Riding the T in Boston-a good idea, or a bad one?

I am in Boston now and yesterday ride the blue line from airport to downtown. It was crowded and full of residents and tourists.

I rode the T a few weeks ago and it was fine, but that was my only experience with it in many years. Why don't you try it, and switch to driving if necessary?

Boston traffic is also pretty notorious, and the Sumner Tunnel is closed (maybe not in September, I don't know). I spent more time waiting at Kenmore Square for my friend's car than I spent on the T from the airport.

(Manhattan native replying) Big cities tend to be much easier by public transit, and street parking difficult or impossible. But if you have become used to a private air conditioned cocoon, you won't enjoy sharing your space with people who don't look exactly like you. I think Boston has neighborhood parking stickers, so its especially hard to park.

Public transit cannot be run for profit, but Americans are not willing to raise enough taxes to provide a product quality similar to Europe. There are signs that Europe has reached a point where they can't raise enough revenue anymore.

Frequent visitor to Boston - I use the T often and although I’ve had some delays nothing extreme or unusual. I mostly ride the Green and Blue lines. There is a good deal of work being done so I would recommend checking the MBTA website before you leave and allow a little extra time, but overall I’d say it is not that different than riding any other big city transit system in the US.

Also vastly more affordable vs taking taxis or Ubers - take the T and get that appetizer or another drink!

I was in Cambridge last weekend. The red line was fine. On the south shore now. Commuter line is fine too.

I work in Boston and I take public transportation 3 days per week. Yes, the T is a mess sometimes, mostly inconveniencing commuters who have to get to work on time. There are some serious slow zones, which can double one's commute time on the subway. Sometimes, parts of the T are shut down for repairs (usually announced without too much advanced notice) but there will be shuttle buses. IF you are not in a hurry and don't mind the slow commute, take the T. It is safe just not as efficient as it should be. Check the MBTA website or follow them on Twitter frequently for updates.

I was born and raised in the Boston area. Have visited many times but not in several years.

I emailed an old friend who lives in. a small community outside of Boston and this was her response to me.

"He’s screwed either way! The T is very unreliable…lots of break downs, delays and repairs. I haven’t heard to much about safety but then the local news doesn’t seem to report on it.
Driving is horrendous. The Sumner tunnel is closed for repairs until 8/31. No matter what time of day you go anywhere there’s always traffic. And Boston drivers are another whole breed.
Sorry I don’t have better news, but the state is really a mess.
Maybe try Uber? I don’t know if it would be any better, but he should pack plenty of patience. "

I had not told her that you were coming September so the good news is that the Sumner Tunnel should be open by the time you arrive. Of course work is not always done on time or done correctly and that is everywhere, not limited to Boston..

Last I was there, the trains had a recorded message warning people about pickpockets. And a group of young people set off a stink bomb but I never took the T after dark.

I remind you that when the train is coming in, stand back. Do not be in front lest the crowd surges forward.

Where are you staying? Are you staying at a hotel in Boston or outside of Boston with family? Where will you be commuting to? Are you going to other suburbs to visit family? or are you wanting to commute to Boston proper to see the sites like The Public Gardens, visit museums, etc.

I do not remember when I was last back but Boston has been rehabilitated and renovated. I was amazed at today's Boston, not the Boston that i grew up in.

Re driving in Boston. Do you remember the old joke about not having dents repaired when you have a fender bender so that the other drivers will know that you really mean business?

And this is from my cousin who also lives in a small community outside of Boston .

"Driving in Boston is a challenge on a good day. With all the traffic and construction going on, I would take the T, taxi or Uber. MassDOT is working to upgrade the service. It is much better, but it has room for improvement.

I have not been to Boston in a while, but would not hesitate one bit to use public transportation (by the way, every transit system in the country is experiencing "pains" right now, including in my area). It's a no-brainer, and will save you money and (hopefully) time. Parking costs in Boston proper are insane, and so is the driving.

I went to Boston in 2009 on a day trip from Maine (so my mother-in-law could see it before flying home) and for a few days later in the trip. On the day trip we parked at a T station that was further out and had free parking. We took the T into town. After watching how people parallel parked by bumping into the other cars bumpers (I was watching this guy park and when he finally got out he asked if it was my car. I said no and he muttered that it didn’t matter anyway, then walked off.). We decided when we returned to leave the rental car at that T station and use public transportation. We knew we wouldn’t need it in the city and parking at the hotel was very expensive. I wouldn’t hesitate to do that again.

