The City of Somerville will install short sections of red bus-priority pavement markings this week in the heart of Davis Square to facilitate safe and efficient
bus operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

As shown in the graphic below, bus-priority markings will be installed between the Red Line station entrance and Davis Square on both Holland Street and College Avenue. The Holland Street bus-priority
markings will extend to Day Street. General traffic will still be permitted to enter both bus lanes to take a right turn.
These roadway markings will enable buses on MBTA Routes 87, 88, 89, 94, and 96 to bypass traffic at busy intersections, formalizing bus movements that have
been in place since outdoor dining accommodations were installed earlier this summer. These new markings will not repurpose any on-street parking and will not result in any changes to how drivers or cyclists experience the square. Longer-term changes to this
intersection are currently in design as part of the Holland
Street & College Avenue Mobility Improvements project, with construction targeted for 2021.
Quick-build bus-priority lanes are key elements of the City’s Covid-19 mobility response and broader regional efforts to immediately improve bus operations.
Even small modifications to the roadway like these markings in Davis Square can shorten ride times, reduce crowding, and improve reliability — all of which are critical to meet current public health guidelines and better serve riders, particularly those who
are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. For more information, visit somervoice.somervillema.gov/quick-build-bus-lanes.