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
RIPTA: 9x (Pascoag)
Finally, we're going back to civilization! Sorry, all that Woonsocket and Burrillville stuff was starting to wear me down. Let's just take the 9x back into Providence! Oh man, that rain is a-comin' down! It was pouring, so the bus was a very welcome sight as we waited...
RIPTA: 282 (Pascoag/Slatersville Flex)
This is the complete and utter wrong type of route to run as a flex. "Where you going?" the driver asked when Sam and I got on the 282 at its Walmart timepoint. "Sayles Ave," I responded. "Where the 9x stops." "I don't know where that is," the driver...
RIPTA: 281 (Woonsocket Flex)
"Didn't you used to live in Kingston?" the woman on the Flex line asked. "Uhhhh...yeah," I responded. Why does it have to be so hard to call for a Flex ride? "I want to go from Price Rite to the North Smithfield Stop & Shop," I said. "I'm sorry, I need exact...
RIPTA: 87 (Fairmount/Walnut Hill)
"Fairmount/Walnut Hill"? What the heck is that supposed to mean? No, we need to refer to the 87 like it really is: "Loopy Woonsocket Circulator." The other bus on the 87 was using a trolley. We just got the boring ol' regular bus. The 87 essentially runs in a loop on...
RIPTA: 54 (Lincoln/Woonsocket)
This is a big one! We're going from Providence to Woonsocket using the only public transit connection between those two cities. The 54 also runs mostly express, which is interesting, but I sure ain't complaining! Woahhhhh, up close and personal... The route...
RIPTA: 40 (Butler/Elmgrove)
From the MVRTA 40 to the RIPTA 40! These routes are very, very different. I mean, we're going from inner-city Lawrence to the Providence East Side. You can't get much more different than that. The bus boarding at Kennedy Plaza. We of course began at Kennedy Plaza, and...
MVRTA: 40 (Methuen Square)
The 40 runs in a straight line up Broadway to Methuen Square and beyond. Sounds awesome. Oh wait, no one told me about the deviations... The 40 gets to board in the sunlight! We went west down Essex Street, going by lots of retail, which continued as we turned onto...
MVRTA: 39B (North Andover Mall/Phillips Street)
How does the 39B differ from the 39A? In a lot of ways, actually! Like, to the point where I'm wondering how you can even justify naming them like that... Buses everywhere! From Buckley, we made our way onto Common Street, which ran alongside Campagnone Common before...
MVRTA: 39A (Colonial Heights/North Andover Mall)
Okay, time for a nice direct route to the North Andover Mall! Oh wait, I forgot the MVRTA is incapable of running direct routes. Okay, well, the 39A is still their straightest line to the mall... Boarding at Buckley. We went straight down Amesbury Street from the...
MVRTA: 37 (Beacon Street)
Ah, it's the Pac-Man route! Seriously. Look at it. So yes, this is the 37, a wild snaking mess running aimlessly through southern Lawrence and Andover. It serves two Marriotts. Two! At least some light is shining in here. We went down Essex Street from Buckley,...
GATRA: 16 (Seekonk/Attleboro) – A.K.A. THE BUS FROM HELL
Usually I like to do my reviews in chronological order, but I feel compelled to write this one as soon as possible because this bus route is hell spawn and I'm worried it'll do something awful to me if I don't kill it ASAP. Ahem...the GATRA 16, everyone. Time for some...
MVRTA: 36 (Holy Family Hospital/Lawrence Street)
Time for some loopity-loop-loop-loops on the MVRTA 36! Yeah, this one is rather crazy...as are most bus routes in Lawrence, it would seem. Oh, Buckley...good to be back. We headed east from Buckley on Common Street, coming along next to Campagnone Common. We turned...
GATRA: 14 (Attleboro/North Attleboro/Plainville)
So..."Man-Mar Drive" in Plainville. Scenery: a bunch of sketchy-looking businesses inside dated shopping plaza buildings with big parking lots out front. Facilities: a faded old "GATRA Bus Stop" sign bolted to a telephone pole. Morale: low, because the 14 is...
GATRA: Franklin Area Bus
Ahhh, it's good to be back on a system I know and love! Yeah, you know, I always miss GATRA whenever I'm away from it for a while. It's so charming in its awfulness, and every GATRA route seems to be full of surprises. While the FAB wasn't as crazy as the...you...
Join us on a Race to Chelsea!
Do you want to be in a Miles on the MBTA video? Do you want to see if the SL3 is actually the fastest way to Chelsea? Do you want to meet me and a bunch of other fans of the blog as we race there and back? We're going to be staging a race using five different...