Free buses will connect two Brookline neighborhoods with Boston and Cambridge for the next three years, thanks to a city of Boston program launching in early 2027.
The Allston/Brighton segment of the city’s new Link Bus program , funded by an $11.5 million federal grant, will send shuttle buses between Coolidge Corner and Oak Square in Brighton, as well as from Washington Square to Harvard Square in Cambridge.
The final details of the routes are still being determined, but the Brookline locations were part of a presentation shared by the city’s transit director, Matt Moran, at a September meeting of the Boston Planning and Development Agency.
The Boston Globe was first to report the plan for the free shuttles.
“We are looking to connect residents and employees with MBTA services and other essential services that might be a little geographically difficult to reach today,” said Moran at the BPDA meeting.
Other Boston neighborhoods to be serviced by the Link program are Charlestown, Mattapan, Roxbury and the Seaport.
The services will be administered by various organizations called Transportation Management Associations (TMAs), according to Moran.
The Allston/Brighton routes will be run by A Better City, a nonprofit which already runs some shuttle services in Boston.
The buses are part of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s commitment to fare-free transit, Moran said, and anyone will be able to ride, not just Boston residents.
The funds, which come from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Relief Program, will last for three years but the city said in a press release that it will evaluate the program to see if it is sustainable for the long term.
“Boston is a city of incredible opportunities, but residents must have more reliable and affordable transportation for every family to build their fullest lives and strengthen our community,” Wu said in a statement.
This story was first published in Brookline.News and is republished with permission.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.