 11 | Frequency decreases between 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 19 | Frequency decreases between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM on weekdays. |
| 21 | 6:37 AM outbound weekday trip is eliminated. |
| 22 | Frequency decreases between 6:30 AM and 10:00 AM and between 7:00 PM and 10:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 23 | Frequency decreases between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM and between 5:00 PM and 8:30 PM on weekdays. Frequency decreases between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM on Saturdays. |
| 26 | Frequency decreases between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM and between 2:00 PM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 28 | Frequency decreases throughout the day on weekdays. |
| 29 | Frequency decreases between 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 31 | Frequency decreases between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM and between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM on weekdays. |
| 36 | 3:22 PM inbound weekday trip is eliminated. |
| 39 | 5:29 AM inbound and 5:59 AM outbound Sunday trips are eliminated. |
| 42 | Frequency decreases between 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 44 | Frequency decreases between 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM and between 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 47 | Frequency decreases between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM on weekdays. |
| 70 | Frequency decreases throughout the day on weekdays. |
| 71 | Frequency decreases throughout the day on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. |
| 73 | Frequency decreases throughout the day on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. |
| 77 | 3:25 PM inbound weekday trip is eliminated. Trips shift throughout the day on weekdays. |
| 88 | 2:50 PM outbound weekday trip is eliminated. |
| 91 | Frequency decreases between 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM and between 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 95 | Frequency decreases between 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM and between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM on weekdays. |
| 106 | 8:10 PM outbound weekday trip is eliminated. |
| 108 | Frequency decreases between 9:30 AM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 110 | Frequency decreases between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM on weekdays. |
| 116 | Frequency decreases between 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM and between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 117 | Frequency decreases between 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM and between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 120 | 7:06 PM inbound and 7:34 PM outbound trips are eliminated. |
| 137 | Frequency decreases between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM on weekdays. |
| 202 | Operates only between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM and between 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM on weekdays. |
| 350 | Frequency decreases in the outbound direction in the morning and the inbound direction in the evening on weekdays. |
| 351 | Frequency decreases throughout the day on weekdays. |
| 354 | 8:30 AM outbound and 9:40 AM inbound weekday trips are eliminated. 3:00 PM outbound and 4:10 PM inbound weekday trips are eliminated. |
| 435 | Frequency decreases between 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM on weekdays. |
| 442 | 10:46 PM and 11:45 PM outbound weekday trips and 10:18 PM and 11:15 PM inbound weekday trips are eliminated. |
| 455 | 8:35 AM outbound weekday trip is eliminated. |
| 501 | Frequency decreases between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM on weekdays. |
| SL2 | Frequency decreases between 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM and between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM on weekdays. |
| SL4 | Frequency decreases between 3:00 PM and 10:00 PM on weekdays. |
| SL5 | Frequency decreases between 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM on weekdays. |
The MBTA says safety is the priority, and that it's aggressively trying to hire new bus drivers. A $4,500 bonus is being offered as part of its recruitment efforts.
You can see a full list of service changes for the MBTA's bus and train lines here.
