Origin and Development of the Fixed-Route Local Bus Transportation Network in the Cities and Towns of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority District As of December 31, 1973 A Revised Edition of a Report Prepared for Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Civil Engineering Course 1.969 Special Studies in Civil Engineering by Thomas J. Humphrey As a Graduate Research Assistant Originally Published February 1, 1974 Revised Edition by the Original Author Published August 2020 Table of Contents FOREWORD-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Volume 1 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF REPORT-------------------------------------------------------1 SOURCES OF INFORMATION----------------------------------------------------------------------------2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 HISTORY OF REGULATION OF BUS SERVICE IN MASSACHUSETTS----------------------- 4 Background Massachusetts Jitney Regulation 1916 to 1918 Massachusetts Jitney Regulation 1919 to 1924 DPU Bus Regulation 1925 and 1926 Additional DPU Regulatory Authority 1931 to 1939 War Emergency Bus Service Regulation Additional DPU Regulatory Authority 1947 Creation and DPU Regulation of Metropolitan Transit Authority Additional DPU Regulatory Authority 1949 to 1964 Creation of MBTA and Transfer of Regulatory Powers Additional Bus Service Regulation 1965 to 1972 SUMMARY OF HISTORY OF PRIVATE CARRIER OPERATIONS 1925-1973--------------- 15 COMPARISONS OF MBTA AND PREDECESSORS WITH PRIVATE CARRRIERS-------- 26 Geographical Extent of Operations Characteristics of Service Provided Populations of Cities and Towns Served Local Circulation Networks Profitability and Cost of Operations Ridership Volumes FACTORS INFLUENCING DEVELOPMENT OF THE 1973 BUS NETWORK-----------------36 DPU Regulation, Trolley and Commuter Rail Replacement, and School Buses Constraints on MTA Bus Service MBTA Attempts at Establishing New Bus Routes MBTA and Private Carrier Suburban Express Bus Service MBTA Regulation and Planning of Bus Service CONCLUSIONS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 Local Bus Route Origin and Development TOC- 1 Thomas J. Humphrey August 2020 Volume 2 – Company Histories INTRODUCTION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 MASS. BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AND PREDECESSORS---------------------- 46 Boston Elevated Railway Company ---------------------------------------------------------------- 46 Metropolitan Transit Authority ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 64 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ------------------------------------------------------- 69 EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS STREET RAILWAY COMPANY-------------------------------- 72 MIDDLESEX AND BOSTON STREET RAILWAY COMPANY---------------------------------- 84 RAPID TRANSIT, INC. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------90 BUS LINES OWNED BY THE ANZUONI FAMILY IN 1973-------------------------------------- 93 Brush Hill Transportation Company --------------------------------------------------------------- 93 Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway Company------------------------------------------------ 96 Service Bus Line ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101 Saugus Transit (Successor to Hart Bus Lines) --------------------------------------------------- 105 Malden Bus Lines (Successor to Warwick Coach Lines) -------------------------------------- 108 BUS LINES OWNED BY BENJAMIN R. GOODMAN IN 1973 --------------------------------- 110 Vocell Bus Company (Successor to Holland Brothers Bus Line) ----------------------------- 110 Metropolitan Coach Service ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 113 BUS LINES OWNED BY KENNETH HUDSON IN 1973 ---------------------------------------- 115 Kenneth Hudson, Inc., d/b/a Hudson Bus Lines ------------------------------------------------- 105 Hudson Bus Lines, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 120 Lynnfield Community, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 123 Canton and Blue Hill Bus Line. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 127 McIntire Bus Lines, Inc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 130 BUS LINES IN ORIGINAL MBTA DISTRICT OWNED INDEPENDENTLY IN 1973------- 132 Airways Transportation Company------------------------------------------------------------------ 132 Big W Trans (Robert Winterhalter d/b/a) --------------------------------------------------------- 133 The Gray Line ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 134 Michaud Bus Lines ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 136 Nantasket Transportation Company --------------------------------------------------------------- 141 Needham Transit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 144 Ritchie Bus Lines ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 145 Transit Bus Line (Successor to Michael J. Connolly Bus Line) ------------------------------- 145 Wellesley Motor Coach Company BUS LINES STILL ACTIVE IN 1973, BUT NO LONGER OPERATING FIXED-ROUTE LOCAL SERVICE IN THE ORIGINAL MBTA DISTRICT ---------------------------------------- 149 Carey’s Motor Transportation, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 149 W. H. Luddy & Son ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 150 Maynard Bus Service (Joseph Mancini d/b/a) ---------------------------------------------------- 150 Sansone Motors, Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 151 Unda’s Bus Service, Inc.------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 152 Local Bus Route Origin and Development TOC- 2 Thomas J. Humphrey August 2020 OTHER ACTIVE BUS COMPANIES IN 1973 ------------------------------------------------------- 153 BUS COMPANIES THAT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS BETWEEN 1950 AND 1973-------- 154 Boston, Worcester, and New York Street Railway Company----------------------------------- 154 Bryantville Auto Service (Arthur Ford d/b/a) ---------------------------------------------------- 159 Dedham-Needham Transit Lines (Successor to Dedham Transit and Modern Bus Lines)-- 160 Foxboro-Mansfield Bus Company ----------------------------------------------------------------- 164 Gloucester Auto Bus Company --------------------------------------------------------------------- 166 Hemeon Motor Coach Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 168 Hughes Bros. Bus Company, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 170 Johnson Bus Lines and Affiliated Companies ---------------------------------------------------- 171 Medway and Dedham Bus Lines Carlstrom Bus Lines Lane’s Bus Service (Successor to Mason’s Bus Line) ------------------------------------------- 178 Lovell Bus Lines -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 180 Maynard Division Weymouth Division Pierce Bus Lines--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 188 South Shore Coach Lines ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 190 South Shore Transit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 192 Appendixes APPENDIX A – STREET RAILWAY ORIGINS OF BOSTON ELEVATED RAILWAY AND METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY BUS ROUTES------------------------------ 193 APPENDIX B – DEVELOPMENT OF THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS STREET RAILWAY TROLLEY NETWORK------------------------------------------------------------------- 216 Old Colony Street Railway Company Components -----------------------------------------------216 Brockton Street Railway Boston, Milton and Brockton Street Railway Quincy and Boston Street Railway Hyde Park Division Lines (West Roxbury and Roslindale Street Railway) Boston and Northern Street Railway Company Components ------------------------------------225 Lynn and Boston Railroad East Middlesex Street Railway Naumkeag Street Railway North Woburn Street Railway Essex Electric Street Railway Beverly and Danvers Street Railway Gloucester Street Railway Wakefield and Stoneham Street Railway Middleton and Danvers Street Railway Lawrence and Reading Street Railway Lowell and Boston Street Railway Local Bus Route Origin and Development TOC- 3 Thomas J. Humphrey August 2020 APPENDIX C – DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIDDLESEX AND BOSTON STREET RAILWAY TROLLEY NETWORK------------------------------------------------------------------- 247 South Middlesex Street Railway Natick and Cochituate Street Railway Westborough and Hopkinton Street Railway Newton Street Railway Wellesley and Boston Street Railway Commonwealth Avenue Street Railway Newton and Boston Street Railway Lexington and Boston Street Railway List of Tables Table 1 – Jitney Routes in Original MBTA District Communities in 1915 -------------------------- - 5 Table 2 – Recipients of DPU Certificates for Fixed-Route Bus Service in 1925-------------------- 10 Table 3.1 – Summary of New