Boston might have bragging rights to being a hub of higher education, life science, and even its parks. But its latest honor might leave a few in New York City crying foul.
A new study by luxury vacation home rental platform Wander ranked Boston as the best U.S. city for public transportation for travelers. While we locals may grumble about long waits on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (better known as the “T”), Wander gives the city high marks, noting it has about 41 public transport stations per 100,000 residents.
New England’s largest city also scored well for its range of options: subway, commuter rail, bus routes, ferries, and paratransit. The T carries about 273,000 daily riders on its Blue, Orange, and Red subway lines, while the Green Line light rail averages another 90,700.
The T, which opened in 1897, is the nation’s oldest subway system, beating New York’s by seven years. Still, New York City’s MTA—with 665 miles of track, per the Metropolitan Transportation Authority—is by far the largest network in the U.S.
Rounding out Wander’s top five were Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia; Baltimore; and Seattle. New York City curiously didn’t even crack the top 10, and Wander had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
For visitors arriving in Boston, the T often provides the easiest and cheapest first step into the city. Massport operates a free shuttle between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) terminals and the MBTA’s Airport Blue Line station. From there, travelers can pay the $2.40 single-ride fare with contactless payment, a CharlieTicket, or a CharlieCard. The Blue Line links to the Orange Line at State Street and the Green Line at Government Center, connecting riders to top attractions like the Freedom Trail, neighborhoods like Back Bay and Beacon Hill, and colleges like Boston University and Boston College.
Taking the Blue Line also helps avoid gridlock in the airport’s two traffic-clogged tunnels. Alternatively, the Silver Line’s SL1 bus connects all terminals to South Station, Boston’s main rail hub with Amtrak service and Red Line connections to South Boston (where you will likely find a few “pahk the cah” accents walking the streets), Harvard, MIT, and Cambridge.
While New York might be the city and subway system that never sleeps, you should know Boston very much cherishes its beauty sleep—including for its infrastructure. Trains typically run from 5 a.m. until about 12:30 a.m., leaving overnight hours for maintenance.
But night owls may catch a break this fall: the T is piloting late-night service on all subway lines and eight bus routes for five weekends, extending operations until 1:30 a.m. During the trial, rides across all modes of transit will also be free after 9 p.m., a great way to save money while out on the town.
