The MBTA is increasing its bus service beyond pre-pandemic levels, a move that state officials say reflects broader efforts to improve reliability and draw more riders back to the transit system.
Starting April 5, the MBTA plans to expand service on dozens of bus routes, adding more frequent trips and increasing service in the evening and on weekends, the MBTA said.
Riders praised the move.
“It’s always good to have more buses more often, obviously, or more places you can go,” said Laurie Pinkham of Salem, who commutes to Boston on the 450 bus, which stops at Haymarket.
The changes are part of the agency’s seasonal schedule changes and are aimed at making bus service more convenient, particularly for riders in neighborhoods with less rail service.
In all, service will increase on 37 bus routes, and at least two routes will run every 15 minutes or less, according to the MBTA.
Hannah Smith, “loves” taking the bus. She rides the 93 bus daily from Charlestown to work downtown.
“I prefer to take the bus over the T,” Smith said while waiting for her bus near Devonshire Street. “It’s easier to just get right on, not go underground, and it’s super quick.”
Still, Smith said there is room for improvement. “There’s a lot of parts to Boston you can’t really access right now,” she said.
The improvements come as the MBTA continues to navigate shifting patterns in ridership. The pandemic drastically reduced commuting into downtown Boston, and many workers continue to split time between home and the office, slowing the return to pre-pandemic levels on parts of the transit system.
“Sometimes I want to come downtown and take the bus,” Smith said, noting that her regular route does not run on weekends, limiting her ability to use the bus outside of her weekday commute. “More times, more routes makes it easier to get around in a cheaper way.”
The updates include merging the CT2 route into an expanded Route 85, creating more direct connections between Assembly Square, Kendall Square, the Longwood Medical Area, and Ruggles station.
The Route 9 and SL2 bus lines will also become “frequent bus routes” and can be expected to run every 15 minutes or sooner on all days, the MBTA said.
“It’s the MBTA’s priority to increase reliability and deliver more transportation options for our riders,” Phillip Eng, the MBTA’s general manager and the state’s interim transportation secretary, said in a statement. “With more bus service than before the pandemic and increased subway frequency, we are continuing to make the MBTA a system that people can rely on and want to use.”
Julio Bonilla, who rides the 450 bus to travel between Haymarket and Lynn, described his experience with the bus as a “love-hate relationship.”
One of the biggest challenges, he said, is the lack of flexibility in the system, especially during weekends and early mornings.
“It’s only one route that I have that takes me home,” Bonilla said. “I have to adjust on the weekend because it doesn’t go into the city, it just goes halfway...I have to take the subway into the city.”
Governor Maura Healey said riders “deserve service that is frequent and reliable.”
“We have more work to do, but these improvements show real progress toward building a transportation system that people can count on,” Healey said.
Bonilla said adding more routes, or even increasing the frequency of existing ones, could significantly improve reliability and accessibility for riders like him.
“Adding another route would be great, or another bus would be awesome, especially for the early morning routes,” he said.
The MBTA says buses carry about 40 percent of its riders, with nearly 300,000 passenger trips each weekday.
Buses have remained a critical part of the network, especially for riders in outer neighborhoods and those traveling to destinations other than the downtown area.
In addition to the bus changes, the spring schedule also includes adjustments to subway service on the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green lines, which officials say are intended to improve consistency and trip times.
This month, the MBTA rolled out the final pair of new Orange Line cars, transit officials said. The new train cars, along with track and operation improvements, mean the MBTA can increase the number of scheduled weekday Orange Line trips by 8 percent, “the highest level seen in recent recorded history,” officials said.
Red Line service is also expected to increase due to continued track work, the MBTA said. Work is underway at Columbia Junction and is expected to wrap up by the end of April.
Trip times on the Green Line will also shift to improve daily reliability on the B and E branches, and on weekdays on the C branch, the MBTA said. The Blue Line should also see improved reliability during weekday travel, officials said.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Aayushi Datta can be reached at aayushi.datta@globe.com.