Boston: Part Two!

I'm back from Boston now, and it was one of the best trips I've had in a long time. Riding transit there was just a smooth, beautiful experience, and overall one of the best I've had in a long time. If you haven't read the first part of this, it's right before this one!

So here is a summary of my transit experience on Saturday, when I was essentially touring around Boston, doing nothing but riding transit and having a grand time.

Saturday was not a particularly impressive day in the realm of riding the T, just because I did not have a lot of time. However, Jonathan and I managed to take two small transit hikes in a short amount of time. This was helped by the fact that we were staying at Boston's Midtown Hotel, which is conveniently located right next to the Symphony stop, on the E branch of the Green Line, and the Mass Ave stop, on the Orange Line. 

The first trip we made on Saturday occurred right after we got to the hotel by charter bus from Providence. The Mass Ave stop had a conveniently located Subway next to it, and I stopped there to pick up a late lunch before boarding the T.

After consuming my essential lunch, Jonathan and I descended into the station. We waited for eight minutes on the platform, and then boarded a crowded inbound Orange Line train, heading inbound and then to Oak Grove, its northern terminus. The first thing that really struck me was just how packed the T was on a Saturday; you would never see such a large volume of people at this time on the Link in Seattle. However, this really is just an account of the higher density and population of Boston.

We got off the train at Haymarket, which is located in the North End of Boston one station north of where you would get off to see Faneuil Hall. Not knowing that we had more time, we got on the Green Line train right back to our hotel. I was reminded of how noisy these Green Line trains are as the E line train arrived, but it was a smooth, quick transfer. We returned in a flash.

When we got back to the hotel, we realized that we had much more time to roam the system. We boarded the Green Line again, and this time the car we were on was slightly less crowded. On this hike, we took a slightly more expansive route. We got off at Government Center and went downstairs to board the Blue Line. Realizing that our time budget had diminished, we decided to make a U-turn at airport so as to be back in time.

Symphony T Stop

We boarded the Blue Line train, and it was well-used but not packed. Noticing that time constraint, we got off at Airport station, where a short, free shuttle to the airport is readily available. One unique thing I noticed was the way the Blue Line switched in between the third rail and the catenary. From Bowdoin, its downtown terminus, to Airport, the Blue Line uses a third rail for its power supply. However, at airport station, it changes, and starts to use the catenary until its terminus at Wonderland.

We made the U-turn at Airport, having to run to catch the train back to Government Center. When we transferred, we found the loudest spot on the Green Line, located on the Green Line platform, where the tunnel leads into the station. In the final part, where media will be found, a video will be attached.

And the last trip of the day was that Green Line back to our hotel. Then it was time for a wonderful BSO performance, and then sleep, preparing us for the final day of Boston transit fanning, which was also our most productive day. Coming up soon!