It has been many years since I have been in Boston but for several years I took the green line every day and the red line frequently and the orange line occasionally. I think it will be important to know which are the lines which have the biggest problem and where you will be staying relative to those lines and problems.

I know it's been a long time but I would expect that I would have no concerns except in the wee hours.

tangent alert - RIP Steves Ice Cream which at one point got a lot of my paycheck because I liked playing the player piano (and the incredible ice cream with Heath Bar)

Thanks for the replies! We will be visiting family in Quincy, Mass, so I'm assuming that's where our hotel will be. And I agree with others about the problems with driving in Boston-the last time I visited was before I had my driver's license, and I wouldn't want to drive there! And I do love public transportation too-here in Denver, we have the RTD Light Rail. It has it's delays sometimes, but it's still better then driving.

I keep answering this and then deleting my response. This time I will just stick to the question, rather than addressing any answer. Follow the rules me!

I lived in Boston or within subway distance for 45 years, and took the subway (T) for all of that time from 5-7 days per week to a couple of times per month...depended what the era of my life was.. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better way to travel around Boston than by the T. Keep in mind when fresh out of college I was assigned the territory of Boston in my first job and was scared to death to learn how to drive there. Shortly, I knew all the shortcuts in all the area towns. Still, the best way for commuting or enjoying Boston was(is) by the T. OK, hop forward. I moved away a couple of years ago. Since then they have had issues with tracks and trains, which always happens with transportation, but a little more than usual this year. Nonetheless, it is running and carrying people the same as always in most spots, if not all, but a little slower in some areas (red line I hear). I always had a book with me and so never was bothered if there was a delay...,more time to read! I have found it safe, but when riding the T around 10:00-10:30 on my line, no reading, heads up, and I'd prefer a pick up if getting off at a non-populated spot. But this is me, a woman, anywhere.

Also, I have not been out and about in Boston for a couple of years, that I can think of...the Covid thing. I understand that the financial district has not recovered its population yet due to telecommuting, but all the other areas, where you are most likely to be, have returned to pre-covid busy-ness according to a recent article that I read...and by the amount of tourists in the area.

As a T rider, in a T community, I learned there were some people who refused to ride the T as they somehow felt it was beneath them. They would speak ill of it for no reason as they never rode it, and to me, LOL, who they knew rode the T all the time. So be sure to listen to those who actually ride the T. And again, I've been out of it, other than the commuter train from up here in the north. Boston is a lovely city and I doubt it has changed so horribly in 2 years...and I'm sure my friends would have mentioned it if it had.

Also, my husband drove through Boston twice last week on the Southeast Expressway and reported that there was less traffic than usual. He sailed right through and back again in record time; so much for the traffic always being terrible.

PS. You posted while I was writing. From Quincy, T by all means. Just be sure to get on the Braintree line, but I'm sure your relatives will tell you that.

We visited Boston for a week and took the T into the city. While not the most modern system, it was always crowded from Brookline and felt pretty safe.

That said, I grew up in Chicago and took the CTA El everywhere so I am pretty street smart and used to public transit all my life.

Another current local here. The T has its issues, to be sure, but driving around Boston isn’t an ideal alternative, especially when you don’t know your way around.

One tip: presently, you can ride the commuter rail from Quincy Center or Braintree stations with a Charlie Card or Ticket (available at the station): https://www.mbta.com/projects/alternative-service-options-during-speed-restrictions (see Red Line section). This will bring you right to South Station. The commuter rail runs less frequently, but this is a good alternative if busing is occurring between some Red Line stations.

Enjoy your trip!

Once again, thanks for the replies! I definitely don't think it's beneath me to ride on public transport. The most problems that I've heard about seem to be on the Orange Line, but I doubt I'll be taking it anyway.

I’m in my 50s & always use the T when I’m up there. I would never want to be in a car in Boston. What a recipe for frustration. To/from Logan I like the Silver line.

Continental is right. The Silver line is good, especially if heading to Quincy because you can catch the red line at South Station. It's what we have used for the south shore.