The Chronicle of the Boston Transit System
From the mass.gov website on MBTA Massachusetts Transportation
Many people study and cherish Boston's rich and colorful history with its ideas of liberty, freedom, and democratic concepts. Few, however, are aware of Boston's historic lifeline regional mass transportation. While Boston is the birthplace of American liberty, it is also the birthplace of American mass transportation.
Beginning with a family-operated ferry service, Boston has nurtured many forms of mass transportation, right up to today's most sophisticated mass transit vehicles. The Hub's transit system is the oldest and fourth largest in the nation has a history longer than that of American independence.
Mass transportation first emerged in the city in 1631, when Boston was a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land which is now the South End. With no bridges and only limited access to the mainland, transporting freight by ox cart from Winnisimet (Chelsea) to Boston was a two day journey through Malden, Cambridge, Brighton, and Roxbury. People traveled within the city on foot, and rarely went beyond its borders; for most could not afford horses and wagons. More info on http://www.mass.gov
We call it the "T" Maybe some of you have heard the song "Charlie on the MTA" One verse says "He will ride forever neath the streets of Boston. He is the man that never returned." There is a new line called the "Charlie"
n terms of daily ridership, the MBTA remains the nation's 5th largest mass transit system. It serves a population of 4,667,555 (2000 census) in 175 cities and towns with an area of 3,244 square miles. To carry out its mission it maintains 183 bus routes, 2 of which are Bus Rapid Transit lines, 3 rapid transit lines, 5 streetcar (Central Subway/Green Line) routes, 4 trackless trolley lines and 13 commuter rail routes. Its roster of equipment consists of 927 diesel and CNG buses, 32 dual mode buses, 28 ETB′s (electric trolley buses), 408 heavy rail vehicles, 200 light rail vehicles, 10 PCC's streetcars, 83 commuter rail locomotives, 410 commuter rail coaches and 298 MBTA-owned specially equipped vans and sedans, and an additional 235 contractor-supplied specially equipped vans and sedans. The average weekday ridership for the entire system is approximately 1.1 million passenger trips.
The trolleys are really fun. To think we are just 11 miles from the city and you can take public transportation so easily.
Out here in Needham, MA you can take a train or a bus and they are part of the MBTA. Either way it is a "trip." I can remember getting on at the first stop on the Needham Local and getting off at the last from commuting to college and then working in the city. It worked out great for me and still is one of the pluses of living in this community.
We can go right to Fenway via the "T." I am going back to watch the game. Go Red Sox.....
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