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
SRTA: NB 6 (Shawmut/Rockdale)
At this point, I had been riding the SRTA more or less continuously for 9 hours, so as you can imagine, I was exhausted. Ergo, I wasn't happy when for the second-to-last route, the SRTA decided to throw me this: So that's what we're up against. The NB 6. Ugh. Bad...
Guide to the RTAs’ Winter 2019 Service Changes
This went over really well when I did it for the MBTA, so let's try it for the RTAs! Each system changes its schedules at different times, so I'm not sure how often I'll do these round-up posts, but this one will cover any changes that are happening soon or have...
The Blog’s Sixth Anniversary!
A lot has happened in 2018. I've ridden the first trip of a new commuter rail line, conquered the bus from hell, and even changed domains and started writing about Philadelphia for some reason! As it stands, the vast majority of my viewership is still from...
SRTA: NB 3 (Dartmouth Street)
We're three routes away from finishing this darn system! Fittingly, our third-to-last review will be the 3, a route that calls itself "Dartmouth Street" but takes a pretty significant deviation away from it when it gets into New Bedford. "Big Value Plaza"! Now, I'm...
SRTA: NB 8 (Mount Pleasant)
The NB 8 is the same bus as the North End Shuttle, with every run on this route turning into a loop on that one before coming back. I really wish they made it more obvious that they use the same bus, but marketing them as two different routes does have one advantage:...
New North Station Pedestrian Tunnel!
Well...this was a surprise! No one really knew when the underground walkway between the subway and the Commuter Rail was going to open up, but the most recent rumor had been that it was slated to open tomorrow. I guess they decided to do it a day early, though,...
New Battery-Electric Buses on the Silver Line!
Hot off the heels of new Green Line trains, the Silver Line has begun phasing in a new addition to its fleet. Last night was the inaugural run of battery-electric buses on the SL3 - unlike the current dual-mode buses, which have to change from electric wire to diesel...
MBTA Round-Up: Forest Hills Busway, Quincy Adams Gate, and NEW GREEN LINE TRAIN!
I've been away from this system for a couple months, so I had a lot to catch up on. This past week, I've been going to all the places where the MBTA has done something new, and it's now time to put them all in a post! First up, we have the new Forest Hills Upper...
SRTA: North End Shuttle
I hold SRTA to a reasonably high regard in my head. I think it's one of the better RTAs in Massachusetts. That said...the North End Shuttle is a disaster. No number, just..."North End Shuttle". The route begins at Fieldstone Marketplace, then it deviates to a Stop...
SRTA: NB 11 (Fairhaven)
Time for an SRTA route that actually goes somewhere! Today, we'll be taking the NB 11 out of New Bedford into Fairhaven, which is...a town. That has a very deviation-filled bus route. Ouch. Not my best photo. Now, there is a very convenient bridge straight into...
SRTA: NB 2 (Lund’s Corner)
This is more like it! I was able to get one of the NB 2 trips that serves Melville Towers - an occurrence that happens only once every two hours. Of course, this is only one of a few random extra deviations that happen on this route, and the rest happen...
Guide to the MBTA’s Winter 2019 Service Changes
Does anyone else get annoyed at the way the MBTA releases its schedule changes now? "Please find your route at www.mbta.com/schedules/bus and check the December 23 schedule for specific changes." I get that this is more intuitive for people who only care about the...
SRTA: NB 4 (Ashley Boulevard)
A few years ago, I would've vehemently insisted on taking the NB 4 to its weekday rush hour-only terminus at "Industrial Park", a full four miles past the regular terminus. Alas, Sam and I did our SRTA trip on a Saturday, so we couldn't do an Industrial Park ride. We...
SRTA: NB 10 (Dartmouth Mall)
Yeah...Miles the "Transit Expert" screwed this one up. Guess who was looking at the weekday schedule instead of the Saturday schedule! Guess which route leaves fifteen minutes earlier on Saturdays! What did this little mistake mean? Basically skipping the NB 10's...
WRTA: 29 (Union Station Hub – Southbridge – Charlton)
Okay, I'm gonna take an SRTA break here to cover a one-off WRTA route. And hey, it's the final long-distance route on that system! Ready to go to the exciting town of Southbridge on the 29? I know I am! Ah, right. The WRTA runs with "flag" service outside of...