MBTA bus route 39

MBTA bus route 39 is a key public transit corridor in Boston, Massachusetts, connecting the southern neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain and Roslindale with the Back Bay and Longwood Medical and Academic Area. Operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, it is one of the busiest and most frequent bus routes in the system, running primarily along Huntington Avenue and Centre Street. The route provides a vital surface transit link to several major employment centers, educational institutions, and Orange Line and Green Line subway stations.

Route description

The route originates at the multimodal Forest Hills station, a major terminal for the Orange Line and Commuter Rail services like the Needham Line. It proceeds north on South Street before turning onto the primary commercial thoroughfare of Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, passing landmarks such as the Jamaica Pond and the Samuel Adams Brewery. At the intersection with Perkins Street, it enters the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, a dense cluster of institutions including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School. The bus continues northwest on Huntington Avenue, serving the Museum of Fine Arts, Northeastern University, and the Christian Science Plaza, before terminating at Back Bay station, which offers connections to the Orange Line, Commuter Rail, and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor services.

History

The route's corridor has been served by streetcars since the late 19th century, originally operated by the West End Street Railway and later the Boston Elevated Railway. Streetcar service along Huntington Avenue to Forest Hills station was a central part of Boston's early transit network. The route was converted from streetcar to trackless trolley operation in the 1930s, utilizing overhead wires. In 2022, as part of the MBTA's system-wide modernization efforts, the route was permanently converted from trackless trolleys to diesel-electric hybrid buses, specifically the New Flyer XDE40 model. This change was precipitated by the reconstruction of the Arborway Bus Maintenance Facility and aimed to improve reliability and fleet flexibility.

Operations

Route 39 is based out of the Arborway Bus Maintenance Facility in Jamaica Plain. It operates with high frequency, with headways as short as five minutes during peak periods on weekdays, making it one of the most frequent bus services in New England. Service runs from approximately 4:45 AM to after 1:00 AM daily. The route is a core component of the MBTA's key bus network, receiving priority for resources and infrastructure investments. Operations are supported by transit signal priority at certain intersections along Huntington Avenue to improve travel times and schedule adherence.

Ridership

Pre-pandemic, it was consistently among the top five busiest bus routes in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority system, with annual ridership regularly exceeding four million boardings. It serves a diverse mix of commuters, including students from Northeastern University and Simmons University, medical professionals and patients bound for the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, and residents of Jamaica Plain and Roslindale traveling to downtown Boston. Ridership patterns show strong all-day usage due to the density of destinations along its path, rather than solely traditional peak commuter flows.

Major stops and connections

Key stops and transfer points include the terminus at Forest Hills station, which connects to the Orange Line and MBTA Commuter Rail; the Jackson Square station for the Orange Line; and multiple stops within the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. The route provides direct access to Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Museum of Fine Arts, and Northeastern University. Its northern terminus, Back Bay station, offers connections to the Orange Line, MBTA Commuter Rail services on the Framingham/Worcester Line, and intercity rail via Amtrak. It also intersects with several other MBTA bus routes, including the 66 and 8, along its path.

Category:MBTA bus routes Category:Transportation in Boston Category:Jamaica Plain, Boston