The CT2 bus is a vital connection for thousands of people. It connects communities across Somerville, Cambridge, Boston, and beyond. It links dozens of important job, education, research and cultural centers. It also provides one of the few north/south transit connections across the Charles that doesn't require going through downtown Boston. Despite how useful it is to so many people, the service hours of the CT2 are abysmal. The last bus leaves Ruggles Station at 7:00 pm. If you take this bus you have undoubtedly had to shape plans around this fact. What if you need to work late? What if you work a job that doesn't have "standard" hours? What if you want to go out for drinks or dinner after work or class? What if you need to go into the lab or the office or do literally anything on the weekend? None of these activities are accommodated by the terrible schedule of the CT2 bus. 

On top of that, the service frequency of every 25-30 minutes at peak hours simply isn't good enough. I'm sure we've all experienced the annoyance of missing the bus and realizing we're now going to be late. Knowing that another bus is only a few minutes away makes getting where you're going far less stressful. And it would make it a lot easier for more people to make the decision to hop on board.

All of this is a choice by the MBTA. There is nothing stopping them from allocating more resources to run busses later and on the weekends. It's all about attention and priorities. The new 109 bus connecting Sullivan Square and Harvard Square just gave a massive increase in service along that route. It has been fantastic. I believe the CT2 bus deserves the same treatment. If your life or the life of someone you know would be improved by more flexible service hours on the CT2, then please sign this petition!

image credit: 4300streetcar. Creative Commons License 4.0 International