Public transport in Boston

Overview

Boston's public transport is run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), known locally as "the T." The system covers subway, bus, trolley, ferry, and commuter rail services across the city and the wider Greater Boston region, and it is the most affordable way to get around. For a visitor, riding end to end is straightforward: plan your route with the MBTA trip-planning tool, buy a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket (or tap a contactless card where available), then board and ride. Subway station signage uses "Inbound" for trains heading toward Boston Common and "Outbound" for trains heading away, so check the direction before you descend to the platform.

Boston is a compact, walkable city, and many visitors combine walking with short subway hops. The subway generally runs daily from about 5 AM to 1 AM, with some lines running until about 1:50 AM. Most buses run from 5 AM to 1 AM, and busier routes also run between 1 AM and 5 AM. Be aware that subway "slow zones" can add up to 30 minutes to a journey, and post-pandemic delays and understaffing have been reported, so allow extra time.

The network

The MBTA operates the subway, bus, trolley, ferry, and commuter rail networks. The subway is the backbone of the system, with 125 stops across four main color-coded lines, each connecting a different part of the city to Downtown.

• Red Line: runs from Alewife in Cambridge through downtown Boston to Dorchester, Quincy, Braintree. It connects with the Orange Line at Downtown Crossing, the Green Line at Park Street, and the Silver Line at South Station. It serves Harvard Square, the Harvard Art Museums, the MIT Museum, Boston Common, and Adams National Historical Park in Quincy. The Red Line also includes the Mattapan Trolley, a historic streetcar connecting Ashmont Station to Mattapan.
• Orange Line: runs from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain through Back Bay and downtown to Oak Grove in Malden. It connects with the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Green Line at Haymarket and North Station, and the Blue Line at State Street. It serves Assembly Row, TD Garden, Boston Public Market, the Old State House, the Prudential Center, and View Boston.
• Green Line: the busiest and most historic route, with branches running from Union Square in Somerville (E Branch) and Medford/Tufts (D Branch) through downtown toward Allston, Brighton, Brookline, and Newton. It connects with the Red Line at Park Street, the Orange Line at North Station and Haymarket, and the Blue Line at Government Center. It serves Boston Common, the Boston Public Library, Newbury Street, Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston University, Northeastern University, and Emerson College.
• Blue Line: runs from Bowdoin downtown to Wonderland in Revere, with stops in East Boston and at Logan International Airport. It connects with the Orange Line at State Street and the Green Line at Government Center. It serves the New England Aquarium, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the airport, and Revere Beach, America's first public beach.

The Silver Line is a rapid transit bus service with dedicated lanes or roads, running five routes. It connects South Station to Logan International Airport and the Seaport district, links with the Red, Green, and Blue Lines, and serves all Logan terminals (A, B, C, and E), the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, and Seaport shops, hotels, and restaurants. Silver Line routes 1–3 charge the subway fare, while routes 4–5 charge the bus fare.

The bus network is extensive, with 162 MBTA bus routes operating within the Greater Boston area, connecting neighborhoods and suburbs not served by the subway or rail. Bus types include Local (within the city), Express (suburbs to downtown), and the Silver Line.

Commuter Rail connects Boston to Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with 12 routes all starting and ending at North Station or South Station; select routes also stop at Back Bay Station. Stops are divided into zones numbered 1A–10 by distance from Boston. Notable lines include the Newburyport/Rockport Line from North Station (serving Salem, Beverly, Gloucester, and Rockport), the Providence/Stoughton Line from South Station (connecting to Providence, Rhode Island), the Framingham/Worcester Line from South Station (connecting to Worcester), and the Franklin/Foxboro Line, which serves Gillette Stadium and Patriot Place. Commuter rail runs from 5 AM to 1 AM, with more frequent service at rush hour. On schedules, a purple "f" marks a flag stop (the train stops only if passengers notify the conductor) and a blue "L" marks stops where trains can depart earlier.

Ferries round out the network. MBTA ferries include the Charlestown Ferry (Long Wharf South to Charlestown Navy Yard), the Hingham & Hull Ferries (Long Wharf North to Logan International Airport or the South Shore), the East Boston Ferry (March–November, Long Wharf North to Lewis Mall), the Lynn Ferry (April–November, Blossom Street Pier to Long Wharf North), the Winthrop Ferry (May–November, Central Wharf South to Winthrop Landing), and the Quincy Ferry (May–November, Quincy Central to Wharf South). Non-MBTA ferries include the Boston Harbor Islands Ferries (May–October, Long Wharf North to Spectacle Island or Georges Island), the Encore Free Water Shuttle (Long Wharf North to Encore Boston Harbor), the Salem Ferry (May–October 31, Long Wharf North to Salem), and Provincetown fast ferries from Long Wharf North or the World Trade Center in the Seaport, operated by Bay State Cruises and Boston Harbor City Cruises.

Tickets & fares

Fares and pass prices below are approximate and subject to change; check the MBTA website for current rates. Children age 11 and under ride free. Reduced fares are available for people 65 and over, people with disabilities, middle and high school students, and low-income adults, and some customers (such as blind or low-vision riders and children 11 and under) ride free.

You pay with a CharlieCard (a reloadable smartcard) or a CharlieTicket (a paper ticket). CharlieCards and CharlieTickets are sold at most subway station vending machines and at select convenience stores. Contactless "Tap to Ride" payment is being introduced on bus, subway, and ferry. Cash is accepted when boarding buses or trolleys at street-level stops, and you can also buy tickets from the bus driver with cash. Note that transfers are not available with stored-value CharlieTickets or cash payments.

• Subway: $2.40 one way.
• Bus: $1.70 local; $4.25 express.
• Commuter Rail: $2.40–$13.25 depending on the zones traveled. A $3 surcharge applies if you buy your ticket from the conductor after the train has left a station.
• Ferry: $2.40–$9.75 depending on the route.
• Silver Line: subway fare on routes 1–3; bus fare on routes 4–5.

Passes are available in 1-day, 7-day, and monthly increments and can be purchased at fare vending machines, the Charlie Service Center, the retail sales network, or online via Auto-pay. There are no refunds once purchased. A 1-day or 7-day pass on a CharlieTicket or mTicket is valid from the date and time of purchase; on a CharlieCard it becomes active from first use. Monthly passes can be purchased from the 15th of the prior month through the 14th of the active month, and Auto-pay signups must be completed before the 22nd of the prior month.

• Monthly Local Bus Pass: $55; unlimited local bus and Silver Line routes 4–5.
• 7-Day Pass: $22.50; unlimited local buses, subway, Silver Line, Commuter Rail (Zone 1A only), and ferry (Charlestown and East Boston).
• Monthly LinkPass: $90; same coverage as the 7-day pass, and the most popular option with subway users.
• Monthly Commuter Rail passes (CharlieTicket): $90–$426 per calendar month depending on zone; valid on all Boston public transport plus Commuter Rail up to your zone.
• Monthly Commuter Rail passes (mTicket): $80–$416; valid on Commuter Rail and all ferries.

For tourists, the 1-day and 7-day passes are the most convenient options for unlimited travel. Commuter Rail monthly passes printed on CharlieTicket include unlimited transfers to any mode, but single-ride Commuter Rail and ferry tickets generally do not include free transfers. A pilot effective September 1, 2026 will make Express Bus fares equal to Local Bus fares (discontinuing Express Bus passes) and introduce unlimited transfers between subway, bus, and ferry within a two-hour transfer window when using the same payment method, with the rider paying only the cost of the highest-priced service. The same form of payment is required across all modes for transfers to apply.

From the airport

Logan International Airport (BOS) is about 3 miles from downtown Boston, and several public-transport options connect it to the center.

• Silver Line (SL1): free from all terminals to South Station, where you can connect to the Red Line, Commuter Rail, and the Seaport. For most travelers this is the best option: board the Silver Line for free at Logan and transfer for free to the Red Line. Transfers to other lines are also free, but pick up a CharlieCard at South Station if you plan to ride the T again. Service stops around 12:30 AM, so if your flight arrives after that you will need a taxi.
• Blue Line: free MassPort shuttles connect the terminals to Airport Station, where you can switch to the Blue Line for service to Aquarium, State, and Government Center. Shuttles #22 and #33 connect the subway and rental car center with terminals A&B and C&E respectively.
• Harbor Loop Ferry: MBTA weekday morning and evening service stopping at Lovejoy Wharf (North Station), Central Wharf (Aquarium), Seaport (Commonwealth Pier), and Logan Airport.
• Logan Express (Back Bay Route): a direct bus from all terminals to Hynes Convention Center and Back Bay Station, running every 30 minutes, with a one-way fare of $3 (credit or debit only, no cash). Logan Express also offers direct bus service from Braintree, Framingham, Woburn, and Peabody, with buses leaving every hour or so and trips taking around 30–45 minutes; fares run between $3 and $9 to the airport, with free returns.
• Water shuttles: Hingham/Hull Ferries run to Boston Long Wharf; Boston Water Taxi is on-demand with advance reservation recommended; Winthrop and Quincy ferries connect to Long Wharf, the Seaport, Central Wharf, and the Aquarium seasonally; and a Logan Airport Water Shuttle to Long Wharf runs seasonally.
• Taxis and rideshare: taxis average $30–$40 to downtown including fees, or roughly $25–$35 one way to most Boston and Cambridge hotels. Uber and Lyft typically cost $20–$35 from the airport depending on traffic and demand.

Free MassPort shuttle buses connect all airport services. Shuttle #11 loops around and quickly connects the four terminals, #55 runs during off-peak hours and connects everything, #66 adds the water transportation dock, and #88 connects all terminals to the economy parking garage. If you are renting a car, take one of the shuttles to the Rental Car Center rather than waiting for a branded company van.

Etiquette & customs

Bostonians are generally practical and unpretentious on transit, and a few simple habits will help you fit in.

• Queuing: stand aside and let passengers exit before you board. On buses, board at the front and tap or insert your fare.
• Escalators: stand on the right and walk on the left, as is standard in most US cities.
• Priority seating: seats near the doors are reserved for elderly riders and passengers with disabilities; give them up when needed.
• Quiet: keep phone calls and music volume low, especially during rush hour.
• Eating and drinking: eating and drinking are generally discouraged on the subway and buses; keep it minimal and tidy if you must.
• Rush-hour behavior: move into the car and away from the doors, keep backpacks off seats, and have your fare ready before you reach the turnstile or fare box.
• Bicycles: many MBTA riders use a bicycle to get to a nearby station, and bicycle racks and lockers have been increased. Bicycles are generally not allowed on crowded trains during peak hours.

Official links

• MBTA Fares (English)

Survival terms

Boston's transit vocabulary is in English, but a few local terms are worth knowing before you ride.

• the T — the local nickname for the MBTA transit system.
• CharlieCard — the reloadable smartcard used to pay fares.
• CharlieTicket — the paper ticket used to pay fares.
• Inbound — toward Boston Common/downtown.
• Outbound — away from downtown.
• Zone 1A — the commuter rail fare zone closest to downtown Boston.
• LinkPass — the monthly pass covering subway, bus, and more.
• Silver Line — the rapid transit bus service, including the free airport route.

Before you travel, download the MBTA trip-planning tool or a third-party app that uses MBTA open data, so you can check real-time arrivals and any slow-zone delays on the day.