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
17 (Fields Corner Station – Andrew Station via Uphams Corner and Edward Everett Square)
The 17 is a short little route, taking only around 15 minutes to do the whole thing. Running between two Red Line stations, though, no one would take this from beginning to end. Like many other MBTA routes connecting two stations on the same line, it's all about what...
19 (Fields Corner Station – Kenmore or Ruggles Station via Grove Hall and Dudley Station)
This one never made sense to me - why would a route that runs through such transit-starved neighborhoods run weekdays-only? I guess it's because almost the whole of the 19's length is shared with other routes, but it was always a little weird to me. But this route...
CT3 (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Andrew Station via BU Medical Center)
Considering that the CT3 was on the chopping block in 2012, I assumed it would be pretty bad. I mean, I'm not a fan of the crosstown routes anyway, since they supposedly offer "limited stops" but really don't skip that many. So imagine my surprise when I found out...
Thomas Asks…
"I don't know if you've heard but the MBTA is letting the public choose the new trains' paint schemes. I'd like to know which ones are your favorite." Yes, I did take that survey! Here's the link for anyone who hasn't taken it yet, and now let's get into the ones I...
Andrew
Um...I went to Andrew once before. I didn't review it then, but since I went again, I'll review it now. Yup. Okay, it's a bad sign when a station's so boring I can't think of an intro for it! Let's just get into the review. Oh, come on, sun, why do you have to get in...
Sullivan Square
Okay, I'll start off by saying this: Sullivan Square is admittedly better than Community College. I mean, they're quite similar aesthetically. They both have center platforms, they're both under the elevated I-93 structure, and they both use copious amounts...
Chelsea
Whenever I return to Boston, I like to come back with a bang. So, who's up for a Commuter Rail station on its last legs? Chelsea Station has always been a bit of an outcast, a lone Commuter Rail station where there ought to be proper transit. That's being...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 15 – TST Bus 161 (Costa da Caparica – Lisbon (Pca. do Areeiro) via Alcantara)
You'll remember how on the way to Costa da Caparica, we used the ferry-bus combo, which was pretty long. I will say, however, that that way is useful if you're coming from downtown Lisbon. However, if you're staying further north (like we were), your best option by...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 14 – TST Bus 124 (Cacilhas – Costa da Caparica)
Okay, so it turns out there's a faster bus from Cacilhas to Costa da Caparica, but we ended up on the slow one. That made things more interesting, though, since we got to see a bunch of local neighborhoods. Of course, maps on the TST website are pretty much...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 13 – Lisbon Ferry (Cais do Sodre – Cacilhas)
When we got back to Lisbon, we only had one full day left in Portugal, with one thing we wanted to do: go to the beach. Now, Cascais is the city's main touristy beach, but we found out that the water there can get so polluted that you can't even swim in it! So we...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 12 – The Alfa Pendular High Speed Train
As you know, when we were going from Lisbon to Porto, we took the slightly-fast Intercidades train. That one could go up to about 120 MPH, which is speedy for sure. But if you want a true high-speed experience, the Alfa Pendular is the way to go. Running from Braga in...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 11 – Porto Metro, Lines E and F (plus a funicular!)
Although the independent section of Line E is incredibly short, it's still important, as this line serves Porto's airport. The line splits off from Line B at Verdes Station, which was an interesting one due to its stacked design. Line B had side platforms, while Line...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 10 – Porto Metro, Lines C and D
Continuing on with the Porto Metro, next up is Line C! A note about this one is that it doesn't go all the way to Estadio do Dragao where the other lines terminate - it ends one stop earlier, at Campanha. I guess Estadio de Dragao doesn't have enough capacity for five...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 9 – Porto Metro, Lines A and B
The Porto Metro is actually the biggest metro system in Portugal. Despite being twice as long as the Lisbon Metro, though, it only gets a third of the ridership. Unlike Lisbon, Porto's Metro system is light rail, and is mostly above ground. But hey, that second bit is...
Service Change: Portugal, Part 8 – CP Urban Services (Porto Campanha – Sao Bento)
As I mentioned before, our train from Lisbon arrived at Porto's Campanha Station. Campanha is Porto's main station for long distance and suburban trains, but the problem is that it's not particularly close to the city. One way of getting there is the Metro, but that...