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
GATRA: 7 (School Street/Raynham)
The 7 is a bit odd for GATRA. For one thing, it has a completely different map style from any other GATRA route. Also, it leaves Taunton at different times than most other routes from there. And finally, it's really good about not making deviations! Well, we're off to...
Sam’s Operational Oculi: Quincy Garage
Today’s post takes us to the Quincy Garage, located (here’s a shocker) in Quincy, MA. Quincy Garage is the operational center of all of the “200 series” routes, which for the most part congregate around the Quincy Center Station. Routes leave in all directions from...
Sam’s Operational Oculi: The MBTA’s 10 garages
“Oculi” means “Eye” in Latin. Don’t worry, I had no idea what that meant either. You can thank Miles for the name. I’m Sam Hegg, a lifelong supporter of public transportation. I’ve grown up in the Boston Area my whole life, and was exposed to the MBTA from a very...
GUEST POST: The CapeFLYER
This guest post by Adam Parise takes us onboard the CapeFLYER to Hyannis. Good job, Adam! I never thought I'd be reviewing something I only rode twice ever but here I am reviewing this wonderful passenger rail service. The CapeFlyer is a must ride for all railfans...
GATRA: Bloom Bus Terminal
Welcome to your GATRA gateway to Taunton: the Bloom Bus Terminal! This amazing hub offers you everything from...uh... This amazing hub offers you quite a few things, like...um...uh... THIS PLACE IS AWFUL AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT. LET'S GET GOING. The glorious...
GATRA: 18 (Attleboro/Norton/Taunton)
Look who's baaaaaaaaack! I'm sorry, guys, I just couldn't resist a ride on the good ol' GATRA! Today we're looking at a crucial route on their system, one that connects its two biggest bus hubs, serving a busy college in the middle: the 18. Now, with such a big...
106 (Lebanon Street, Malden – Wellington Station via Main Street)
The 106...what can be said about the 106? Well, it's a strange route that works in mysterious ways. It also has many variations - the one we'll be talking about today is the longest, the Franklin Square version that only runs weekday middays. Okay, that's all I have...
134 (North Woburn – Wellington Station via Woburn Square, Winchester Center, Winthrop Street, Medford Square, Riverside Ave, and Meadow Glen Mall)
What the heck is this post title? Why the heck is it so long? Why did the MBTA feel the need to list so many different midpoints on this beast of a route? Yes, sit back, ladies and gentlemen, because we've got a long one today: the 134. The bus at Wellington. Leaving...
114 (Bellingham Square – Maverick Station)
The last time I tried to ride the 114 was during the Blizzard of 2015. I waited there at Maverick in the snow for about an hour, but all that came by were 116/117s and 120s. Eventually, I gave up and headed onto the Blue Line. Presumably, the MBTA had used the bus...
Silver Line Way
Welp, it's come to this: I'm reviewing a bus stop. But no, this is a station! After all, doesn't it say "Silver Line Way Station" on the MBTA website? Oh man, I feel a lot better now. The outbound..."platform". There really isn't much to this so-called station, of...
Silver Line Waterfront (South Station – Silver Line Way)
I never thought I would ever review the Silver Line Waterfront shuttle, but I was at South Station and saw it and thought, "Huh. I've never ridden that before." So yeah...I figured I'd give it a lil' review. Let's take a look at this thing. The bus at South Station....
Portland METRO: 5 (Maine Mall)
Did I just add Portland METRO to my jurisdiction? Yes, I did! Honestly, Portland is pretty close to Boston when you consider the frequency of the Downeaster, so I figured why not review all of its routes? I was only able to ride one in full when I was there,...
Portland METRO: METRO Pulse
The METRO pulse is the hub of the Portland METRO...sort of. Well, four out of eight of its routes serve it. That's...pretty hubby? I guess? Well, it has a proper facility and everything, so I figured we'd take a look at it. The outdoor boarding area. The outdoor area...
Portland Transportation Center
For a reasonably small city, Portland really knows how to do transportation. Aside from its frequent bus system, they also combined Amtrak and Concord Coach Lines operations into one intermodal terminal: the Portland Transportation Center! Let's see how it looks. Some...
Amtrak Downeaster!
Man, I love the Downeaster! Not only is it scenic (especially coming into Portland), but it's also incredibly cheap. If you book early (three days in advance, I think), the fares are: $24 to Brunswick! $20 to Portland! $10 to Haverhill, quite literally cheaper - and...