This summer and fall, STEP conducted a survey of Somerville residents to gather information on current MBTA bus service. The results are in:
– Many Somerville residents depend on bus service for a variety of needs.
– Though satisfied overall with bus routes and stop locations, people are generally dissatisfied with frequency of service.
– Bus routes with the highest satisfaction include the 88, 87, and 80.
– Bus routes with the lowest satisfaction include the 95, 90, and 92.
– The most important improvements are better adherence to schedule, more trips, and bus schedules posted at stops.
– Reliability is the top reason for those who don’t use buses.
Keep reading for more details on the survey findings. You can also download the PowerPoint presentation.
The goals of the survey were to:
– Benchmark current usage of and satisfaction with MBTA bus service through Somerville.
– Identify any issues with specific bus routes.
– Quantify potential improvements to bus service.
The survey was open from July 15 to October 11, 2006, and was distributed via paper, email, and web site links. The mail-in paper version was distributed across Somerville, including handouts at bus stops and local events (e.g., ArtBeat), and was available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Links to the web-based version were available on SomervilleSTEP.org, the City of Somerville web site, The Somerville Journal, and email invitations. In all, 245 people completed the survey. Though this is not a statistically accurate sampling of the Somerville population, the survey findings are directionally valid.
Download all the open-ended comments from people who took the survey (PDF)