Boston: Getting Around on the "T"
One of the best things about Boston is that it is both relatively small and very well layed out. Tagged "the walking city," this is indeed a city that can easily be walked, especially the areas around Fanheil Hall, Beacon and Newberry Streets, and the North End. But supposing you want to get from one area to the other without walking, supposing it's raining and unlovely for walking, supposing all of the cabs are full because of the rain. Or supposing you need to get from one end of the City to the other, and it's rush hour (which can be up to six hours each week day!). And supposing you need to get there in twenty minutes. What do you do?
You hop on the "T," Boston's subway system that is run by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Having ridden subways in London, Paris, and Washington D. C., I can say with confidence that Boston's T is world class: it's clean, inexpensive, and efficient. In the mornings, you may find a scattering of local papers (the Metro, the Globe, and/or the Herald) on the seats and luggage rack above the seats, but that's okay, gives you something to read as you are sped across town, right? You may have the misfortune to happen upon the rare coffee spill, but for the most part, the T is spotlessly clean and very brightly lit.
Not only that, but it's among the easiest to navigate of such systems that I've seen. Each station and train car has a clear and easy to read map; as you can see from the linked map, each subway or T line is color coded and each stop well-marked. It's almost impossible to get lost, even for people like me for whom getting lost in unfamiliar cities is a bit of an art form. The only thing other than where you are going that you need to know is whether your stop is considered "inbound" or "outbound"; this is simple once you think of Downtown Crossing (on the Orange line) as the hub, the hub of the Hub, if you will. Anything heading toward Downtown Crossing (on any line) is "inbound"; anything heading away from it is "outbound." That's all you need to know about navigating around the city (cities, really) on the T.
So let's talk cost: if you are in town for more than a day or two, it's going to be in your financial best interest to purchase a Linkpass for $15.00; this pass will allow you unlimited access to the buses, subway (T), and commuter rail to the 1st zone. T fares are still relatively inexpensive, and you can go anywhere on the T system for only $1.70 (get the Charlie card, don't spend the extra .30 per ride). That's not bad at all when you consider fares in other cities or when you think of the cost of cabs (these are regulated in Boston, so no worries about the "scenic tour/fare" any longer). For that one low fare, you can get from shopping at Downtown Crossing out to book store browsing and cool coffee houses in Cambridge.
Not only is the system clean and inexpensive, but it's also efficient. With traffic what it is in Boston (especially during the rush hours, and they are multiple hours) and parking as difficult to find as it is, the T is really a quick and easy solution to a lot of potential frustrations. The trains arrive every six or so minutes and are almost always on time, and by "almost always," I really mean almost always . . . only in the event of a break down or other problem are these trains late.
The one downside to riding the T is that you can never understand the announcements, and this is really only a downside if you are not paying attention to the giant signs at each stop letting you know where you are; otherwise, it's kind of a blessing that you can't make out the garbled squawking reminding you to take your items with you and to report anything suspicious. In this day of heightened security, how many times do you need to be told to report suspicious behavior or packages/bags? And how many times do you really need to be told to take your belongings with you? So sit back, ignore the static-y loudspeaker, and watch where you are going. You're your best navigator after all.
