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MBTA Adding Buses To Overcrowded South Boston Routes

BOSTON (CBS) -  Remember these photos?

south boston mbta bus stop
Commuters waiting at the number 7 bus stop on N and Broadway in South Boston in October 2016. (Photo credit: Caught In Southie)

They made the rounds of social media back in October.

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Commuters waiting at the number 7 bus stop on N and Broadway in South Boston in October 2016. (WBZ-TV)

They show the bus stop at N and Broadway in South Boston, where overcrowding is common and up to 100 people gather at one stop.

This week the MBTA and MassDOT announced they will use $2.1 million to fund seven additional buses and ten operators for routes 7 and 9.

The MBTA will also partner up with Massport to convert the City Point Bus Layover Facility on East First Street, turning it into a passenger pick up and drop off location with platforms, sidewalks, benches and more lighting.

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The plans for the City Point Bus Layover Facility. (Image credit: MBTA)

State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry and State Rep. Nick Collins have advocated for the extra resources for the last year-and-a-half.

The improvements are needed now more than ever.

The MBTA says ridership has increased by 84-percent on bus route 7 and 54-percent on route 9.

Additional buses and operators will go into effect this September.

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