Skip to Content
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Log In
Bus lanes

Eyes on the Street: Downtown Crossing’s New Bus and Bike Lanes

A new bike lane and dedicated bus lane for Silver Line buses have been painted on Washington Street in downtown Boston, as seen in this July 7, 2020 photo. The city plans to install bollards soon to prevent double-parking in the bike lane.

Your StreetsblogMASS editor checked in at his empty downtown office Tuesday afternoon, mostly as an excuse to check out the new Silver Line bus lanes and bike lanes that have been installed on Washington Street and Stuart Street.

In a project that was originally announced last fall, the City of Boston has reconfigured Washington Street in Chinatown and Downtown Crossing from a three-lane traffic jam into this:

An SL5 bus stops in a new dedicated bus lane on Washington Street near the Chinatown T station. Courtesy of the MTBA.
An SL5 bus stops in a new dedicated bus lane on Washington Street near the Chinatown T station. Courtesy of the MTBA.
An SL5 bus stops in a new dedicated bus lane on Washington Street near the Chinatown T station. Courtesy of the MTBA.

A bus lane hugs the curb on the right side of the street, while on the left side, a new bike lane gives cyclists a protected route into Downtown Crossing. There were a handful of illegally parked vehicles in the bike lane on Tuesday afternoon, but the city plans to install protective flex posts "soon," according to an MBTA press release.

Nearby, as part of a repaving project, the city has also created a short but crucial protected bike lane connection along Stuart Street, between Arlington and Washington:

New parking-protected bike lanes have been installed on a short section of Stuart Street in downtown Boston between Charles Street and Washington Street, as seen in this July 7, 2020 photo.
New parking-protected bike lanes have been installed on a short section of Stuart Street in downtown Boston between Charles Street and Washington Street, as seen in this July 7, 2020 photo.
New parking-protected bike lanes have been installed on a short section of Stuart Street in downtown Boston between Charles Street and Washington Street, as seen in this July 7, 2020 photo.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Massachusetts

Roadblocked: Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Eliminates Most Federal Funding For Allston Highway Realignment

Without a formal project agreement in place, MassDOT will receive only $8 million out of a $335 million "reconnecting communities" grant that the Biden administration had pledged.

July 10, 2025

Another Bus Lane Bites the Dust: Wu Administration Forces Chelsea, Charlestown Transit Riders to Wait In More Traffic

The change comes just weeks before the MBTA rolls out a new bus lane enforcement system, which is expected to improve bus service considerably – at least on the dwindling number of streets where dedicated bus lanes still exist.

July 8, 2025

Balanced For Now – But Beacon Hill Is Putting the T Back On the Edge of Another Fiscal Cliff

The state's final budget gives the T about $80 million less than it had planned to spend in the coming fiscal year to cover its payroll and other transit operating costs.

July 7, 2025

Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods

"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."

July 1, 2025
See all posts