Recent from talks
86 (MBTA bus)
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
86 (MBTA bus)
Route 86 is a local bus route in Boston and Cambridge operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of MBTA bus service. It operates between Reservoir station and Harvard station, via Lower Allston and Brighton Center. In 2018, it had the 18th-highest weekday ridership on the system, though it ranked 37th by number of weekday trips. A 2018–19 MBTA review of its bus system found that route 86 had infrequent and unreliable service, including irregular scheduled headways, despite its high ridership and significance as a crosstown connecting route.
Transit service on portions of the modern route date back to horsecar lines opened in the 19th century, several of which were converted to electric streetcars in the 1890s. Three overlapping bus routes (later designated 63, 86, and 91) were established between 1925 and 1931, replacing circumferential streetcar services and creating new connections. Route 86 ran between Union Square, Allston and Union Square, Somerville until it was extended to Sullivan Square in 1977 and 1981 to supplement route 91. In 1989, the western end was extended to Cleveland Circle, replacing route 63. In December 2024, the eastern half of the route became part of route 109, with route 86 cut to run between Reservoir and Harvard.
Route 86 runs between Harvard station in Cambridge and Reservoir station at Cleveland Circle on the Brookline / Brighton, Boston border. Reservoir-bound buses at Harvard board at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Garden Street at Dawes Island, while Harvard-bound buses terminate in the Harvard Bus Tunnel. South of Harvard Square, the route runs south on John F. Kennedy Street / North Harvard Street to Barry's Corner, west on Western Avenue, and south on Leo M. Birmingham Parkway and Market Street to Brighton Center, then south on Chestnut Hill Avenue to the Reservoir station busway.
Scheduled one-way running times range from about 20 minutes off-peak to 30 minutes at peak, with shorter times during early mornings and late nights. Service operates from about 5:00 am to 12:30 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and from about 6:00 am to 12:30 am on Sundays. As of December 2024[update], weekday peak headways are 15 minutes or better, with 20-minute midday headways and 25-minute evening and weekend headways. It operates as a crosstown/circumferential route, with MBTA subway connections at Harvard (Red Line), Chestnut Hill Avenue (Green Line B branch), Cleveland Circle (Green Line C branch), and Reservoir (Green Line D branch).
Route 86 runs as a local route with standard local bus fare. In 2018, on the old routing between Reservoir and Sullivan, the route averaged 6,150 boardings on weekdays; average weekend ridership was 3,040 on Saturdays and 1,840 on Sundays. This made it the 18th-highest-ridership route in the MBTA bus system, with more boardings than four of the key bus routes. Despite this, it ranked 37th by number of weekday trips, leading to crowding on many trips.
Several portions of the modern iterations of the route originated as horsecar and streetcar lines:
Horsecar and streetcar operations in Boston and surrounding municipalities were consolidated under the West End Street Railway in the 1880s; it was leased by the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) in 1897. The BERy began operating bus service in 1922. A Harvard Square–Union Square, Somerville bus route began operation on August 22, 1925. It was extended from Harvard Square to Union Square, Allston on December 19.
By 1930, the Union Square–Sullivan Square segment was operated as part of a Central Square–Sullivan Square streetcar line. On February 1, the Central Square–Union Square segment was replaced by a bus route, leaving a Union Square–Sullivan Square streetcar shuttle. On November 15, that shuttle was replaced with a new bus route at the city's request, with the intention of reducing congestion in Union Square. The two bus routes were connected into a single route on February 14, 1931, again forming a Central Square–Sullivan Square route. The Sullivan–Union tracks remained in use for non-revenue equipment moves until 1951.
Hub AI
86 (MBTA bus) AI simulator
(@86 (MBTA bus)_simulator)
86 (MBTA bus)
Route 86 is a local bus route in Boston and Cambridge operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of MBTA bus service. It operates between Reservoir station and Harvard station, via Lower Allston and Brighton Center. In 2018, it had the 18th-highest weekday ridership on the system, though it ranked 37th by number of weekday trips. A 2018–19 MBTA review of its bus system found that route 86 had infrequent and unreliable service, including irregular scheduled headways, despite its high ridership and significance as a crosstown connecting route.
Transit service on portions of the modern route date back to horsecar lines opened in the 19th century, several of which were converted to electric streetcars in the 1890s. Three overlapping bus routes (later designated 63, 86, and 91) were established between 1925 and 1931, replacing circumferential streetcar services and creating new connections. Route 86 ran between Union Square, Allston and Union Square, Somerville until it was extended to Sullivan Square in 1977 and 1981 to supplement route 91. In 1989, the western end was extended to Cleveland Circle, replacing route 63. In December 2024, the eastern half of the route became part of route 109, with route 86 cut to run between Reservoir and Harvard.
Route 86 runs between Harvard station in Cambridge and Reservoir station at Cleveland Circle on the Brookline / Brighton, Boston border. Reservoir-bound buses at Harvard board at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Garden Street at Dawes Island, while Harvard-bound buses terminate in the Harvard Bus Tunnel. South of Harvard Square, the route runs south on John F. Kennedy Street / North Harvard Street to Barry's Corner, west on Western Avenue, and south on Leo M. Birmingham Parkway and Market Street to Brighton Center, then south on Chestnut Hill Avenue to the Reservoir station busway.
Scheduled one-way running times range from about 20 minutes off-peak to 30 minutes at peak, with shorter times during early mornings and late nights. Service operates from about 5:00 am to 12:30 am on weekdays and Saturdays, and from about 6:00 am to 12:30 am on Sundays. As of December 2024[update], weekday peak headways are 15 minutes or better, with 20-minute midday headways and 25-minute evening and weekend headways. It operates as a crosstown/circumferential route, with MBTA subway connections at Harvard (Red Line), Chestnut Hill Avenue (Green Line B branch), Cleveland Circle (Green Line C branch), and Reservoir (Green Line D branch).
Route 86 runs as a local route with standard local bus fare. In 2018, on the old routing between Reservoir and Sullivan, the route averaged 6,150 boardings on weekdays; average weekend ridership was 3,040 on Saturdays and 1,840 on Sundays. This made it the 18th-highest-ridership route in the MBTA bus system, with more boardings than four of the key bus routes. Despite this, it ranked 37th by number of weekday trips, leading to crowding on many trips.
Several portions of the modern iterations of the route originated as horsecar and streetcar lines:
Horsecar and streetcar operations in Boston and surrounding municipalities were consolidated under the West End Street Railway in the 1880s; it was leased by the Boston Elevated Railway (BERy) in 1897. The BERy began operating bus service in 1922. A Harvard Square–Union Square, Somerville bus route began operation on August 22, 1925. It was extended from Harvard Square to Union Square, Allston on December 19.
By 1930, the Union Square–Sullivan Square segment was operated as part of a Central Square–Sullivan Square streetcar line. On February 1, the Central Square–Union Square segment was replaced by a bus route, leaving a Union Square–Sullivan Square streetcar shuttle. On November 15, that shuttle was replaced with a new bus route at the city's request, with the intention of reducing congestion in Union Square. The two bus routes were connected into a single route on February 14, 1931, again forming a Central Square–Sullivan Square route. The Sullivan–Union tracks remained in use for non-revenue equipment moves until 1951.
Recent media