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
111 (Woodlawn – Haymarket Station via Mystic River/Tobin Bridge)
The last two words in the post title is what made me really want to take this bus; one can see the Tobin Bridge from literally miles away because it's so high. When I first saw the 111 on a map, my first thought was "A Key Bus Route that goes over the Tobin? Sounds...
Transit Tales: The Red Line Doldrums
Once, my father and I were taking the Red Line home. All was going fine, until we reached Central Square. There, the train just sat at the station with the doors open. One by one, people started getting off the train. I was trying to coax my father into getting off...
SL1 (Logan Airport – South Station via Waterfront)
For a while, the only way you could get to the airport was the Blue Line to Airport Station, where you have to take a shuttle bus to actually get to the airport. Fairly recently, we got an alternative, the Silver Line SL1. Although it's far from perfect, it's...
34/34E (Dedham Line or Walpole Center – Forest Hills Station via Washington Street)
When I first saw a map of this route, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Why are there two routes that both have the same number, yet the 34E is 9 miles longer than the 34? Why is the 34E labeled "E" if it goes west? I don't know the answers to these questions,...
Wellington
I've seen Wellington many times by car: Route 16 goes on a bridge over the station. I know that it has a train yard in it. And yet, I had never explored the station before writing this review. In fact, I've only traveled on the northern arm on the Orange...
52 (Dedham Mall or Charles River Loop – Watertown Yard via Oak Hill and Newton Center)
The 52 goes through some serious back roads. It goes by a farm, for Pete's sake! It's also on the chopping block, unfortunately, which means its schedule isn't that great: every hour and a half, weekdays only (although it does go every 25-35 minutes at rush hour,...
Transit Tales: The Only Time I Hate Riding Buses
If only I had read my own blog post. If I had, I would've realized that there were Red Line shuttle buses between Alewife and Harvard. Boy, you should've heard the curses when my father and I came to the Alewife station entrance only to see a sign that said the...
Bowdoin
Bowdoin is the last MBTA station I had to visit. I had gone through them all (except the "stations" on a section of the Silver Line, but that doesn't count), but I never really got the chance to go to Bowdoin (or boy-doin as I used to pronounce it for some reason). It...
Miles on the MBTA is now on Facebook!
Miles on the MBTA now has a Facebook page! It reports on new posts, as well as behind the scenes information on the blog. Click here to visit the page, and don't forget to like!
Limited MBTA Service Has Resumed
There is now limited service on all MBTA modes except the Commuter Rail. THE RIDE, Commuter Rail, and ferry service will resume tomorrow (April 20).
439 (Bass Point, Nahant – Central Square, Lynn)
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THIS BUS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!! The MBTA is bound to get rid of the 439. It used to run six times a day in each direction, but the MBTA shaved off a trip recently, so it's only five now. It costs the MBTA $9.76 per passenger to operate (according to...
I Found Alewife Cows!
I've known for a while that there's a painting of cows at Alewife. However, it wasn't until I rode a Red Line shuttle bus that I finally spotted it. It's at the far end of the sheltered area of the busway. I snapped a picture of the painting, and here it is: Sort of a...
MBTA Map Contest!
If you read my Science Park post, I talked about how the signage in that station (and on the Green Line as a whole) could really be improved. Of the four branches of the Green Line, the B and D branches terminate at Government Center, the C at North Station, and the E...
Science Park/West End
It took some self-persuasion to go to Science Park (not always referred to as "West End"). After spending some time at the Museum of Science, I wanted to walk to Lechmere to experience the great Green Line ride. However, if I did that, I wouldn't have a new station to...
Deval Patrick vs Legislature
If you haven't been following the news, Deval Patrick made a plan in January to create large improvements to the MBTA, as well as to roads and bridges around the state. This would include Commuter Rail service to Hyannis, funding for the Green Line extension to West...