As a component of the MBTA’s ongoing Bus Network Redesign program, the 55 line could see its hours of operation expanded, including during weekday peak hours, while connecting the West Fenway neighborhood to Copley Station.
The first phase of the BNRD changes began in December 2024 in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Malden, Somerville, Cambridge, and East Boston. The next phase of changes, which is now being planned, will be implemented incrementally as bus operators and supporting infrastructure become available.
“The MBTA also continues to define bus schedules and capital investments for the necessary supporting infrastructure in collaboration with our municipal partners,” MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston wrote in an email. “Discussions are taking place now to confirm if the 55’s changes will be implemented in the next upcoming BNRD phase or a future phase. We anticipate sharing more information on the next phase of BNRD changes in the coming months.”
The MBTA suspended service on the 55 bus route when the pandemic hit. Service on the line was later restored in June 2021, although the daily hours were reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from the previous hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The last stop on the line was also changed to Copley Square from Park Street at that time.
When and if extended hours for the 55 line are implemented as part of the BNRD, they would reportedly run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Jamie Culbertson, a Fenway CDC community organizer who facilitates the 55 Bus Route Coalition of residents and neighborhood partners, wrote in an email: “We’re very thankful to the MBTA for recognizing how important the 55 bus is to the Fenway community in their Bus Network Redesign process. We’d love to see longer 55 bus hours as part of the September set of bus route changes so Fenway residents can use this vital cross-neighborhood connector in the morning and evening as soon as possible.”