• The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization walked back its initial commitment to extending the Green Line to Mystic Valley Parkway, in order to reduce the project's cost. Aligning bus service along Boston Avenue to the Green Line trains, west of Tufts, compensates for the unbuilt portion of the Green Line Extension.
  
• The MBTA charges Arlington an annual assessment weighted by nine times the town's population. These weights are equal to communities with extensive fixed rail service like Newton, Medford, and Somerville.
• On December 2, 2020, Arlington's Select Board cited the unfair MBTA assessments and the heavy utilization of transit in town as critical reasons for improved service to the Green Line Extension. They argued against the elimination of Route 80, because it is the only bus service connecting Arlington to the Green Line Extension.
• Frequent Route 80 service is not an expensive addition to the network. No more than 6 peak hour buses would be required to provide frequent service on a short 4.3 mile route.
• Depending on the time of day, Route 80 buses can travel between Arlington Center and the new Tufts-Medford stop in 6-14 minutes. The bus travels along a route that is shorter and less congested than Route 77's path along Massachusetts Avenue, connecting Arlington to the Red Line at Porter or Harvard.
• Frequent Route 80 service will create an easy, practical connection at West Medford Station for Arlington riders who choose to access the MBTA Commuter Rail.

Walk off the train, get on the bus. A Better 80 would align service to allow for a fast, easy transfer from Green Line trains to buses. Click here for a sample Route 80 bus schedule and weekday travel times.