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
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...
Weymouth Landing/East Braintree
I just reviewed an elevated station, so now let's look at a sunken one! The next station over from East Weymouth, Weymouth Landing/East Braintree is right on the border of two towns. Also, it's sunken. Did I mention it's sunken? Okay, so it's not...
East Weymouth
I generally find the Old Colony Commuter Rail stops to be pretty boring. It seems like they're usually just bland platforms with big parking lots. Is East Weymouth any different? Well, at least it's elevated. I mean...okay, it's kind of elevated. Outside, the...
221 (Quincy Center Station – Fort Point via Bicknell Square)
I've now covered the two main buses on Washington Street in Quincy. The 220 and 222 run very frequently, especially at rush hour, carrying many people along the corridor. But there is one more route that runs along this street. One that only operates four times a day....
222 (Quincy Center Station – East Weymouth via Bicknell Square)
The Washington Street corridor east of Quincy is quite a busy one. I've already covered one of its well-used routes, the 220, which goes out to Hingham. Now we'll be taking a look at the other main one on this corridor, the 222. This bus stays in Weymouth for the most...
230 (Quincy Center Station – Montello Commuter Rail Station via Holbrook and Braintree Station)
Welcome to the southernmost bus route on the MBTA! The 230 is one of those suburban trips that stays on the same road most of the time and goes through multiple towns. So, is everyone ready for some Brockton-Holbrook-Braintree-Quincy action? Let's do this. The bus at...
Montello
Alright, let's switch gears to a proper Commuter Rail line. As one of the more transit-dependant cities in the greater Boston area, it makes sense that Brockton has more than one Commuter Rail station. The northernmost one in the trio of Brockton stops is the...