If you have the option, please consider working from home during the shutdowns. Staying home if you can will open up space for first responders, essential workers, and people who must travel.
The MBTA is running shuttles frequently during peak hours. Plan for shuttles to take longer than Green and Orange Line trains. All shuttles will be ADA compliant. You can also request accessible vans at shuttle stops. The MBTA will post the latest shuttle information on its website.
Green Line:
The MBTA will replace the Green Line between Union Square and Government Center with shuttles. At Lechmere, the only Cambridge station impacted by closures, the MBTA plans for all shuttles to stop on Water Street. (Note: these plans are subject to change and will be updated accordingly.)
The Green Line shuttle route includes stops at Government Center, Haymarket (Congress Street opposite Hanover Street), North Station, Science Park/West End, Lechmere (stops on Water Street), and Union Square (34 Prospect Street).
Orange Line:
There are Orange Line shuttle routes: between Oak Grove in Malden and Government Center in Boston and between Forest Hills and Back Bay/Copley. Between Government Center and Copley/Back Bay, you should take the Green Line or use other service alternatives.
Government Center/Tufts/Chinatown:
A shuttle connects Government Center, Tufts Medical Center, and Chinatown stations every 30 minutes for free from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. You can get to to Chinatown from South Station by taking the Silver Line 4 and getting off at a temporary stop at Surface Street and Kneeland Street.
Shuttle maps: (posted 8/18/22)
Biking or walking to your destination will help keep roads clear of vehicles.
Cyclists and pedestrians should be extra cautious around shuttle buses and on shuttle routes. Shuttle buses move differently than MBTA buses: they are taller, take longer to turn, and swing wider to make turns. Because the shuttle buses are not regular city buses, shuttle drivers have a harder time seeing cyclists and people on sidewalks.
In and near Cambridge, watch out for shuttles on:
- Charles River Dam Road (Craigie Bridge)
- Gilmore Bridge
- O'Brien Highway
- Morgan Avenue
- Side streets near Lechmere, including East Street, North First Street, and Water Street.
See the "shuttles" section above for maps.
Free Bluebikes
Bluebikes is offering free 30-Day Passes until September 18, allowing anyone who signs up to take an unlimited number of 45-minute trips at no cost. You can sign up for this free pass on the Bluebikes smartphone application or visiting Bluebikes.com/join and selecting "monthly membership."
MassDOT Bicycle Guidance
MassDOT has developed bicycle routes for people who choose to bicycle instead of taking the Orange Line during the closures. In Cambridge, these routes take cyclists on Medford Street, Cambridge Street, East Street, and Morgan Avenue, avoiding Charles River Dam Road. Please note that shuttle buses also run along Morgan Avenue and East Street. Exercise caution in these areas.
Click here for the MassDOT Orange Line Bicyclist Guide.
During the shutdown, you can board the commuter rail at all Zone 1A, 1, and 2 stations for no cost—you just have to show a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket (the CharlieCard or CharlieTicket does not need to have funds or a pass on it). If you need a Charlie Card, the City of Cambridge's Parking Services division distributes them at 344 Broadway.
Porter station (on the Fitchburg Line) is in Commuter Rail Zone 1A. You can take the Commuter Rail to North Station at no-cost. Click here to learn more about commuter rail schedules.
We expect traffic increases on streets and highways in Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, Medford, Everett, and throughout Boston. Avoid trips by car if you can. By staying home, walking, biking, or taking transit instead of driving, you are leaving room on the roads for first responders, buses and shuttles carrying dozens of people, and people who must drive.
If you must drive, you can use
Mass511 to check real-time traffic information and see real-time traffic cameras along your route. You can call 511 or
check the Mass511 website for this information. Sign up for a Mass511 account online and you can save and get traffic alerts about your regular routes.
