A Bus Shuttle Plan that Improves Accessibility to the Chinatown Area
August 17, 2022
Written by Tom Nally, Senior Advisor | August 17th, 2022
In order to better serve riders who currently use the Chinatown and Tufts Medical Center Orange Line Stations, consider the following possible extension of the proposed shuttle bus route along Columbus Avenue:
Northbound buses along Columbus Avenue are proposed to turn left at Dartmouth Street with stops at Back Bay/South End Station and Copley Square on Boylston Street, allowing passengers to connect to the Green Line at Copley. Buses are then planned to turnback at Clarendon Street to return to Columbus Avenue southbound.
Some buses could be directed to continue on Columbus Avenue to Stuart Street in Park Square. Northbound buses on Stuart Street can stop near the intersection of Washington Street on the same block as the Tufts Medical Center Orange Line Station. Shuttle buses would turn left into Washington Street with a stop near the Chinatown Orange Line Station.
From Chinatown, Shuttle buses could continue north using the Essex Street Silver Line bus lane, or continue on Washington Street to Temple Place, stopping at the Silver Line stop one block from Downtown Crossing.
Southbound shuttle buses would continue on Tremont Street to Stuart Street, Charles Street, and Park Plaza to join Columbus Avenue with stops near Back Bay/South End Station and/or Copley.
The branch route described above could also function as a loop connecting Back Bay/South End, Copley, Tufts, Chinatown, and Temple Place stops as a separate extension of the south shuttle bus route on Columbus Avenue.
As this concept is refined, it needs to be checked for turning radii, conflicts with parking, bike lanes, and loading zones to determine if adjustments would be necessary.
