The blog that started it all! Check out reviews of every bus route and train station in Boston, as well as ongoing reviews of the regional bus systems in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Recent Posts from Miles on the MBTA

Guide to the MBTA’s Spring 2020 Service Changes

Guide to the MBTA’s Spring 2020 Service Changes

Thanks for releasing your service changes during midterm season, MBTA! They put these out two Saturdays ago (they go into effect March 15th) and I'm only just getting to them now. And because we're not in Better Bus season anymore, I get the feeling this might be a...

BRTA: 15 (West Pittsfield/Lebanon Ave)

BRTA: 15 (West Pittsfield/Lebanon Ave)

The 16 interlines straight into the 15, so I wasn't able to get a proper shot of the bus! Shoot. I had to get creative. We headed out from the ITC onto the highway-like Center Street, passing some suburban businesses before turning onto Housatonic Street, whose retail...

BRTA: 16 (Allendale Shopping Plaza/Crane Ave)

BRTA: 16 (Allendale Shopping Plaza/Crane Ave)

Yikes, Crane Ave is the main street on the 16, and it offers pretty much nothing transit-oriented aside from one apartment complex. That's the breaks when you're running a system as rural as the BRTA, I guess... Minibus time! The initial section on North Street was...

BRTA: 11 (Berkshire Community College)

BRTA: 11 (Berkshire Community College)

Alright, the 11 is short and sweet, so let's just get into it. Boarding at the terminal. This route heads straight west from the ITC, meaning we didn't have to deal with downtown Pittsfield at all. We made our way straight onto College Way, which turned into the...

BRTA: 4 (Pittsfield/Dalton/Hinsdale)

BRTA: 4 (Pittsfield/Dalton/Hinsdale)

Oh my gosh, what the heck were they thinking with this route and all its inbound-only deviations? "YOU get an inbound-only deviation, and YOU get an inbound-only deviation. EVERYBODY GETS INBOUND-ONLY DEVIATIONS!!!!!!!!" Needless to say, the outbound 4 trip to...

BRTA: 3 (Williamstown/North Adams)

BRTA: 3 (Williamstown/North Adams)

Another North Adams-based shuttle, although this one is much straighter. Today we're heading to the northwesternmost point of Massachusetts on the 3! The minibus boarding at North Adams's colored shelter. From the Main Street bus stop in North Adams, we looped around...

BRTA: 34 (North Adams Loop)

BRTA: 34 (North Adams Loop)

And here's how you get from the North Adams Walmart end of the 1 to North Adams proper. Is the 34 a direct shuttle route that lessens the pain from having to transfer from the 1 just to get to downtown North Adams? Or is it an all-over-the-place mess? Uh-oh. I'll say...

BRTA: 1 (North Adams/Pittsfield)

BRTA: 1 (North Adams/Pittsfield)

Okay, that's kind of a lie, though...the 1 goes as far as the Walmart in North Adams. It's technically in North Adams, but it's pretty darn far from anything else in the city. But this is the BRTA's only link from the northern part of its system to Pittsfield, so...

BRTA: 2 (Pittsfield/Lee)

BRTA: 2 (Pittsfield/Lee)

Time to continue our trip into Pittsfield! There was a timed connection between the 21 and the truck minibus running on the 2, so we can begin this shindig right away... Oof, not a great angle. Coming down the hill from the Lee Premium Outlets, our...

The Longest Bus Ride in America

The Longest Bus Ride in America

My friend Nathan and I have just completed (well, sorta - read more to find out) the longest bus ride in America: Greyhound Schedule 1675 from New York City to Los Angeles. We live-Tweeted the whole thing, and it is truly an experience. From the highest highs (the...

226 (Columbian Square – Braintree Station)

226 (Columbian Square – Braintree Station)

Day two of new MBTA routes, and we're heading down to Braintree to ride the first 226 ever! Oh wait...the first trip leaves before the first Red Line train gets there. Huh, okay, hang on... Day two of new routes, and we're heading down to Braintree to ride the second...

61 (North Waltham – Waltham Center)

61 (North Waltham – Waltham Center)

Isn't it great that this service change fell on a Sunday? Since the 226 doesn't run on Sundays, I'm able to get day-one reviews of both that and the other (seven-days-a-week) new route introduced this rating that we'll be talking about today: the 61. Perfect! The last...