Headed to Beantown? Take the T.

Boston’s one of those truly people-oriented cities, so few and far between in America: a magical place dominated by young people and universities, where everybody walks, few people drive, and you can get wherever you want to go on the train.

I’d been told about the massive student population here, but it has to be seen to be believed: there are over 100 colleges and universities in the greater Boston area, 27 of which are in Boston proper. Across the river in Cambridge there are 7 more, including Harvard and MIT. That adds up to over 250,000 students in Boston/Cambridge, about 40% of the population.

Those who do try to drive around Boston spend most of their time stuck in traffic.

Students, as a general rule, live near their schools and spend more time walking than driving. They tend to travel in smaller circles, be more active, and have less gas money—so undoubtedly Boston’s student population helps make it a pedestrian city.

But it’s not just the kids. Boston is over 350 years old, and was therefore designed with no concern for the automobile. Instead, since 1631, this town has relied on mass transportation. The “T” system speeds throughout the greater Boston area, connects to commuter trains, boats, Amtrak and a zillion bus lines. It’s so efficient, even locals rarely need to drive. In fact, the Boston-Cambridge area has one of the highest percentages of foot commuters in America.

The very first T station I walked into was Park Street. It was smaller and more crowded than I’d expected—and there was no separation between the rails and the waiting area. The walls were dirty and the air musty, and construction work blocked part of the platform. At first I was totally irritated, but then I spotted the wall mural: “First Subway in America.” Really? So there was a reason this station looked old.

A little research revealed that Boston’s first subway line was built in 1897. It’s been running ever since, and the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) now connects a total of 78 towns.

I decided to spend lots of time on this train, and during my time in Boston rode every single metro line. I soon found that Park Street had been an anomaly: most of the stations were plenty roomy, and those that weren’t shiny and modern, were being renovated. Overall, it turned out to be not just convenient to ride the T, but actually fun.

Throughout its history, the transit system has had plenty of challenges, including the need to update and renovate century-old stations. A recent drama came when Boston embarked on its massive, super-large, Big Dig. That massive project, which rerouted car traffic to decrease congestion (and which also resulted in the amazing Big Dig House), caused increased expenses for the MBTA. That translated to rate hikes, which irritated riders. Locals also complain about the number of transfers in most cross-town trips, as well as the lack of late-night trains.

Still, the train system here is one of the best I’ve seen. It’s cleaner than San Francisco’s, more comfortable than New York’s, faster than just about any other… I’d even go so far as to recommend staying outside Boston and taking the train to town, to avoid downtown’s overpriced hotels.

So there you have it: if you’re Boston-bound, don’t bother bringing your car. You’ll only regret it, and wish you’d taken the T. Seriously.