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Mobility Management – Transit – Passenger Crowding
OVERVIEW • REGIONAL TRENDS • ROADWAYS • INTERSECTIONS • TRANSIT
BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN • HOV LANES • TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT • PARK-AND-RIDE
Overview • On-Time Performance • Passenger Crowding
Passenger crowding is measured in terms of passengers per available seats. A value at or above the established threshold indicates crowded conditions. For purposes of identifying mobility concerns, CMP staff use the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) thresholds for passenger crowding, which are set forth in the 2010 MBTA Service Delivery Policy.

Bus
The passenger crowding performance threshold for all bus routes is 1.40 passengers per seat. Listed below are the routes that violate the standard in the morning or evening peak period. Route-specific information regarding passenger crowding can be viewed by downloading the maps at right.

Bus Routes That Violate Passenger Crowding Standard,
Peak 30 Minutes in the Morning Peak Period
Route # Direction Description Avg. Psgrs. per Seat in Peak 30 Min.
9 Inbound City Point–Copley Sq. via Broadway Sta. 1.49
19 Inbound Fields Corner Sta.–Ruggles Sq. via Grove Hall & Dudley 1.43
40 Inbound Georgetowne–Forest Hills Sta. 1.40
65 Inbound Brighton Center–Kenmore Sta. via Brookline Ave. 1.65
86 Inbound Sullivan Sq. Sta.–Reservoir (Cleveland Circle) via Harvard 1.50
116 Inbound Wonderland Sta.–Maverick Sta. via Revere St. 1.58
504 Inbound Express Watertown Sq.–Downtown Boston via MassPike 1.45

Bus Routes That Violate Passenger Crowding Standard,
Peak 30 Minutes in the Evening Peak Period
Route # Direction Description Avg. Psgrs. per Seat in Peak 30 Min.
7 Outbound City Point–Franklin & Devonshire Sts. via Northern Ave. 1.52
15 Outbound Kane Sq. or Fields Corner–Ruggles Sta. 1.40
28 Outbound Mattapan Sta.–Ruggles Sta. via Dudley Sta. 1.55
111 Outbound Woodlawn–Haymarket Sta. via Mystic River/Tobin Bridge 1.44
116 Outbound Wonderland Sta.–Maverick Sta. via Revere St. 1.74
117 Inbound Wonderland Sta.–Maverick Sta. via Beach St. 1.53
117 Outbound Wonderland Sta.–Maverick Sta. via Beach St. 1.68

Commuter Rail and Rapid Transit
Individual passenger crowding thresholds for commuter rail and each of the rapid transit lines are shown in the table below along with the performance of each commuter rail and rapid transit line.

Two commuter rail lines exceed the threshold for the passenger crowding standard: the Providence/Attleboro and Plymouth/Kingston lines. The threshold was nearly reached by the Blue Line, the Braintree Branch of the Red Line, and Branches C and D of the Green Line.

Passenger Crowding Performance: Rapid Transit and Commuter Rail
(AM Peak Period)
Rail Service Passenger
Crowding
Threshold		 Average
Passengers
Per Seat
Commuter Rail (Fall 2010) 1.10
Newburyport/Rockport 0.74
Haverhill 0.64
Lowell 0.63
Fitchburg 0.74
Worcester 0.66
Needham 0.54
Franklin 0.60
Providence 0.73
Stoughton 0.67
Fairmount 0.10
Old Colony 0.52
Greenbush 0.46
Green Line (Light Rail) 2.25
Boston College (B) 1.68
Cleveland Circle (C) 2.05
Riverside (D) 2.09
Heath Street (E) 1.33
Central Subway 1.78
Red Line 2.70
Mattapan High Speed Line 1.54
Ashmont Branch 1.54
Braintree Branch 2.37
Cambridge 1.76
Orange Line 2.25 1.84
Blue Line 2.25 2.04
Note: Commuter rail passenger load data are from the fall of 2010. Other data are from the 2004 Congestion Management System Report.
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