Blue Hill Avenue Bus Lanes Debated at Grove Hall Hearing

The proposed Blue Hill Avenue bus lanes drew a crowd of more than 100 people to a Boston City Council hearing in Grove Hall on Wednesday evening, Oct. 14, 2026, where several councilors questioned the $163 million corridor project and pressed for study of an Orange Line extension instead, the Dorchester Reporter reported. Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration and the MBTA say the plan will speed up buses and that its federal funding is secured.

What the Blue Hill Avenue Bus Lanes Plan Includes

The project covers Blue Hill Avenue between Mattapan Square and Grove Hall, about three miles through Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury. Its main feature is a pair of center-running lanes for buses and emergency vehicles, with bus stops moved from sidewalks to platforms in the middle of the road, WBUR reported.

According to the city’s September announcement of the updated design, the plan includes:

• A 10- to 15-minute cut in travel time for the 28 bus between Mattapan Square and Grove Hall, with benefits for the 22, 29, 31 and other routes.
• Two or more general travel lanes in each direction along more than 70% of the corridor.
• More parking than exists today, using rush-hour rules and site-specific solutions.
• Six miles of rebuilt sidewalks, nearly 200 accessible curb ramps, 19 new traffic signals, new street lighting and about 200 new trees.
• A sidewalk-level bike path, including a stretch along Franklin Park.

The city says 10 bus routes on the corridor carry more than 40,000 riders. The Dorchester Reporter reported the plan would remove 9 of the 19 existing stops on the route. Construction would begin no earlier than 2028 and could take up to three years, WBUR reported.

Councilors Push for an Orange Line Study

The hearing was held by the Council’s Committee on Civil Rights at the William E. Reed Auditorium. It was convened by District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell and District 7 Councilor Miniard Culpepper and billed as a discussion of transit equity and a possible Orange Line extension along Blue Hill Avenue, according to the Reporter.

Worrell compared the corridor to the MBTA’s South Coast Rail extension, saying the MBTA spent more than $1 billion extending rail to New Bedford that carries about 2,500 riders a day, while Blue Hill Avenue serves close to 20,000 daily riders. Culpepper said Blue Hill Avenue accounts for 11% of MBTA ridership “yet the people who rely on the MBTA the most have no rail.” The two councilors have proposed an Orange Line branch running from Ruggles through Nubian Square and Grove Hall to Mattapan Square.

Urban planner Anne McKinnon, who has worked for the MBTA, testified that the planning process did not study enough alternatives. She also said the projected time savings were overstated, arguing that about five minutes would come from ending a bus U-turn in Milton.

According to the Reporter, Councilors Ed Flynn, Julia Mejia, Ruthzee Louijeune, Erin Murphy and Henry Santana also raised concerns. Louijeune said she is worried about displacement of businesses and residents. District 5 Councilor Enrique Pepén, whose district includes part of Mattapan, said he supports the project and believes it could open the door to light rail later. No representatives of the Wu administration or the MBTA spoke at the hearing, and Culpepper said he would subpoena MBTA officials for a future session.

The Funding Question

Funding was a central point of disagreement. Culpepper said federal officials told him and Worrell that no money has yet been transferred to the project. MBTA officials told the Reporter that $95 million in federal funding has been earmarked: a $15 million grant from 2024 that must be spent by 2029, and $80 million approved by Congress. The larger amount has been appropriated, but grant agreements will not be signed until the MBTA submits a final plan, likely next year.

In a statement to the Reporter on Oct. 16, a Wu spokesperson said more than $80 million has been “allocated and directly appropriated” by Congress and that “this funding is not hypothetical.” The spokesperson added, “This is not either/or—we can and we must do both,” referring to the bus project and future transit investment. The city’s September release put total local, state and federal funding secured at more than $124 million.

Residents Divided, Next Steps

WBUR reported that residents remain split. Some told the station the redesign would ease congestion and make crossings safer, while others, including State Rep. Christopher Worrell, who helped organize a protest before a Sept. 30 meeting, said moving stops to the middle of the street would be unsafe. Transportation for Massachusetts supports the plan. Interim Chief of Streets Chris Osgood told WBUR the city and the T hope to share updated designs before December. More community meetings are planned for 2027, the Reporter said.

The project is one of several street redesigns the city is pursuing. For background, see our reports on the Columbus Avenue bus lane and the Boston Link bus and street furniture plan.

Featured image: An MBTA route 28 bus bound for Mattapan on Blue Hill Avenue, September 2026. Photo by 4300streetcar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Sources

• Dorchester Reporter: Councillors press for subway concept, object to bus lane project in Grove Hall meeting
• WBUR: Amid pushback, Boston moves ahead with Blue Hill Ave. center bus lanes project
• City of Boston: City of Boston, MBTA Release Updated Design Proposal for Blue Hill Avenue Project
• MBTA: Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan