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: 49 (Camp Street/Miriam Hospital)
Why does the 49 exist? Why is there a bus route that runs three times a day to an area that's already very well-served by two frequent routes? We'll try to find out, but something tells me we won't find an answer... Shhh, don't scare it - it's a rare one! After...
RIPTA: 63 (Broadway/Middletown Shops)
The 63 is like a drunk snake. I think that about sums it up... I guess we'll be taking a ride in a trolley, then! The route starts out pretty normal, though, just heading down Marlborough Street. There was a mix of old houses and newer parking lots, but once we turned...
RIPTA: 67 (Bellevue/Salve Regina University)
There are a bunch of different privately operated trolley companies in Newport, some of which are more sketchy than others. But why use those vehicles of uncertain quality to get around when you can just ride good ol' Uncle RIPTA? The 67 is the premiere form of...
RIPTA: 231 (South Aquidneck Flex)
Have you ever wanted to take a bus to the beach, but upon arrival at the beach, you find out that there's no way of getting back unless you had called in the previous business day? Yeah, I hate when that happens too. Screw the 231. I like the color of the bus! The 231...
RIPTA: Newport Visitors Center
The hub of all of the RIPTA Newport routes (and coach buses) was unfortunately under construction when I was here in the summer, so the terminal might be a bit different now. Got it? Cool, let's do this. Approaching the building from the south. I'm not gonna lie and...
Providence to Newport Ferry
My original plan was to ride the 91 to the ferry terminal but just stay in Providence and ride more RIPTA. Once I got there, though, the call of the ocean was too strong to resist. Let's take a boat ride! Not yet, though. First we have to take a look at the Providence...
RIPTA: 91 (Ferry Shuttle)
Boy, I can't wait to ride this summer-only bus route to this summer-only ferry service! Mm-mm, I am totally not late at all on this one... The bus coming into Providence Station. The 91 serves as a free connector from Providence Station and downtown Providence to the...
RIPTA: 31 (Cranston Street)
The 31 is my favorite kind of bus route: short, busy, and frequent. In fact, this is one of the most frequent routes on the RIPTA, and thus it gets a "Key Corridor Route" designation. It is a very well-deserved moniker, as we'll see on my ride... The bus making its...
RIPTA: 8x (Jefferson Boulevard)
Considering RIPTA's typical express policy of three inbound trips in the morning and three outbound trips in the evening, it's interesting to see one that's primarily designed for reverse commuters. The 8X is especially unique, as it gets ridership in...
Bonus Review: 89/93 (Clarendon Hill – Haymarket Station via Charlestown
What's the best way of getting to South Station for a 5:30 AM train to Providence? How about walking to Clarendon Hill for the early-morning 89/93 trip that only departs at 4:33 AM? Sounds good to me! The Clarendon Hill busway is weird at this time... It was an...
MVRTA: 21 (Andover Shuttle)
What the heck is the 21, MVRTA? Deviations, weird headways, and PVTA Syndrome...oh my! Oh, and it goes to a senior center. Even better! We left the North Andover Mall onto Winthrop Ave, but we soon turned onto Waverly Road, the first cross street we came across. It's...
MVRTA: 33 (North Andover)
Whenever my train gets into Lawrence, I always check the 33 schedule to see if there's a bus coming to the station to take me to Lawrence. So far, I haven't been lucky, being forced to do the rather long walk to the Buckley Transportation Center. Still, the 33 has...
MVRTA: 1 (Lawrence – Methuen – Haverhill)
Welcome to the busiest route on the MVRTA! This bad boy takes a direct shot from Lawrence to Haverhill, via Methuen...in which it has to make a bunch of deviations. Okay, the shot is mostly direct. The bus at the Washington Square Transit Station. We went down...
MVRTA: Washington Square Transit Station
Located right in downtown Haverhill, the Washington Square Transit Station is the hub for all of the MVRTA's routes in the city. But here's the million-dollar question: is it nice like the Costello Transportation Center, or disgusting like the Buckley Transportation...
MVRTA: 51 (Haverhill – Amesbury)
In comparison to the last route, the 51 is a rather straight connector between Amesbury and Haverhill. It's also the busiest route based out of Haverhill, despite the fact that it runs more infrequently than the other Haverhill routes. Weird! The bus in Amesbury,...