Somerville's Transit History 

Somerville, originally built as a streetcar suburb of Boston, has a framework and layout ideal for public transit. Its traditionally designed neighborhoods, which are set amongst grid-like street networks, connect in a walkable, transit-friendly system. Transit systems shrunk and all but disappeared as automobiles became the primary mode of transportation, however, and streetcars left the city several decades ago. The expanding automobile traffic that resulted quickly outgrew the city's narrow streets and scant parking availability. In recent years, recognition has grown that transit is vitally needed and many residents, business persons, and city policy makers have advocated for increased services for Somerville. 

Current MBTA Transit Services 

The City of Somerville is serviced by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) transit service. The subway and bus systems have stops within the city. 

Red Line at Davis Square: Somerville gained access to the Red Line subway in 1984 in Davis Square at the intersection of Holland Street, College Avenue, Highland Avenue, Elm Street, Day Street, and Dover Street. For schedules and maps, see the link below. 

Stations Near Somerville: Porter Square, on the Red Line, is located in Cambridge less than a quarter of a mile from Spring Hill in Somerville. Similarly, Sullivan Square Station, on the Orange Line, is located in Boston less than a quarter of a mile from East Somerville. 

Buses: The City of Somerville has among the highest bus ridership in the Boston metro area. Nearly 40,000 passengers board the busses that pass through Somerville each day. (MBTA Blue Book 2008) The following is a list of the 15 bus routes that function within and throughout the City:     

      Route 80     Arlington Center-Lechmere Station
      Route 83     Ringe Ave-Cambridge Central Square
      Route 85     Spring Hill-Kendall/M.I.T. Station
      Route 86     Sullivan Square Station-Reservoir (Cleveland Circle) via Harvard Square
      Route 87     Arlington Center or Clarendon Hill-Lechmere Station
      Route 88     Clarendon Hill-Lechmere Station via Highland Ave.
      Route 89     Clarendon Hill-Sullivan Square Station via Broadway
      Route 90     Davis Square-Wellington Station
      Route 91     Sullivan Square Station-Central Square, Cambridge
      Route 92     Assembly Square Mall-Downtown via Sullivan Square Station
      Route 93     Sullivan Square Station-Downtown via Bunker Hill St. & Haymarket Station
      Route 94     Medford Square-Davis Square Station
      Route 95     West Medford-Sullivan Square Station
      Route 96     Medford Square-Harvard Station via George Street
      Route 101   Malden Center-Sullivan Square Station 

Trip Planner: Enter your starting and destination addresses to find the best route and schedules with the MBTA trip planner. 

Schedules and Maps for the MBTA: View schedules and maps for Commuter Rail, Bus, Subway, and Boat services. 

MBTA Projects 

Green Line Extension: The Green Line is coming to Somerville! The MBTA is in the process of extending the Green Line from Lechmere Station into Somerville. The main line will run along the Lowell commuter line right-of-way and continue into the City of Medford. A spur will follow the Fitchburg railway and end near Union Square. The extension is expected to be operational by the year 2014. 

For more information, see EOT Green Line Extension link on the right.

Orange Line Station at Assembly Square: As part of the redevelopment of Assembly Square, a new stop will be added to the existing Orange Line between Sullivan Station and Wellington Station. Twenty five million dollars of federal funds and 15 million dollars from Federal Realty Investment Trust and IKEA are committed to this project. The station is slated to open in 2013. For more information, see Assembly Square in Squares and Neighborhoods. 

Urban Ring: The Urban Ring is a proposed transit project that would form a ring around Boston's urban core and connect the spokes of the existing MBTA subway lines. This addition would provide access on a circular route to Logan Airport and parts of Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Medford, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. In Somerville specifically, the proposed line would include Assembly Square, Sullivan Square, Washington Street, Inner Belt Road, and extend into Northpoint. For more information, see the EOT Urban Ring link on the right.