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The WTS-Boston Chapter held its April Luncheon Seminar on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill in Boston. 

Sarah Bergman, WTS-Boston President, welcomed a room full of both public and private sector guests at April's luncheon, "Putting Riders First: Rethinking Bus Service Across Massachusetts." Before introducing our speakers, she acknowledged and thanked our corporate sponsors and gave guests a preview of upcoming events.

Alex Hallowell, MBTA Director of Transit Priority, and Becca Wolfson, MBTA Director of the Better Bus Network, then gave an overview of the MBTA's Bus Transformation efforts, including the service, infrastructure, and staffing improvements associated with Bus Network Redesign. They also highlighted an increase in ridership, focus on frequent bus services, and the Transit Priority Program, including bus lane enforcement.

Jim Nee, MWRTA Administrator, presented the vision for a jointly operated transit loop system around Metro Boston that would serve as a circumferential connection between Commuter Rail lines, as a public transit equivalent of I-495 and I-95. He then shared that the MWRTA has launched a pilot I-495 Connector route connecting three MBTA Commuter Rail lines and eight MetroWest communities with funding from MassDOT's FY25-26 Interconnectivity Grant.

Karen Winger, Director of Transportation Planning at the Longwood Collective, then spoke about the unique challenges of transit access in the Longwood Medical Area. She provided background on the Longwood Collective, which has operated shuttle services complementary to MBTA service since 1975 and has focused on providing transit access to employees so that patients, who may be traveling form out of state, can continue to drive in.  

Andy Reker, Transit Program Manager with the City of Cambridge, discussed the City's community engagement plan and how that has informed the vision of transit streets. Andy highlighted the importance of "meeting people where they're at," such as at bus stops and community events. This ensures that the people providing system feedback are those actually using the systems, and it addresses existing barriers to community involvement. 

Special thanks to our Programs Committee for planning and running this event, especially event champions Anna Tayag (MBTA) and Vivian Cheng (VHB), Programs Committee co-chairs Julie Goldberg (BSC Group) and Lisa Juan (Kimley-Horn), and Programs Committee board liaison Stacey Rivera (Suffolk Construction).

For additional photos, please visit: 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wts_boston/albums/72177720333398316/

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