what makes boston's public transport system or the t one of the best in the united states, because the san francisco muni metro , the chicago el and the new york subway have a much larger network that the t?
It is really easy to figure out for someone who is not familiar with a subway system. The T is also the oldest in the country, and sometimes oldest the best get joined together. I was living in CT and I had a friend out in the Boston area, and it seems every single time I went out to see her on the way back on the green line it was always breaking down. They then had to get a bus brought out to us. They also should have it run 24/7 like other cities.
Really it's not. The only boast it can claim is that parts of the Green Line opened in 1897 and is technically the first subway in America. Otherwise it's mismanaged, 8 billion in debt, and people complain about it all the time.
The Red Line and Blue Line has new trains, but the Orange Line mainly consists of rattling 30 year old junkers (yes, New York runs 30-year old trains too, but those are in much better shape).The Red Line also has some older cars that are about 40 years old, but those aren't as bad as the Orange Line cars. The Green Line isn't that bad, but the ride is rough along the D line, and it's somewhat slow. Bus service isn't very good.
That being said it still works fairly well as a transit network for getting around town without a car. It may not be as extensive as New York or as clean and modern as the D.C. Metro but for Boston it's 90% OK. Like every other transit system, people complain a lot about dirty/late trains, rats, dirty stations, fare hikes, etc. but it's pretty normal across the world.
The Blue Line and the Green Line D Line, along with the Mattapan High Speed Line and a good portion of the commuter rail, are pretty scenic.
What makes the "T", in my opinion, one of the best systems in the US, is it's integration with the city, and other modes of transportation (Commuter Rail, Amtrak, Airport, etc). You can get to just about anywhere in Boston on the "T".
I lived in Boston for a couple of years, and gave up my car to use the T exclusively during those times. I enjoyed my "15 minutes of fame" when a Boston Herald photographer snapped a photograph of me carrying home my Christmas tree from Fanueil Hall on the Green Line, and it appeared in the paper the next day.
I like that I can take the T to Logan with my luggage. I like that I can take it to South Station to catch Amtrak or the Commuter Rail.
The subway system itself is, in fact, much smaller than subway systems in other cities, but that's because Boston is much more geographically condensed than the other cities you mention in your additional info. As I previously stated, it's pretty easy to get just about anywhere in Boston on the T.
It's also cool because it's America's oldest subway system. A portion of the Green Line has been in service for well over 110 years.
Comments
It is really easy to figure out for someone who is not familiar with a subway system. The T is also the oldest in the country, and sometimes oldest the best get joined together. I was living in CT and I had a friend out in the Boston area, and it seems every single time I went out to see her on the way back on the green line it was always breaking down. They then had to get a bus brought out to us. They also should have it run 24/7 like other cities.
Really it's not. The only boast it can claim is that parts of the Green Line opened in 1897 and is technically the first subway in America. Otherwise it's mismanaged, 8 billion in debt, and people complain about it all the time.
The Red Line and Blue Line has new trains, but the Orange Line mainly consists of rattling 30 year old junkers (yes, New York runs 30-year old trains too, but those are in much better shape).The Red Line also has some older cars that are about 40 years old, but those aren't as bad as the Orange Line cars. The Green Line isn't that bad, but the ride is rough along the D line, and it's somewhat slow. Bus service isn't very good.
That being said it still works fairly well as a transit network for getting around town without a car. It may not be as extensive as New York or as clean and modern as the D.C. Metro but for Boston it's 90% OK. Like every other transit system, people complain a lot about dirty/late trains, rats, dirty stations, fare hikes, etc. but it's pretty normal across the world.
The Blue Line and the Green Line D Line, along with the Mattapan High Speed Line and a good portion of the commuter rail, are pretty scenic.
It's ONE OF the best. New York and San Francisco have just as good subway systems. Compare us to Los Angelas, we blow them out of the water.
New York is a MUCH bigger city, so naturally it has a bigger system.
The Boston subway system provides easy access to all of the most popular parts of the city, and many of the suburbs.
What makes the "T", in my opinion, one of the best systems in the US, is it's integration with the city, and other modes of transportation (Commuter Rail, Amtrak, Airport, etc). You can get to just about anywhere in Boston on the "T".
I lived in Boston for a couple of years, and gave up my car to use the T exclusively during those times. I enjoyed my "15 minutes of fame" when a Boston Herald photographer snapped a photograph of me carrying home my Christmas tree from Fanueil Hall on the Green Line, and it appeared in the paper the next day.
I like that I can take the T to Logan with my luggage. I like that I can take it to South Station to catch Amtrak or the Commuter Rail.
The subway system itself is, in fact, much smaller than subway systems in other cities, but that's because Boston is much more geographically condensed than the other cities you mention in your additional info. As I previously stated, it's pretty easy to get just about anywhere in Boston on the T.
It's also cool because it's America's oldest subway system. A portion of the Green Line has been in service for well over 110 years.
Yup. Public Transportation sucks here.
its not. its slow and breaks down too often. tracks flood when there is heavy rain and they take cars out of service during peak hours.
as much as i like boston, its mass transit is the main reason i could never live there. it is not reliable.
It's "one of the best", not "the best". The others you listed are among the best as well.
challenging issue. try searching with google or bing. just that could help!