The MBTA hasn't changed much in 30-40 years, which pretty much sums up why it is slow, and as a public transit system, half functional. Just because other American cities don't have any public transit, doesn't make this one stellar. There is no reason to compare, but to look at it simply from the perspective of its functionality: it is slow. The red line moves fast, but has not expanded N since the 1980s, wheras sunurban development has exploded. Buses are a slow alternative. The green line is absurdly slow, which means I avoid going to businesses or institutions located along its lines such as the MFA. Someone compared it to LA. LA is huge, but in the last 20 years has expanded very aggressively. They've added Metro lines, trains, and new dedicated bus-only fast lanes for fast buses. Boston can learn from Metro LA. Boston's commuter rail trains are dirty and extremely old. They also come too infrequently, for those living in the suburbs. In weekends, for example, trains might come every 2-3 hours! Plan accordingly... If you travel the same route, or don't go far, it is affordable and you can find a way to speed up your trip (by not switching lines, etc). But if you need to go cross-town to meetings, etc., you gotta drive. And the traffic is insane, but what choice does the MBTA give you. Wheelchair accessibility is also dismal, with many major stations still lacking, and elevators constantly down. It literally just took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from Central Square to Watertown because I tried waiting for the number one bus but that was 15 minutes behind then took the subway and had to wait 40 minutes at Harvard Square because two buses skipped going to Watertown. This is a 15 minute drive and it took me 5x longer!!! The other day I went from the Longwood area to Somerville, and it took me also about an hour... Another 15 min drive. read more

Crap service on the Boston T today. Bought a 7 day card for $22 yesterday, today the turnstile tells me "invalid card". Service person: "Not my problem. Go to xyz address to fix. I said, "How am I gonna get there with this broken card?" Service person: "Not my problem." @MTA read more

Don't get the low rating and 1 star reviews here. I love good public transportation and have lived in places with some good ones. Coming from Los Angeles where I live with transportation that's struggling, Boston's system is a breath of fresh air. Not perfect, there are some delays and a bit of confusion - I'd get over it fast if I'd live there! But it's reliable, comes fast, takes you everywhere in the city, great connections. You can take it to and from the Airport (Logan) which it's a major plus! Pretty fast and easy. It is the oldest in USA (Bolyston station has a small nice museum inside, very cool!), so many stops don't have AC, but they have fans. Staff- some folks nice and helpful, some just OK. Not the cleanest, a tad squeaky, but it extends to ferry lines as well. A few nitpicks, but a solid transportation system that takes you everywhere. Love the lines that take you above ground. I got a pass on a Charlie Card and I used it a lot during my Boston visit. My husband lived here in college and told me it's still has the same smell. Nothing bad for him. More like Proust's madeleine. read more

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Being from Texas where public transit mostly consists of buses and maybe a rail or two, using public transit like subways and trains can be a little overwhelming. I've used it in NYC where I felt it was super easy to use via apps and maps. Here, it was super confusing. After we landed, we caught a shuttle to Airport station. There seems to be atleast one transit employee at each station, so we were able to get some help on where to go and our best options on if we should but day passes or just pay for each fare. We got a one day Charlie Card to get in and out access since we were gonna have to make a few transfers. We definitely did not anticipate how small and cramped the trains were. We had luggage and getting in and out of the trains was challenging. Some even had steps. Every train we rode was packed like sardines. The stations felt dirty and hard to navigate. What we thought was going to be a weekend of hopping on and off public transit ended up being us catching Ubers and Lyfts the rest of the time. I'm sure the locals appreciate it, but this Texas boy will stay clear of it if I can next time I am in Boston. read more

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Providence line train terminates service after one stop and the Mbta refuses to refund the fair. Bunch of crooks.

Unacceptable. Awful experiences on various lines nearly ruined our short stay in Cambridge. Trains were hot (no AC or minimal AC), broken, late, awful signage, and intensely overcrowded (had a claustrophobic panic attack on one train that moved a few feet and stopped for over 20 minutes). Those with mobility issues are really out of luck. Signage/announcements making folks aware of elevators was scarce...and so many steps!! I get it - it's old, but my gosh Boston - get your act together here. read more

