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
Little Roady (Providence’s Autonomous Vehicle Pilot)
Er...did anyone else hear about this? Self-driving cars running along a fixed-route in Providence? One of the first times in the country that something like this has happened? Started last Wednesday? The future is now, apparently! My first sighting of the Little...
Riding the Entire Burlington B Line in an Afternoon
It's a little-known fact that Burlington has its own, non-MBTA public transit system. The Burlington B Line (a name that seems to be rarely used, but it's out there) is partially funded by the MBTA and operated by everyone's favorite transit company, Joseph's. You...
LRTA: 5 (Westford Street/Drum Hill)
Argh, I completely screwed up my LRTA scheduling and ended up not being able to finish the system! I made it onto the 5, but alas, that left me with not enough time to do a run on the 4. This was all almost a year ago (daily reminder that I am very behind schedule),...
LRTA: 8 (Centralville)
Yeah, just gonna say it right off the bat: this one is similar to the 1. Heck, the two routes even combine on Saturdays. Yes, the 8 serves similar neighborhoods, runs in a similar loopy shape, and even shares a large portion of its route with the 1. The main...
LRTA: 9 (Lowell Circulator)
This one's not even hiding its circularity. It has "circulator" right in its name, for heaven's sake, and it is in fact a giant, unwieldy, disgusting loop. It goes by the name of...the 9. Oh, of course it's a minibus. We went up Thorndike Street for a bit, but we...
Introducing TransportationCamp Greater Attleboro-Taunton!
I was at TransportationCamp Philly last week, and it was a blast. If you haven't been to one of these "unconferences" before, I strongly recommend it - it's a great way to meet other people interested in transportation and talk about some fascinating things. Here's...
LRTA: 1 (Christian Hill)
Alright, we're actually gonna go somewhere in a circulator this time. Also, you'd better have extra space in your wallets (or on your CharlieCards), because the 1 leaves Lowell, requiring the "suburban" fare. Got it? Alright, let's go. Alas, it's "NOT IN SERVICE"...
Blue Hill Ave (Video Review)
Yes, I did travel over 250 miles to see a Fairmount Line station. https://youtu.be/165xPFHu31w
LRTA: 6 (Broadway/UMass Lowell)
The LRTA sure likes its circulators. I've previously covered the 18, which is an example of how to do a circulator right - it got a well-deserved 8/10. But they also operate two other circulators within Lowell, and they don't fare quite as well as the 18 does. Today...
Guide to the MBTA’s Spring 2019 Service Changes
The reason I started these guides was because the MBTA stopped listing its schedule changes on its website. Well, I'm happy to say that they're back to doing it! But...a lot of its descriptions are still really vague. And I really enjoy writing these. And it seems...
Blue Hill Avenue
The day after I became the first passenger to ride SEPTA's new bus route, the MBTA just had to open a new station! And yes, I did go to Boston to review it. Not just any station, too - a Fairmount Line station. Where all of the stations are notoriously the same thing....
LRTA: 7 (Pawtucketville/UMass Lowell North)
Welcome back to the LRTA! I gotta say, we've got a pretty good route here with the 7. Could this be the best route on the system? Maybe! Wow...leafy! We began, like all LRTA routes (well, except that which must not be named), at the Kennedy Center. From there, we...
VIDEO: Travel the Whole Charles River (using only transit)
Oh, also walking. Did I mention walking? There's a lot of walking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18U4MKX0jpY
SRTA: NB 5 (Rivet Street)
We are finally done with this system! I have been continuously reviewing SRTA routes since...geez, since August???? Okay, I did not realize it's been that long. Basically, ever since I transitioned to Miles in Transit, every "MBTA" bus review has just been the darn...
Guide to the MBTA’s Better Bus Project Proposals
Totally out of nowhere, the MBTA has released its proposals for the bus network in the first phase of the Better Bus Project. These changes are meant to be easy targets that are cost-neutral, with the bigger fixes coming later down the line in Phase 2. Each route gets...