Transit improvements and signal infrastructure upgrades are part of an upcoming MBTA project and should help traffic flow more efficiently along the Lynnway.
The Lynnway Corridor Multimodal Corridor Project, spearheaded by the MBTA, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and MassDOT hopes to make travel on the Lynnway safer and easier through a redesign. It is set to add new bus stops and bus lanes among other changes.
Representatives with the different agencies met with residents on Wednesday at the Swampscott Senior Center to showcase project details, provide a glimpse of what the upgraded Lynnway may look like and answer any questions from the public.
The project, which is being funded by a $20 million grant from the US Department of Transportation, is currently in the concept design phase, with construction estimated to start between 2028 and 2030.
Attendees at Wednesday’s “open house” walked around a room at the Swampscott Senior Center, learning about the project from a number of poster boards spread out that showed blueprints and statistics. MBTA and DCR employees were there to help explain the project and break down concept visuals.
“This project stems from a decade or more of different plans and studies led by a variety of agencies including the city of Lynn, DCR, MBTA and MassDOT that have identified a need to redesign the Lynnway to make it safer and more multimodal,” said MBTA Project Manager Phillip Cherry.
Cherry said the project is meant to benefit both Lynn residents who want to access places along the Lynnway and residents of towns like Swampscott who are using the Lynnway to commute.
Features of the project that may improve traffic flow and benefit Swampscott residents include changes to intersections, up-to-date traffic signals, dedicated travel lanes for buses and removal of sudden lane drops, all meant to make travel more convenient.
“Buses no longer stop in general traffic lanes and have fewer conflicts with cyclists with the addition of a shared use path,” read an MBTA analysis on Lynnway travel.
As the project concept currently stands, there are a number areas where the MBTA and co. are seeking feedback from residents to help decide between multiple design options.
“We’re still fairly early in the design process,” said Cherry. “We’re still kind of using a big sharpie or a big highlighter in the design, as we go forward we’ll get down to that finepoint pin where everything is really locked in.”
Residents were asked to what degree presented designs meet project goals. Attendees used stickers to record their answers on one of the boards. There was also a feedback station where residents wrote out their thoughts and submitted them in a box.
“Who is it for us to decide the final look without bringing these options forward,” said Cherry.
Cherry said it’s important to be present in communities that will be affected by the project to answer questions, dispel myths and provide face-to-face communication.
“We made really good progress over the last 6 months to develop a concept that we’re excited about in terms of being responsive to a lot of feedback that we heard in 2025,” said Cherry.
The detailed engineering phase, along with more opportunities for the public to voice feedback, will follow the ongoing concept development.