Few days ago I had an appointment at Mass Eye & Ear . I am a senior, age about 75. I parked my car close to Maverick Sq counting on the blue line to Bowdoin. At Maverick Station one escalator was broken. When I got out of the train in Bowdoin, I was really surprised : everything is dirty and the long time broken escalator is still broken. It has been broken for years. This is a real shame in an area close to primary public offices and important hospitals. Who is responsible to fix such a mess ? Why do we pay taxes if we receive such a bad service? Take note that , for a senior returning from MEE hospital after eye procedures , such a full immersion in a heavily dirty and broken station is not safe ! Thanks Mrs Wu for your hard work to make seniors' lives better ! read more

MBTA never on time, worst transportation ever..repairs all the time, doesn't value people's time...i very disappointing and frustrating at the same time read more

you will lose hours of your life to delays because they cant stop embezzling money they advertise for large events and consistently close for them they adver to disable people then jerk the trains around read more

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I'm not sure why the green line is down so often when the tracks are always closed for reparation purposes. also I dont understand why the D train heading to Union Square was nearly empty, thought about stopping, then decided to keep going when there were 10 people waiting to get on at 12AM and the next train was in 20 mins... read more

MBTA Silver Line 1 bus does not have proper rotation at South Station, cause delays and misinform its passenger

The free trains for June and July are very helpful with all the schedule changes and whatnot

Literally by far the WORSE public transportation in of the biggest cities in the US. It's fine when you are at south station - normally on time. But when it comes to winter time and other train stations like Forrest Hills, you are delayed or late for so long. Don't believe those automated announcements because sometimes they be lying! read more

they expect 0 star every day is has issue blue & Red line and never fixed always we go to work late. shame to MBTA

What a craptastic transit company. They're so slow to solve/resolve issues. Especially if something gets on the tracks.

Commuter rail seats are broken. Trains are filthy filthy filthy (need 85 characters) filthy.

Update the transit app. Let users know when the bus is late Let people know why the bus is late Let people know it's still arriving despite it being late Let people know if the bus is simply not arriving. Shuttles to and from the outter city. (I.e. stoughton, canton, Sharon) Pamphlets with accurate bus and train information read more

Worst mode of transportation in Massachusetts. Constant delays and derailment and completely unreliable. Save your money and just buy a car or even a bike. Every day is a terrible experience. read more

I moved to East Boston in 2019, and the Blue line was by far the best line available. Consistent, on time and reliable. Ever since they closed the line for a few months 2 summers ago, it has been one of the worst train lines ive ever been on. Every couple days is the same signal problem at the same station that stops trains for up to over an hour at a time and its becoming comically absurd. So desperate to squeeze every cent from us making sure we pay for this garbage service and they get away with it. The MBTA is a parasitic system that only exists to suck away your money and your time read more

There is terrible service daily with the mbta and it doesn't matter if you are taking the bus, subway, or commuter rail. If I could rate it a zero I would. The only thing that is consistent is the fact that there will be delays and you will be late. They closed stations for "maintenance " regularly but the same problems persist every day. Stations are not any better. From leaking ceilings to seeing literal human poop in stairwells, and when you tell someone they don't do anything. This service sucks frankly and commuters deserve better! read more

An alright transportation system. The prices are reasonable and the stations aren't too difficult to find or navigate through. The trains can be quite crowded at times, which is no different from any major city and trains aren't the newest ones out there, but it's not too different from other US cities either. read more

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What a disaster, we took the train to the patriots game, were practically in the front of the line to get in the return trip but they made us walk all the way to the back but loaded everyone on behind us so by the time we got on there was literally no where to sit. This as a terribly run production that I would never recommend to anyone. My friends in traffic got home first. Who's in charge? Do not bother, it's no where near easier than driving. Ugh. The adults have left the room and the inmates are running the asylum. Ugh. Awful. Ruined the whole experience. read more

2 reasons for my 1 star review. First reason: At government center the green line train comes around the corner (westbound) and it says one letter then I get on the train and its a different letter, and you really wouldn't know until it branches off. Super inconvenient, when I'm on autopilot on the way home. Do better. Second reason: schedule adjustments b/c the train was late fall on the passenger? that's also absurd. making the passengers wait so the train is on the next cycle, lame! the cycles are inconsistent anyway. read more

A ski/bike car on a rush hour train is ridiculous. Bikes aren't permitted on rush hour trains and it's June! So half a car is unusable and people have to stand. This is a regular occurrence, not just a one-off, need to throw a car on quick, situation. read more

