MBTA Announces Full Funding for Upgraded Arborway Bus Facility

New facility will be ready for battery-electric buses on day one, pave the way for housing and economic development around Forest Hills.

The MBTA today announced that the proposed Fiscal Years 2027 - 2031 MBTA Capital Investment Plan (FY27 - 31 MBTA CIP) released today will fully fund the remaining design and construction costs of the redesigned Arborway Bus Maintenance Facility. When construction is complete, battery-electric buses (BEBs) will operate out of the Arborway facility on Day 1, providing cleaner, quieter and more reliable service for riders. After completion, the old facility will be demolished, and the land will be made available for redevelopment.

"The funding announced today demonstrates the commitment of the Healey-Driscoll Administration to rebuild our transportation system, which is so vital to ensuring affordable transitions that facilitate economic vitality and quality of life for the public we serve. The Arborway facility is an essential step forward as we strive toward ensuring modern, safe, reliable, robust bus service for all. I thank the City of Boston for their partnership as this facility helps us better serve the residents, businesses, and surrounding communities," said Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. "We're enhancing bus service every way we can to win back riders, from increasing service beyond pre-pandemic levels, to efficiently and accessibly operating dedicated bus lanes through Automated Camera Enforcement, to continued investments in our frontline workforce and so much more. We are laser-focused on making the MBTA bus network a system that the public can rely on today and for generations."

"This electrified bus facility marks a pivotal step toward our climate goals, delivering real benefits to the residents of Jamaica Plain and MBTA bus riders alike," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Just as importantly, we are unlocking the site's potential to deliver affordable housing and other mixed-use development in the neighborhood."

"Upgrading Arborway facilities is critical to uplifting the bus rider experience as this not only signals a concrete commitment to fleet electrification but also paves the way for more robust service," said Transportation for Massachusetts Executive Director Reggie Ramos. "When we talk about enhancing bus service and giving dignity to bus riders, steps like this substantially bring us closer to these goals. The Arborway facility serves many EJ communities, and it is noteworthy that these investments are poured onto neighborhoods that rely on bus service the most."

Through $371.5 million in funding from the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, the upgraded, larger Arborway facility will be 100% ready for BEBs, accommodating a mix of BEBs and hybrid buses on Day 1 of completion. The MBTA is committed to delivering for our riders safe, reliable, and improved service to make transit not only viable but the preferred mode of travel. We are monitoring and engaging with the bus manufacturing industry, and Arborway initially will support both BEBs and hybrid buses to ensure service levels are not only maintained but improved and enhanced going forward. The MBTA remains committed to phasing more BEBs into service from the Arborway facility as we work with the industry towards this endeavor.

The future Arborway facility will be located next to the current facility at Washington Street and Arborway in Boston, near Forest Hills station. Once construction is completed, the old Arborway facility will be demolished and the area will be available for redevelopment. Today, the Arborway garage maintains buses serving routes in Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, and areas southwest of Boston. The new, larger facility will support even more buses that will serve additional routes in the region, providing better, more frequent, more reliable bus service for current and future generations of riders.

Upgrading Arborway and the MBTA's other bus maintenance facilities is one of the MBTA's many current efforts to support increased bus service throughout the region:

• BEBs will start to operate this summer from the North Cambridge bus facility. North Cambridge serviced the MBTA's now-retired fleet of electric trolleybuses, which were the oldest buses in our system. The system-wide transition to BEBs will allow the North Cambridge facility to maintain the same buses as the rest of the fleet, reducing operating costs and improving operating efficiency and reliability.
  
• The new Quincy bus facility is on track for Summer 2027 completion. As the oldest facility in our system, the existing Quincy facility lacks the required technology and space to support newer buses. Because only older buses can run from this garage, Quincy routes experience limited service frequency and more reliability issues. The new facility being constructed is 100% BEB-ready and will accommodate a larger, more modern fleet that includes BEBs and allows for potential service expansion in the future while reducing our environmental impact.
  
• Chargers have been installed at the Cabot and Charlestown facilities to operate test service for new BEBs as they're received ahead of BEB-ready garages opening.
  
• As previously announced, bus service will be restored beyond pre-COVID levels beginning April 5 as part of spring service changes and in keeping with the MBTA's commitment to improving overall bus service through incremental operational changes. This season, 37 bus routes across the system will see service increases and two routes will be upgraded to operate every 15 minutes or better.
  
• The MBTA's goal is to provide more options for transit-dependent riders and encourage riders back to bus service through targeted service enhancements that best serve riders where they are. The MBTA has seen a 20% year-over-year ridership boost on bus routes that received improvements put in place in December 2024 as part of Phase 1 of Bus Network Redesign, and looks forward to welcoming even more riders through the upcoming spring enhancements.
  
• The upcoming Automated Camera Enforcement Program aims to improve the frequency and accessibility of bus service by discouraging drivers from blocking bus lanes and bus stops. Keeping buses moving makes roads safer for everyone. Blocked bus stops create safety and accessibility issues, as riders may need to board or exit in the street, and riders using mobility aids may not be able to board or exit the bus at all. Blocked bus lanes delay service and reduce reliability. As outlined in a January 2025 state law, the MBTA will install camera systems on buses to ticket cars standing or parked illegally in bus lanes or in front of bus stops.
  
• The MBTA continues to reduce the number of "dropped" bus trips through major bus operator hiring and training efforts and record labor agreements, boosting its ranks of bus operators to improve service for riders. This improvement is also due in large part to the coordination, planning, and analysis work by the MBTA's Service Planning, Bus Operations, and Operations Analytics teams to accurately predict resource needs and make data-driven decisions in advance and in the moment.
  
• The MBTA continues to aggressively pursue as many competitive funding opportunities as possible. To support bus and bus facilities, the MBTA has recently been awarded the following grant awards:
  
  • $116 million in federal funding for BEBs in FY22 and $40 million in federal funding for BEBs in FY24.
  • $78.6 million in federal funding for new hybrid buses.
  • $5 million in federal funding for Quincy bus maintenance facility in FY21.
  • $2.23 million federal grant to improve bus safety by retrofitting 160 MBTA buses with the Mobileye technology, a collision avoidance system that provides real-time alerts and is designed specifically for buses with extended blind spots operating in crowded urban environments. The results of adding the technology, will inform future updates to the MBTA's comprehensive safety action plan.
  • $2.15 million in federal funding to retrofit 175 MBTA buses with the Mobileye technology, a collision avoidance system that provides real-time alerts and is designed specifically for buses with extended blind spots operating in crowded urban environments. The results of adding the technology will inform future updates to the MBTA's comprehensive safety action plan.
  • $127,367 in federal funding to complete the design of on-route battery-electric bus chargers at Ashmont's bus station, which serves as a major transportation hub, facilitating connections between the subway, trolley, and 11 bus routes. The project will support transit reliability for the neighboring disadvantaged communities these stations serve.