Route 55 line won't see any service changes when the fall rollout of the MBTA's ongoing Bus Network Redesign program is implemented on Aug. 24, although expanded hours of operation on the bus line are still a future possibility.
"Expanding the hours of service for Route 55 to connect the West Fenway neighborhood to Copley Station, including during weekday peak hours, continues to be under discussion, but there are no new updates to share at this time," wrote MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston in an email. "Future bus improvements continue to be planned and will be implemented during the MBTA's quarterly seasonal schedule adjustments as bus operators and supporting infrastructure are available and ready."
The MBTA suspended service on the 55 bus route when the pandemic hit, and when service on the line was restored in June 2021, the daily hours were reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from the previous hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The last stop on the line was also changed to Copley Square from Park Street at that time.
Jamie Culbertson, a Fenway CDC community organizer who facilitates the 55 Bus Route Coalition of residents and neighborhood partners, wrote in an email: "While we're thankful that the MBTA placed longer hours for the 55 bus on their list of potential 2025 route changes, we would have loved for those hours to have been implemented this fall, which would have immediately increased access to this vital transportation route. We hope to see longer hours for the 55 bus implemented in December with the next set of route changes."
The first phase of the T's BNRD changes began in December 2024 in Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Malden, Somerville, Cambridge, and East Boston.