Massachusetts' biggest disappointment. Constant delays, random cancellations, and endless 'shuttle bus' detours make it impossible to rely on for getting to work or appointments. read more

Absolutely horrible service, have to leave an hour earlier than the suggested time to leave due to all the flaws the mbta has weather its the train or bus, Absolutely horrible service. Also filthy, the fees from riders should be used to maintain the trains and buss.....they didn't touch anything for decades and they pocketed all the money over the years and have some nerve to complain about a person not paying a fair but dont give a shit when you pay a fair and end up late or have to go out of your way to be on time anyway where you go.....mbta trash read more

The T is the worst! Took outbound from Landsdown street to Worcester, 1 hour and 45 minutes and we are only in Ashland. Terrible, absolutely terrible Final time from Fenway to Worcester was 2 hours 12 minutes read more

Incredibly unreliable. Do not, I repeat DO NOT rely on this decrepit, schedule-less, infuriatingly poor excuse for a transportation system to get you anywhere on time. I now run commute which is a far faster and more reliable way to go anywhere the T "services." Here's to hoping the federal government takes over the MBTA and transforms it into even a semi-usable transport system. Photo is cracked support beam "repaired" with zip ties. Typical T solution! read more

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - Cracked concrete support beam "fixed" with zip ties. - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Impossible to get accurate information in a timely manner. You can't even find out where a given ferry terminal is located if your life depended on it. I even called and asked for information from an MTBA official, who gave me incorrect inaccurate and quite frankly deceptive information for who knows what reason. read more

The workers were so helpful and friendly. I wish I could have got the names of all of them but keep up the good work! You made our experience so nice! read more

If the MBTA was an employee, they would have been fired a long time ago: 1. Constantly late: for one reason or another, there is an inherent inability for trains to ever get to and from their destination without some kind of slow down, delay, or breakdown. If you go to any European country, their train system gets you there on time like it owes you money. 2. Costs way too much money: $14 dollars for a round trip into Boston? Once again: not on time, and not comfortably. 3. Smells bad: If you want to sweat to death and have no fresh air, then this place is for you. This entire organization needs to be stripped down to its bones and rebuilt with someone who actually knows what they are doing. read more

Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail. The 5:40 service is 20-40 minutes late on an almost daily basis. The conductor shouts into the intercom at least 5 times at each stop like he has an OCD. A couple of times we've stopped before my stop and I was forced to call an Uber to take me to my car. I have complained to Keolis. Keolis does not care. read more

Most unreliable transportation in the country. No announcements of delays, elderly people waiting for hours with no clue of what's going on. In the past decade, I haven't had a week of commuting without an issue. I sincerely hope that some people die as a result of MBTA's incompetence. Maybe then they'll wake the f up. read more

I take the Franklin/Foxboro commuter rail line & usually it's fine. I am a patient & understanding commuter & empathize with the usual staff shortages, etc. today however was just beyond completely ridiculous and extremely dangerous. There was a concert at Gillette so the 4:10 from Back Bay #1757 was so jam packed- people literally EVERYWHERE. Every seat and every inch of the aisles were packed in like sardines. And, to add insult to injury, there were only TWO conductors. They were only letting people out at the front or back but they hardly communicated that and when they did it was jumbled & we couldn't hear it because it was so loud from all the jam packed train cars. I had to get off at Endicott so I decided to make my way before readville just in case. I got through two train cars FULL of people and still had further to go to get to a conductor but I refused to go any further. It was way too hard to get through the people. So I took it upon myself and opened the door and unfastened the floor plate to get to the stairs. I did not care. This was one of the most ridiculous train rides I have ever taken. Shame on you MBTA. Do better. read more

