The network of wires dangling over Harvard Square in Cambridge won’t be around for much longer, as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority scraps electric-powered trolleybuses. transporting people through Cambridge, Watertown and Belmont for nearly 90 years, yet major road projects planned for Cambridge and Watertown required a five-and-a-half-year shutdown of the serial wiring system used to power the MBTA’s only remaining trolley bus service on Routes 71 and 73, and because of this, plans to MBTA for a new facility in north Cambridge, the transport authority will remove the serial wiring system in preparation for a fleet of battery-powered buses. On Routes 71 and 73, diesel hybrid buses will be replaced for two years before battery-powered buses are introduced on those routes beginning in the spring of 2024. Bus passengers traveling from Cambridge to Watertown and Belmont spoke with NewsCenter 5 about staying away from trolleybuses. These riders had mixed views of the change, touching on practicality and nostalgia, and Matthew Kennedy said, “Changing him to electric would be perfect.” “I’ve been on that bus before where her back fell and they have to stop it. So no, I wasn’t shocked that it stopped at all.” “I love trolley cars now. I heard they removed all that stuff,” Ryan Harris said. That’s no good, man, because I like trams. I love trams. it’s time. It is slow. Too slow.” “Take the bus here to Belmont…it should be faster.” The new North Cambridge facility will have charging stations for battery electric buses. The transport authority also said it has a goal to have its entire fleet of 1,150 battery electric buses. by 2040.
The wiring network over Harvard Square in Cambridge won’t be around for much longer, as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority scraps electric-powered trolleybuses from service.
Trolleybuses, which run on overhead wires called catenary wires rather than rails, have been carrying people through Cambridge, Watertown and Belmont for nearly 90 years.
However, major road projects planned in Cambridge and Watertown will require a five-and-a-half year shutdown of the pop-up wire system used to power MBTA’s only remaining trolley bus service on Routes 71 and 73.
For this reason, and the MBTA plans for a new facility in north Cambridge, the Transport Authority will remove the serial wiring system in preparation for a fleet of battery-powered buses.
From Sunday, trolleybuses on Routes 71 and 73 will be replaced by diesel hybrid buses for two years before battery-electric buses are brought on those routes beginning in the spring of 2024.
MBTA bus passengers traveling from Cambridge to Watertown and Belmont spoke with NewsCenter 5 about staying away from trolley buses. These riders had mixed opinions about the change, and they touched on the practicality of nostalgia.
“Changing him to electric would be perfect,” Matthew Kennedy said. “I’ve been on that bus before where her back fell and they have to stop it. So no, I wasn’t shocked that it stopped at all.”
Ryan Harris said, “I love trolleys now. I heard they take away all that stuff. It’s no good, man, because I like trolleys. I like trolleys.”
It’s about time. It’s slow. Too slow,” said Top Prakitsri. “Take the bus here to Belmont… You should be faster.”
The MBTA said the new North Cambridge facility will contain charging stations for electric battery-powered buses.
The transport authority also said it has a goal of having its entire fleet of 1,150 buses run on battery electric by 2040.