Transit is essential for tens of thousands of people living in Brookline. It makes it

possible to commute, patronize businesses, and access services without a car. Projects like the Washington Street bus lanes[1] are important steps to a more connected and accessible Brookline. The Town should work with the MBTA to implement transit signal priority[2] for the C Line, ensure ADA compliance at all stations,[3] and improve service on the 51, 60, and 65 routes.[4]

For shorter trips, Brookline is excellently suited for walking and biking.[5] The Town

should invest in pedestrian safety and accessibility projects, and add more protected bike lanes townwide. Biking is good for the environment,[6] for business,[7] for health,[8] and even for reducing traffic congestion.[9] Cycling is subject to induced demand,[10][11] meaning that as biking becomes safer[12] and bike lanes become more prevalent, more people will consider cycling who otherwise wouldn’t. 

Brookline has seen over 4,000 crashes on its roads over the past decade.[13] Crashes

most frequently occur along Route 9 and on Harvard Street. Town Meeting should explore all measures to improve safety and reduce crashes on Brookline roads.[14] As a central corridor, Route 9 should be a top priority for a redesign.[15]

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1. https://brookline.news/bus-only-lane-coming-soon-to-stretch-of-route-9-near-brookline-village/

2. https://www.ctps.org/data/calendar/pdfs/2019/TSP-Guidebook.pdf

3. https://mass.streetsblog.org/2024/12/17/mbtas-green-line-accessibility-project-will-consolidate-stops-in-brookline

4. https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024-12-15-system-map_0.pdf

5. https://massdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=d3d3fc48f91247d19ac9f9751cee9195

6. https://transportation.ucla.edu/blog/how-bike-riding-benefits-environment

7. https://www.businessinsider.com/bike-lanes-good-for-business-studies-better-streets-2024-3

8. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circulationaha.116.024651

9. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-05/when-adding-bike-lanes-actually-reduces-traffic-delays

10. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2220515120

11. https://momentummag.com/paris-cycling-numbers-double/

12. https://thecypressonline.com/50510/opinions/why-bike-lane-infrastructure-is-and-should-be-the-future-of-transit/

13. https://apps.impact.dot.state.ma.us/cdp/dashboard-view/26

14. https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures

15. https://www.ctps.org/data/html/studies/highway/2019-safety-operations/Route-9-Brookline-Corridor-Study-Report.html#_Toc20923714