This is from visitor point of view. I do not live here but I've use the MBTA, buses, shuttles, etc a couple of trips now and here's my view on things. And just general advice to those who decide to use it. A "thank you" goes a long way. Try to give it as often as you can especially to the people who are responsible to get you to where you need to go. PROS -When everything is running smoothly, it's relatively easy to know where to go especially with GPS apps nowadays that has these transit lines on there. -Covering ground, is so much quicker on the T versus walking or driving there. -Charley card is easy to get and use. -Generally staff give us the info we needed. But I will say that we had our phones with GPS as an aid and it helped immensely when it was confusing the info they provided. Confusing for us, but probably is clear as day for them and locals who use it daily. -Pretty safe to be honest. Was surprised. Also everybody we encountered were very nice and cordial. Always offered to give up a seat for our little one. Mostly we didn't need it but there were a couple of times we did and it was appreciated. CONS -Unfortunately. Nothing is always smooth. When we were here most recently, a lot of track work which caused havoc with red line. Some trains that were normally inbound became outbound and vice versa. Some routes were just completely shut down. We had to get off to jump on shuttles at certain spots to take us then to next station only to have to jump on T again. -Charley card. If you lose it, don't expect to get it back or replaced without paying for it again. -Because of all the track work and various changes in the schedules, they posted a LOT of workers everywhere so it was easy to find someone to ask questions. But what they do is just answer with the main route like Ashmont or Alewife. If we wanted to stop prior, some of them look blankly at you like "what's that?". But MOST know that the stop is on the way there and will gives you an acknowledgement at least. -Every other elevator we got in had a pool of fecal matter, urine, and/or worse. And it smelled of it too. Given there was an elevator available to begin with. Most did but there were some that did not. -Stroller-friendly, not so much. Had some near falls getting on/off the trains. -On one occasion, there was this bus driver that was cuss arguing with another staff complaining something about how he should've already been on break and what not. Some profanity that I would've preferred my toddler didn't have to be subjected but ultimately one of the managers I guess resolved. read more

Seeing all the negative reviews, the first thing I am thinking is, why? Sure, the trains are packed, but that is a good thing! That means people are using this system to the fullest, and I mean the fullest! The Boston T (which I predominantly rode everywhere while in Boston) is the oldest subway system in the United States (even older than the New York City subway). It has three subway lines, the Red Line, the Blue Line, and the Orange Line, and one extensive light rail line, the Green Line (which acts like a subway downtown). There is also a commuter rail and a rapid bus service (the Silver Line), but I will be focusing on the T in this review. The T is a first-generation subway, which for those that are unfamiliar, is a subway system that was built before the advancement of the automobile and the interstate highway system. This falls in line with three other subway networks in the United States; the aforementioned New York City Subway, the Chicago "El", and the SEPTA Subway. Each of these systems were built with extensive station stops to accommodate large groups inasmuch as there was not a way to do so before the 1940's and 1950's. That is why the train infrastructure is older, the trains more frequent, and stops are closer together. But it also explains why it is better than something say like, Atlanta's MARTA, or Washington, DC's Metro. Those two systems are second-generation subways, or systems built to supplement the automobile, rather than act like one. But back to the T. I really liked the fact that they offer several passes to make it easy to travel without spending a lot of money. The maps are easy to understand, and connections are easy and fluid. If I had to nitpick on one thing I did not like, it was that the turnstiles are often broken, and that presented problems while trying to get into some of the stations. At least there were employees willing to assist at most of the stations where possible. If you come to Boston, definitely do not plan on taking a car everywhere. Traffic stinks, parking is worse. Use the T. read more

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the green line is never running normal. the conductors are beyond rude. the worst public transit i've ever seen. horrible is an understatement read more

Terrible... never on time. Always delayed. Remember you pay taxes on this and get its never properly working. Its like this every time. If they're delayed you can't get your money back. When they cancel, you can't get your money back. It's an example of the inefficiency MA gov't produces and will continue to do so. read more

As someone traveling this was the way to go! We bought the Charlie Card and we were able to go all the most places we wanted to!

It was a pheasant experience. The Boston subway system may not have gotten me to where I needed to be quickly, if at all, but I did make a friend. No, it was not a human friend. Boston is not as big of a city as others but it is still weird to engage and acknowledge the people around you. Bird is different. Bird does not have the ability to criticize you, judge you, or in general, create feelings of uneasiness when you interact together. People only care about themselves. Bird is healthy confidence. Bird will feel emotion in response to things that matter. Bird will react to hunger, thirst, and tiredness. All of these are physically attainable parts of life, well they are supposed to be anyway. Bird is healthy confidence because Bird only reacts to the things in life that affect their welfare. Bird lives within a chill headspace that allows me to walk up to Bird without Bird flying away. I feel as if I have a deeper connection to Bird than I do with most humans living on this planet. A connection that makes me feel as if Bird and I understand the deepest parts of our souls without doing anything except standing by each other. If there is ever a time when the train does not get me to where I need to be, I at least know that I can start a new life among the Birds. read more

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority - A white bird standing inside the Alewife station next to a green skittle lying on the floor - Public Transportation Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts