The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced Monday that they are launching a study to look into extending the Silver Line Service into Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston.
The “Silver Line Extension Alternatives Analysis” will assess the feasibility, utility, and cost of various alignment and service frequency options for extending the line into neighboring communities.
“We’re excited to collaborate with MassDOT on this analysis of Silver Line service,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Studying the extension of the Silver Line to Everett and beyond is a key objective of Focus40 and an important step in improving service to essential workers and transit-critical populations that live far from the Orange and Blue Lines and rely on bus service to get to work and other destinations.”
The study comes after recommendations by the Lower Mystic Regional Working Group and the Everett Transit Action Plan to extend Silver Line Service to Everett and nearby communities to provide service to those living just beyond the Orange and Blue Lines service range.
Bus routes currently serving Chelsea and Everett have maintained some of the highest ridership levels in the system during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
The MBTA and MassDOT will work in partnership with the cities of Chelsea, Everett, Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston to determine potential alternatives and benefits of the extension by convening a Stakeholder Working Group that will conduct extensive public engagement to gather input from residents, MBTA customers, and others.
The study is expected to be completed by spring 2022.