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
14 (Roslindale Square – Heath Street via Dudley Station, Grove Hall, and Jackson Square Station)
The 14 has always struck me as a bit of a weird route. For one thing, its northern terminus is Heath Street, making it the only bus that terminates there (though the 39 goes by that stop, too). For another, the 14's southern terminus is Roslindale, which seems odd....
Roslindale Village
My friend Michael and I had just walked from Central Square, Cambridge all the way down to Roslindale. Sitting in an empty pizza joint eating really bad pizza, we silently looked out the window at Washington Street. Night was falling. Finishing the food, we stepped...
Ruggles
Okay, I certainly had a lot of praise for Mass Ave, going as far as to call it the best station on the Southwest Corridor. I still stand by that, but it has to be said that Mass Ave's southern neighbor, Ruggles, is quite impressive. With an Orange Line station,...
Massachusetts Avenue
Woah, a subway station review! There aren't many of these left... and yes, I know I still have to do a bunch of the downtown transfer stations. I say best for last, my friends, best for last. With that said, here's a station that...well, it's actually pretty...
50 (Cleary Square – Forest Hills Station via Roslindale Square)
Need to get from Cleary Square to Forest Hills? Sick of using the frequent, albeit crowded 32? Well, boy, do I have the bus for you, then - it's pretty much the exact opposite. Cue the 50! (Incidentally, it took me way too long after that 32 post to realize that...
Hyde Park
Since Fairmount and Hyde Park are so close together, passengers essentially get a choice between the two. There are advantages to both. Since Hyde Park is on the busy Providence Line, as well as the Franklin Line, it gets frequent service, while Fairmount does...
Fairmount
Okay, guys, I have another pronunciation problem. So, based on the way Fairmount is spelled, I've always assumed the second syllable is pronounced like "mountain". But according to a local I met on my walk to the station, it's pronounced like "Fairmont". I know I...
24 (Wakefield Ave and Truman Highway – Mattapan or Ashmont Station via River Street)
A little while back, I reviewed the 33, which runs from Mattapan Station to Dedham Line, via River Street. I wasn't a very big fan of that route. Now we'll be looking at the 33's companion along River Street, the 24, which goes to Fairmount. Does it stack up more...
Providence
Whenever I pass through Providence Station on Amtrak, I always look out onto the platform and think "Man, this place looks horrible." And when I was walking toward the station and saw the exterior, I assumed the rest would be just as bad. Boy, was I wrong. Well, let's...
Service Change: RIPTA, Part 3 – Kennedy Plaza (and a few random Providence pictures)
The RIPTA is a big system, but most of its routes come out of three focal points. There's the Pawtucket Transit Center, the Newport Gateway Center, and the biggest one of the bunch, Providence's Kennedy Plaza. Serving most of RIPTA's routes, the Kennedy Plaza can be a...
Service Change: RIPTA, Part 2 – 3 (Warwick Ave)
When my friend Michael and I arrived in Providence on the 35, we weren't really sure what to do. But Michael's always liked walking, and since I had just dragged him on a bus, we decided to take a stroll. And take a stroll we did...all the way down to Warwick! Indeed,...
Service Change: RIPTA, Part 1 – 35 (Rumford)
Well, you know I wouldn't have gone to South Attleboro without a trip into Rhode Island, right? There were two buses waiting when my friend and I got here on the train: the 1 and the 35. Both were going to Providence, but the 1 continues further south from there, so...
South Attleboro
You know, every time I ride the Commuter Rail or Amtrak through Attleboro Station, I always think "Wow, this looks like a really nice downtown!" But South Attleboro? Ehhhhhhh. If you like big malls and decrepit train stations, this is the place for you. Looking down...
217 (Quincy Center Station – Ashmont Station via Beale Street, Wollaston, and East Milton Square)
Four trips per day in each direction, huh? Well, I guess I can see why this one was on the chopping block. The 217 is one of three routes that connect Quincy Center to the Ashmont/Mattapan Lines, via East Milton Square (the 215 and 245 being the...
225 (Quincy Center Station – Weymouth Landing via Quincy Ave and Shaw Street or Desmoines Road)
My plan once I got off the 222 at Jackson Square was to take the Commuter Rail one stop from East Weymouth to Weymouth Landing in order to catch the 225. And not just any 225 - I wanted the weekday-only variant that goes all the way down to Columbian Square, doubling...