MBTA Bus Route 70A

I’d like to tell Route 70A where to go and how to get there! Seriously. I moved from Waltham because I wanted to take the T, but I found this route ridiculous. Unfortunately I only moved to Watertown and it haunts me still. It’s not infrequent that I watch busses that are too full to stop pass me by and make us wait a total of 30 – 40 minutes for the next one. And more often than not at certain times of the day there is a row of 2, 3, or even 4 busses that go by at a time.
Amateur Planner did a thoroughly convincing analysis of this route and decided that it shouldn’t even exist. It messes up the regularity of the 70 and needlessly ties up busses that could be used to reduce and even out headway times. Apparently it would work much better if it was combined with one of the express busses.
The single star I’m giving this route is for the drivers and route managers that at times do their best to improve a pointlessly bad situation. I sincerely hope that MBTA listens to Watertown city councilors, believes A.P.‘s analysis, and seriously considers its recommendations. Here’s the full post — it’s worth a full read while you’re killing time at the stop:

Watching a succession of 70’s go by is heartbreaking when you need a 70A to go to N. Waltham. Supposedly they have two buses making the run but sometimes it seems like one is missing, and you just have to wait a half hour or so for the next one (if you have that kind of time.)

Oh, the 70A bus route. You are the normal 70 bus route’s red headed cousin. Your route isn’t quite as good, your buses always smell a little more funky, the times never work out. You don’t run at nights, rarely on the weekends, and certainly not on holidays. When I see you coming towards the stop on Green St, you always promise an adventure.
Fundamentally, the 70A gets me down Western Ave. and across the river as well as the 70, but by its very nature, it is second best. That is a tough beat. I feel like the 70A bus drivers treat this route like a AAA baseball game in Pawtucket before they get the call-​up to a real route like the 86 or 1 buses.
Poor 70A bus, you have to take your place with Cousin Oliver, Scrappy Doo, and the second Darren from Bewitched. It’s not your fault.