My girlfriend Zofia has some very strong opinions about the 72 school trip to Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School…
Wanna have a stress free ride to school? Don’t count on the school trip 72 to do that for you. Yes, most days it can get you to school on time but you’ll probably be cutting it close. Well, unless it’s a rainy day or there’s snow on the ground then you’re probably just not going to get to school. I rode this bus for about 2 years before realizing that taking the 71/73 would get me to school faster because those actually run. Before we really get into this I should just say one more time it’s a school trip so why do the drivers let the adults on? Let me tell you, that happens way too often and then the adults get all confused and it makes the trip longer because they all want the bus driver to stop and let them off at Harvard.
So this bus starts at the top of Aberdeen Ave, which for me is where Mount Auburn Street is and it’s supposed to leave there at 7:29. Then it gets to the end of Aberdeen Ave. at 7:30 which is where I would wait with a bunch of other students. Would it ever arrive at 7:30? No, sometimes it would get there at 7:50 and, well, school starts at 8:05 so when that happened there was no way of getting to school on time.
We’re high school kids; not all of us are organized and have CharlieCards so many kids would just pay with coins or bills which would take forever, but I can’t judge because, well, I would do that sometimes. I was mostly just annoyed when the driver would make them pay and we were already so late. Although most bus drivers didn’t want to deal with it and they just let people on for free which was really nice.
Once everyone was on we’d turn onto Huron Ave where traffic could be found, and we’d slowly go along but once we’d pass Fresh Pond Parkway, traffic would clear up from then on. So Huron Ave. has been under construction for like the past 40 years…ok, fine probably just 5 years? So all you’d see is construction, which I mean to some they might find it nice but I kinda just didn’t care for it. But that’s besides the point. So then we’d just go along Huron Ave picking up kids and sometimes adults. Then we would turn on Concord Ave and would sometimes pick up kids, but most just got on on Huron Ave.
Depending on the bus driver they would either turn and go towards the Cambridge Common or continue on Garden Street and then go under the tunnel and onto Cambridge Street, where there was always traffic so we’d be stuck there for a while.
The bus is then supposed to turn on Felton Street, and this again depended on the bus driver. Some would let us off at the bottom of Felton Street and others at the top. Some would also just continue on Cambridge Street until they got to our school and let us off there, so that way we didn’t have to walk too much, which was always nice especially in the winter.
Ridership: This will depend on the season. In the fall and spring there won’t be all that many kids since most bike. If it’s winter or a rainy day then the bus can be packed.
Pros: It’s students only and it goes directly to school. I really can’t think of anything else that’s good about this.
Cons: It’s basically never on time. The poor adults, because the bus driver doesn’t tell them it doesn’t go to Harvard. Yeah ok, the adults can read and see it goes to Felton Street but, like, who wants to read what the bus says? That’s just too much work right?
Final Verdict: 5/10
Ok, yeah, I may not like this route but it gets the job done. Maybe not in the best way possible, but you know, it gets to me to school on time mostly, but not without cutting it close. Not going to lie, I just really hate this route because I don’t like to have stressful mornings, but you know, it’s convenient for kids to use and it gets them to school without having to walk through Harvard Yard.
So does the 72 now always go up Cambridge St to Felton, or is that just the one bus in the morning, and all other times it goes undeground to the Harvard Station busway? And if the latter, did they ever re-electrify the 72? Flash back 40 years, and every weekday morning I asked myself, shorter walk to get on the 72? Or longer walk to get to 71/73, but then more frequent service when I get there? Either way, it was then up out of the submerged busway for a walk through Harvard Yard to CRLS. — Eric C.
This is just a once-a-day school trip. All the other trips go to Harvard. Sounds like it would've been useful to have 40 years ago!
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