MA: 2 new bus routes coming to Methuen in April

Two new bus routes will increase connectivity both within the city and surrounding communities.

This week the Merrimack Valley Transit (MeVa) announced a route that will directly connect neighborhoods across Methuen for the first time without requiring riders to travel through Lawrence, according to a news release from the MeVa and Mayor D.J. Beauregard.

A second route will operate from Lawrence across Methuen to Salem, New Hampshire. Both routes are scheduled to start service on April 6.

“These new routes represent a major step forward for transportation in Methuen,” Beauregard said. “For the first time, Methuen residents will have a true crosstown bus connection linking major parts of the city – from the Loop to Merrimac Plaza – while also expanding access to jobs, health care, and shopping.

“Public transportation is about opportunity and accessibility, and this partnership with MeVa is helping deliver both.”

The regional transportation service will continue to be free.

Route 25 – Methuen Crosstown — will provide access to City Hall, Nevins Memorial Library, the Methuen Rail Trail and the Senior Activity Center.

The route will operate weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6:20 p.m. with buses running about every 80 minutes between The Loop and Merrimac Plaza, with travel along Haverhill, Mystic and Lowell streets.

A second new route will connect Lawrence, the Arlington neighborhood in Methuen and the city’s downtown with southern New Hampshire. The path will travel along Broadway and provide transportation to locations including Tuscan Village and Mass General Brigham health care facilities in Salem, New Hampshire, the release indicates.

“Both of these routes are about responding to our riders and giving them the convenience and access they have been asking for,” MeVA Administrator and CEO Noah Berger said. “The new No. 25 crosstown will save Methuen residents 45 minutes or more for trips within the city.”

Linda Soucy, founder of local nonprofit Methuen Arlington Neighborhood Inc., said transportation is one of the major challenges in her neighborhood.

“Anything that helps with removing the transportation barrier for families is very important,” she said. “Its exciting.”

MeVa officials said the new routes are part of an effort to expand services both within communities and between cities and regional destinations.

“The new No. 28 connection to Salem will give Methuen residents access to jobs, groceries, and medical appointments that had previously been out of reach because they just happen to be on the other side of the state line,” Berger said.

Current routes on Broadway in Methuen and Lawrence are among their most popular, he said.

For information on current MeVa bus routes visit: mevatransit.com/routes

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