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
World Trade Center
Courthouse was a hidden gem of sorts. The station was absolutely beautiful, yet it had the second-worst ridership on the entire system. (I can now say that it's graduated to third-worst! Hooray!) World Trade Center is pretty much in the same boat. It's really...
Salem (Before and After)
Man, this station used to be a dump. It had a low-level platform, a massive parking lot, and was just really ugly. Now, it has a high level platform, a massive parking garage, and some nice greenery to make the station look better. Throughout this post, I'll be doing...
455 (Salem Depot – Wonderland via Central Square, Lynn)
The 455 used to go all the way down to Haymarket, but during the bus massacre of July 2012 it was cut back to Wonderland. Trips to Wonderland had previously been weekend service, but now it goes there full time. That's not to say that the cutbacks made the schedule...
451 (North Beverly – Salem Depot via Cabot Street or Tozer Road)
This route is really isolated: it's the northernmost MBTA bus route; it only runs eight times a day; it's one of the most expensive buses for the MBTA to run; it was on the chopping block in 2012; and it goes down a road on which not even Google Street View has...
450/450W (Salem Depot – Haymarket or Wonderland Station via Highland Ave)
A long time ago, on one of my very first for-fun bus trips, my father and I took the 459 up to Salem. I mentioned in that post how we got stuck up there, and a 459 back to Boston never showed up. At one point, there was a 450 that came, but for some reason I...
Random Photos: Portal of Power, Part 2
Looking at a Silver Line bus leaving the portal. Photo credit to my friend Chloé Gilligan.
Random Photos: There’s a Bathroom at Wonderland?
You may know that I loved Wonderland as a station. Well, I just found another reason why it's awesome. I was waiting on the platform for an inbound train, and I saw these two women go through a door that said "Ladies room." "Wow," I thought, "Is there a men's room,...
Random Photos: View From the Salem Parking Garage
As you may know, I love going on parking lots. So, I had to check out the roof of the new one in Salem. It was really awkward because there was a guy working up there, who didn't respond to my "Hi!" or "I'm just checking out the view." But the view was pretty...
Random Photos: Vandalism Already?
The new Salem Station isn't even fully done yet, and someone's already defaced one of the maps there. I'm speechless. What is this thing actually supposed to be?
Random Photos: Old Signal Box at Salem
At least, I think that's what it is. Leave a comment if you know.
Random Photos: Contradicting Signs at Salem
I don't know where to go!
Random Photos: Pigeon at Alewife
You see pigeons fairly frequently near Alewife (so much, in fact, that there's a "Do not feed the pigeons" sign outside), but they never come down to the platform. Well, that all changed yesterday... The pigeon started to run away when I took the picture. And then he...
Random Photos: Just Hangin’ Around Boston
I had a half hour to kill until the 450 arrived at Haymarket, so I decided to walk to Long Wharf. These pictures don't have anything to do with public transportation, but skylines and seagulls are good, right? A snowy view from the Greenway. A panorama from Long...
Haymarket
Let's talk about North Station for a second. This modern hub has a cross-platform transfer between the inbound Green and Orange Lines, and a very straightforward transfer between outbound lines. Yes, this is probably the easiest and most convenient transfer station on...
Transit Tales: The Worst Shuttle Bus Ever
It's no secret that I, or indeed anyone, dislikes shuttle buses. When I'm trying to get somewhere for fun, planned weekend shuttles can be a minor annoyance. But when I'm trying to get to school during rush hour, it can be devastating. When my friend Leo and I...