The MBTA held an open community meeting Tuesday to preview a new plan set to improve the route 23 bus line. Part of the transit authority’s Key Bus Routes Improvement Project, the draft plan will utilize federal funds granted by the American Recovery and Redevelopment Act to invest in transit infrastructure along the Ashmont Station to Ruggles Station route.

According to the MBTA, over 12,000 daily riders use the bus route, making the 23 the third busiest bus route in the Metro Boston-spanning system. The major goal of the changes to the line is to alleviate traffic congestion along the route. MBTA spokesperson Lydia Rivera told the Reporter that the traffic flow improvements would help the bus run on a “more realistic schedule,” than the often inaccurate timetable currently in use.

“We need to bring it up to par with the other lines,” said Rivera.

An MBTA statement about the preview session says that the plans are “intended to reduce bus trip times, improve accessibility, increase service reliability, and improve passenger comfort and convenience.”
The plan includes the installation of improved sheltered bus stops, with roofs and benches similar to those set along the Silver Line routes. Underused or redundant bus stops may be eliminated under the new plan.

Rivera said the that the MBTA is working closely with the City of Boston and the ongoing Route 28X rapid transit bus project to ensure that the two new routes are complementary to each other.