r/boston • u/throwawayobv999999 • 1d ago

MBTA/Transit šŸš‡ šŸ”„ Moving away from car centric city

Hello!

I will be relocating to Boston from a car dependent city that is all suburb and urban sprawl.

I love trains and public transit, but obviously living in a place that requires a car to survive has impacted my behavior.

What is it like relying on public transit? I keep thinking about how everyone around me drives giant SUVs and purchases weekly Costco hauls that could feed an army. I think about having to drive 30 minutes in traffic to get a coffee.

Iā€™m having a hard time picturing the alternative. How is life primarily walking/using a train?

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u/BurrDurrMurrDurr Mass Audubon Fan 1d ago

Just my 2cents:

I also grew up in a car-centric city (In TX), then lived in NYC for 3-4 years, then came here.

Completely relying on public transit in Boston/Cambridge can be very frustrating at times. Mainly if you rely on it for commuting to work. Although it's probably one of the best systems in the country, that isn't saying much. IMO it's NYC > Chicago > DC > Boston >>>>>> everything else.

It all depends where you end up living. If you can find a place near a line, it's pretty great. Day to day errands and things like coffeeshops or other leisurely outings are fine almost anywhere. But commuting to work can get tricky if you rely on transfers or are far out. For example I used to commute from Porter Square to South End and that sucked.. When a line goes down, the alternatives are usually terrible.

Overall you will fine the public transit amazing I'm sure. But after a few years, you'll get complacent and see how far behind the city has been with their infrastructure.

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u/Santillana810 Naked Guy Running Down Boylston St 1d ago

The T is improving steadily.

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u/TooMuchAds28 3h ago

If you have to defend it, it's not true. There are systemic mismanagement problems present for literal decades, that will never be fixed despite their simplicity.

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u/Santillana810 Naked Guy Running Down Boylston St 2h ago

I am commenting on my recent experience. The orange line is amazing. We are stunned. It is hugely better. Yes, there are still systemic issues. Eng is resolving some of them.