Forest Hills MBTA Station upper busway closed after police response; six people taken to hospitals Friday

Upper busway closure shifts boarding to lower busway

The upper busway at Forest Hills Station in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood was temporarily closed Friday, March 20, 2026, amid a police response that drew a large presence of emergency vehicles and transit personnel outside the station.

During the closure, riders were directed to board buses at the station’s lower busway. Orange Line subway service continued operating and was not affected by the incident.

Six transported from the scene; details remain limited

Boston EMS reported that six people were transported from the Forest Hills area by ambulance. Authorities had not publicly released information on what prompted the police activity or the circumstances behind the injuries at the time the closure was announced.

Television aerial footage from the scene showed multiple police vehicles and ambulances, along with yellow police tape establishing a wide perimeter around the area outside the station. Transit workers were also visible near the busway access points as service operations were adjusted.

The station’s upper busway was closed “due to police activity,” and riders were instructed to use the lower busway for bus boarding.

Why Forest Hills matters for bus operations

Forest Hills is one of the MBTA’s primary transfer points at the southern end of the Orange Line, where numerous bus routes begin or end service. The station’s upper and lower busways function as distinct boarding areas designed to manage high passenger volumes and bus movements.

When either busway is taken out of service, MBTA operations can shift quickly, but the change typically compresses boarding activity into a smaller space, increasing crowding and complicating bus dispatching—especially during peak commute periods.

What riders should expect next

• Bus boarding may continue to be routed through the lower busway until police activity concludes and the area is cleared for regular operations.

• Passengers traveling through Forest Hills should anticipate possible delays and follow on-site instructions from MBTA staff regarding where buses are staging.

• Further information will depend on official updates from public safety agencies and the transit authority, including whether any service patterns or station access points remain restricted.

No timeline for reopening the upper busway was announced in initial public updates Friday. Officials also did not immediately specify whether those transported required treatment for life-threatening injuries.