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
211 (Quincy Center Station – Squantum via Montclair and North Quincy Station)
Long-time readers may remember wayyyyyyyy back in 2014 when I rode the 211 for the first time. The reason I didn't review it then was because it was a Sunday, when the route cuts out a huge swath of its path from North Quincy to Quincy Center, following the...
M2 (Cambridge – HMS)
For anyone who rides the M2 regularly, it's incredibly easy to board. For anyone who doesn't...well, that's problematic. The M2 is a Longwood Medical Area shuttle that runs from Harvard to the LMA, and its fare system makes absolutely no sense. So, a Harvard ID allows...
Andover
We had five minutes until the scheduled arrival of the 4:27 train. I was taking pictures of Andover Station, while Jordan was across the street getting a drink at a convenience store. Suddenly, I heard that familiar bell - the train was coming early! What should I do?...
MVRTA: 32 (Andover)
For our final MVRTA trip for now, we're gonna head south of the "River Merrimack" into South Lawrence and Andover! We'll see dense areas! We'll see sparsely-populated areas! We shall delay no longer, for here is the 32! The bus at the Buckley Transportation Center....
MVRTA: 35 (Water Street)
Well, this is a nice change! After the craziness of the last route, it's nice to see an MVRTA bus that actually runs the same way inbound and outbound! Yes, today we're looking at the 35, travelling through the southwestern section of Lawrence. The bus at Buckley....
MVRTA: 34 (Prospect Hill)
The MVRTA's Lawrence routes have a certain style to them. The authority seems to like very loopy routes that take different streets going inbound and outbound. It makes for some very strange-looking maps, and the 34 is no exception. Plus, this one has deviations!...
MVRTA: Buckley Transportation Center
As we move away from the MWRTA for now, that "W" turns into a "V" and we enter a very different type of system. The bulk of the MVRTA is located in Lawrence, a city where people actually, you know, use the bus (sorry, MWRTA). And all of its routes there are...
MVRTA: 85 (Lawrence Downtown Shuttle)
A downtown shuttle in Lawrence? Sweet, I like that idea! It's great that Lawrence has the 85 to connect all of downtown's businesses, houses, and transportation centers alike. Oh wait...it doesn't serve the Buckley Transportation Center on weekdays? And it doesn't...
MWRTA: 5 (Ashland/Hopkinton)
Hoo boy, these MetroWest towns are starting to get to me. A few reviews ago, I covered a route that went to Holliston...now here's one that goes to HOPKINTON? They sound so similar! So here's the 5, a bus that goes to Hollis-wait, Hopkinton. My bad! The bus near the...
Framingham
Man, for such an important station, you'd think Framingham would be more...grand. I mean, it's one of the busiest stations on the Commuter Rail and the only unique thing we get is a fancy footbridge? Still, it's a heck of a lot better than something...
MWRTA: 14 (Milford)
Back at the end of August 2016, the MWRTA quietly added a new route to its network: the 14, a loop around the town of Milford. The only advertising it got, as far as I could find, was a few small articles in local newspapers. This doesn't seem to have contributed...
MWRTA: 6 (Holliston/Milford Line)
Oh geez, how do I come up with a catchy introduction for a route to a town as uninteresting as Holliston? Eh, I'm not even gonna try. Here's the 6! The bus coming into the Blandin Hub. We left the Blandin Hub onto Blandin Ave, then turned onto Waverly Street, running...
River Works (Video Review)
Enjoy our video review of River Works Station!
River Works
Awwwww yeah, here we go! It's the station I thought I would never be able to visit! River Works is a Commuter Rail stop meant only to serve the GE River Works facility in Lynn, and thus is only open to its employees. Thanks to a connection on the Commuter Rail,...
MWRTA: Blandin Hub
Like the GATRA's Bloom Terminal, the MWRTA chose to locate its hub at its main yard. This is a boon for scheduling, since you can have buses and drivers start shifts mere minutes before their trips. Of course, you may remember that the Bloom Terminal was absolutely...