Transportation in Melrose

Melrose is located seven miles north of Boston, and its proximity to Boston and Cambridge makes it attactive to commuters.

Highways

The city lies halfway between Boston and Route 128, and has access to several key highways, including Route 1 in Saugus, Interstate 93 in Stoneham, and Route 128 in Wakefield.

Bus lines

The city is also served by MBTA buses and commuter rail. There are five bus routes:

• Route 106: Franklin Square in Melrose to Wellington Station in Medford via Lebanon Street, Maplewood Square and Malden Center Station. Major areas and key destinations this line serves include downtown Melrose, Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, Maplewood Square in Malden, and Malden Center. It provides connections to other MBTA lines at Malden Center and Wellington, both connecting to the Orange line.
• Route 131: Melrose Highlands to Oak Grove or Malden Center. Provides service to the Highlands, Downtown, and East Side areas of Melrose. The northern terminus of the route is at Warren and Franklin streets in Melrose Highlands. The southern terminus is Malden Center Station, however, rush hour buses terminate at Oak Grove to provide more frequent service. The route provides connections to the MBTA Commuter Rail at Melrose Highlands Station as well as the Orange line at Oak Grove and Malden Center.
• Route 132: Redstone Shopping Center to Malden Center Station. Provides service to the Stoneham area, connecting the town to Orange line rail service. The northern terminus is at the Redstone Shopping Center in Stoneham. The route runs along Route 28 and turns through Melrose connecting to the MBTA Commuter rail at Wyoming Hill Station and enters Malden connecting to the Orange line at Oak Grove and Malden Center.
• Route 136: Reading Depot to Malden Center Station via Melrose and Oak Grove. Provides service to Reading, Wakefield, Melrose and Malden and connects with Oak Grove Station and Malden Center Station. Route 136 is almost identical to Route 137; it remains the same until the split at Wakefield Square. The 136 route runs along the right side of Lake Quannapowitt and rejoins the 137 at Reading Depot and the Reading/Haverhill Commuter Rail Line.
• Route 137: Reading Depot to Malden Center Station via North Ave, Wakefield, Melrose and Oak Grove. Provides service to Reading, Wakefield, Melrose and Malden and connects with Oak Grove Station and Malden Center Station. Route 137 is almost identical to Route 136; it remains the same until the split at Wakefield Square. Route 137 runs along the left side of Lake Quannapowitt via North Avenue, Wakefield and Walkers Brook Drive, Reading and rejoins Route 136 at Reading Depot and the Reading/Haverhill Commuter Rail Line. With the exception of rush hour and late night, Route 137 runs approximately every hour. For the passengers south of Wakefield Square, the frequency combined with the 136 makes bus service run every 30 minutes.

Commuter rail

Melrose is on the MBTA's Haverhill commuter rail line, which runs from Boston's North Station to Haverhill. The one-way time to Boston is between 15 and 30 minutes.

There are three commuter rail stations in the city, from north to south, are:

• Melrose Highlands, at 497 Franklin St. in the Melrose Highlands business district. It has 77 parking spaces, and is served by MBTA bus route 131.
• Melrose/Cedar Park, atCedar Park and West Emerson St. It has 87 parking spaces. The station is within walking distance of the Lloyd Memorial Swimming Pool and the Melrose Public Library. Also within walking distance, on Main Street, are stops for MBTA bus routes 106, 131, 136, and 137.
• Wyoming Hill, at 40 West Wyoming Ave. Wyoming Hill is less than a mile north of the MBTA Orange Line subway station at Oak Grove, which can be seen in the distance from the south end of the platform. Wyoming Hill, like the other commuter rail stops in Melrose, was originally intended to be an extension of the Orange Line up to Reading. It has parking for only 28 cars. The station is served directly by MBTA bus route 132. Three other routes, 131, 136, and 137, stop about 500 feet from the station at the corner of Main Street and Wyoming Avenue.

Orange Line subway

Oak Grove, the northern terminus of the MBTA's Orange Line, is located at Washington and Winter streets in Malden, on the Melrose city line. Oak Grove is primarily a park-and-ride station with 788 parking spaces.