Cohasset approves fixed MBTA bus stop on Route 714

The Cohasset Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve a fixed MBTA bus stop on Route 714 near the town’s border with Hull, following continued discussion and public concern about potential long-term impacts.

The decision came after a detailed presentation from MBTA officials and public comment from residents who questioned whether formalizing the stop could expose Cohasset to future state mandates.

MBTA officials emphasized that the proposal does not create a new bus route and would not change Cohasset’s legal standing under state transportation or housing laws.

“This would not change your legal standing,” said Cameron Doherty of the MBTA. “It’s a route that currently exists. It’s just a physical sign that would go in place there.”

Route 714 currently operates as a flag stop service between Hingham and Hull, meaning buses stop only when riders signal the driver. MBTA planners said converting to fixed stops would improve safety, visibility and reliability for riders.

“Customers do not like the flag stops because there has been some issues with folks getting left behind because it’s not clear that they’re getting on the bus,” said Alexander Anhwere-James, the MBTA’s director of alternative service planning.

The proposed Cohasset stop is one of 23 pairs of fixed stops planned along the Route 714 corridor, with most of the stops located in Hull. MBTA officials said the agency is not seeking financial contributions from Cohasset.

Despite those assurances, residents urged caution, citing past experiences where transportation infrastructure led to unexpected obligations years later.

“When the Greenbush station was put in Cohasset 20 years ago, nobody could have imagined that we’d become under mandates from the state,” one resident said. “That’s what’s known as the law of unintended consequences.”

Another resident questioned whether the stop would meaningfully benefit Cohasset residents and suggested placing it entirely within Hull.

“I don’t see that it’s being used in that way,” the resident said. “I would encourage the MBTA to put it on the Hull side so that it does not obligate anything to Cohasset in the future.”

Select Board members questioned MBTA officials about ridership levels and the possibility of future service expansion. MBTA representatives said Route 714 carries about 131 riders per weekday systemwide, but they cannot determine how many riders are Cohasset residents.

Officials also said there are no plans to extend the route further into Cohasset.

“We have no plans of expanding the bus, going down further into the town,” Anhwere-James said. “That’s not how we work at all.”

Select Board Chair Ellen Maher said the vote reflected the board’s understanding that the stop formalizes an existing service rather than introducing a new one.

“It is just a question of whether we want a fixed stop in Cohasset just because that happens to be where the flag stop is now and always has been for this route,” Maher said.

The fixed stop is part of the MBTA’s Bus Stop Safety and Accessibility Project, with installation planned for spring 2027.

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