BPS bus efficiency within the afternoon continues to be lagging, officers are monitoring ‘interruptions’ from MBTA closures

BPS officers reported Wednesday bus on-time efficiency is enhancing, however afternoon journeys are nonetheless experiencing larger disruptions — with the MBTA Orange Line closure doubtlessly set as much as throw one other wrench into colleges’ transportation.

“The transportation team continues to work hard and to take steps to address the challenges that we saw at the beginning of school,” Superintendent Mary Skipper started a report back to the Boston College Committee on Wednesday evening. “We know we have more work ahead, but the team has made steady progress.”

Whereas the morning bus routes on-time efficiency has pulled even with final 12 months’s charges, Skipper reported her staff is “urgently working” on afternoon routes “where there is more work to be done.

At the same time, the team is monitoring the disruptions hitting Boston traffic during the Orange Line closure, which will be replaced by shuttle buses through Oct. 20.

Morning buses on-time performance average 89% of buses arriving by the first bell for the week of Sept. 30, “comparable” to the identical week for the 2023-24 college 12 months and a rise from 85% the week earlier than, Skipper mentioned. Since Sept. 17, the eleventh day of college, over 99% of morning buses have arrived inside half-hour late, she famous.

However afternoon buses proceed to lag considerably behind morning buses’ efficiency.

Within the week of Sept. 30, afternoon buses averaged 78% on-time efficiency, the superintendent reported. Throughout the identical week within the 2023-24 12 months, afternoon buses common 85% on-time efficiency.

Skipper mentioned the transportation staff is “monitoring” the affect of the MBTA closure on routes, assess and revise drawback routes every week and collect suggestions from households. Skipper famous the primary day of the Orange line shutdown “doubled” her morning commute, an affect “directly correlated” to bus efficiency too.

The BPS Transportation Director Dan Rosengard mentioned they’ve seen a slight dip in on time efficiency on Wednesdays when route adjustments are carried out. Rosengard additionally famous some routes will undergo a “contractually obligated rebid” course of on the finish of October, which can result in buses’ drivers altering.

“We’ll do communications to schools and families to make sure they know if they’re on a bus where the driver, the permanent driver, is changing when that goes into effect,” mentioned Rosengard. “And similarly, historically, we have seen a dip in OTP on the first day when that takes effect, which usually recovers within the second or third day. And I think again, Zum should help soften the blow.”

Drivers are “largely through” the Zum studying curve, Rosengard mentioned, and most on time efficiency gaps from final 12 months are “on the scheduling side” and getting routes “where they need to be” at this level.