It is convenient to move around the City of Boston using the subway, buses, taxis and boats. The extensive system of MBTA trains and buses is the primary means of public transportation to get around the city each day. Even those who arrive into Logan International Airport will find public transportation to be a very convenient way to get into the city and surrounding areas.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Subways

Speaking of subways, do you know that Boston is the first city in the United States to use subways? The Nation’s first subway line opened in Boston on September 1, 1897 to eliminate trolley congestion on Tremont Street. All the MBTA subways run Monday to Friday and on weekends operating as early as 5:00 AM in the morning to 1:00 AM.

The Getting Around Boston guide available in the MBTA website describes the T subway system for people of all abilities. The guide can be accessed through this link: http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/getting_around/

The following subways and Silver Lines are available to get around Boston.

Red Line: Alewife Station to Braintree and Mattapan Stations

The Red Line starts at Alewife Station in Cambridge. When it reaches JFK/UMass, it splits into two branches: Ashmont Branch serving the Dorchester neighborhood with continuing trolley service to Mattapan, and Braintree Branch extending into Quincy and Braintree. http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=RED

Green Line:

America’s oldest subway, the Green Line is a trolley service starting from Government Center or Park Street with service running westward on four branches or north to Lechmere station in East Cambridge. Many of Boston’s colleges and universities, hospitals, and cultural institutions (including Fenway Park) are located on or close to stops along the Green Line.

The Green Line has four branches:

B Branch: Boston College to Government Center

C Branch: Cleveland Circle to North Station

D Branch: Riverside to Government Center

E Branch: Heath Street to Lechmere

http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=GREEN

Orange Line: Oak Grove Street to Forest Hills Station

The Orange Line runs from Oak Grove in the City of Malden to Forest Hills Station near the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. Stops in between include the vibrant retail district of Downtown Crossing, Boston’s Chinatown, and historic Roxbury as well as tourist destinations in Back Bay and South End.http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=ORANGE

Blue Line: Wonderland Station to Bowdoin Station

The Blue Line runs from Wonderland in the north shore city of Revere, under Boston Harbor to the Government Center stop at Boston’s City Hall Plaza. Along the way it picks up passengers going to and from Logan Airport and folks visiting the New England Aquarium, Faneuil Hall, and Quincy Market. http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=BLUE

Silver Line

The Silver Line Washington Street Service travels between Dudley Square, Roxbury and Downtown Crossing at Temple Place. Operating in a dedicated bus lane along Washington Street, the Silver Line buses run every five minutes or better during peak time. The Silver Line Waterfront service operates via a newly constructed tunnel and bus lane connecting South Station to two new underground stations and one surface stop east of D Street (Silver Line Way). After the stop at Silver Line Way, the routes branch off. http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=SILVER

Silver Line 1: South Station to Logan International Airport

Silver Line 2: South Station to Design Center

Silver Line 4: South Station at Essex Street to Dudley Station

Silver Line 5: Downtown Crossing at Temple Place to Dudley Station

Source: http://www.mbta.com/

Biking

There are about 38,000 daily trips by bicycle in Boston, 20% of which are work trips. This figure does not include recreational trips starting and ending in the same place nor does it include bicycle messenger trips. The basic bicycle network in Boston is the local street system. Under the State of Massachusetts and the City of Boston law, bicyclists may use all streets and parkways except divided express highways with on and off ramps. The roads in the City of Boston prohibited to cyclists are I-93, I-90, Storrow Drive, portions of Route 1A, the harbor tunnels, and the Tobin Bridge.

Source: Access Boston 2000-1010

Bike Routes of Boston and Cambridge

Source: Boston Bikes. www.cityofboston.gov

Please click for more detailed map of bike routes.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/TridionImages/BosBike%20Map%20may8final%20lores_tcm1-3455.pdf

Bicycle Paths around ANA Boston Venue

Bicycle Paths around ANA Boston Venue

Source: Access Boston 2000-1010

There are several popular bicycle paths located around the ANA Boston Venue as shown in the map above and listed below:

1 Dr. Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path: This path is located along the Charles River from the Museum of Science to Allston-Brighton and beyond. Motor vehicles are prohibited on this path. The path makes a 17-mile loop on both sides of the river. On warm weekends the path is crowded with joggers, roller skaters, strollers, dog walkers, besides bicyclists.

2 Emerald Necklace – Muddy River: It is one of the paths heavily used by commuters. There is an asphalt path on the Brookline side of the Muddy River and a crushed stone path on the Boston side.

7 Pierre Lallement Path (SW Corridor): The Peirrer Lallement Bicycle Path runs along the Southwest Corridor route of the Orange Line for three miles from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain to Massachusetts Avenue in the Back Bay. The corridor continues as a sidewalk area to Dartmouth Street.

8 Melnea Cass Boulevard: It is a bicycle path along Melena Cass Boulevard connecting to Ruggles Station.

14 North Point: The North Point Park extends the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bicycle Path towards the harbor.

15 Emerald Necklace – Fenway: It is a separate bicycle and pedestrian paths in the Back Bay Fens that will connect to the Muddy River path to the west and, via Forsyth Street, to the Pierre Lallement Bicycle Path.

16 South Boston Harbor Trail: The South Boston Harbor Trail extends the Melean Cass Boulevard bicycle path underneath I-93 to the Fort Point Channel, where it would follow the water to the Boston Harbor at Fan Pier.

Bike Rentals and Tours:

Bikes can be rented from several places, including the following:

Urban AdvenTours - http://www.urbanadventours.com/bikes.php

Urban AdvenTours is a unique, eco-friendly bicycle tour company in Boston that provides original bicycle tours and quality bike rentals. We offer daily bicycle tours at 10am and 2pm, and our Funway to Fenway and Bikes@Night Tours leave every night at 6pm. Whether you take in one of our daily Boston tours, enjoy one of our quality bike rentals, or organize a company biking event with Urban AdvenTours, you are guaranteed to have a 'wheely' good time! The price for renting bike ranges from $35.00/day to $90.00/day.

Bike Rides for Ordinary People - www.bikeridesfop.org/

Recognizing that there is a great difference between riding on bike path and sharing the road with motorist, the group sponsors free community rides for casual riders.  The routes taken are on less congested roads with limited hill climbs and range in length from 12 (the length of the Minutemen Bikeway) to 30 miles.  The group waits up when people fall behind so that no one gets lost and so we can socialize as we ride.  We welcome everyone and encourage people who have never ridden with a group to give it a try.  We have had people of all ages and abilities on these rides.

Bike Rules on MBTA

Here is a summary of the rules for taking bicycles on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority vehicles:

Source: http://www.cityofboston.gov/bikes/mbta.asp

Links to Trails and Paths

The following links provide information on trails and paths in and around Boston.

Arnold Arboretum - www.arboretum.harvard.edu/visitors/visitors.html

Paul Dudley White Charles River Paths - www.mhd.state.ma.us/downloads/maps/bikes/dudley.pdf

East Coast Greenway - www.greenway.org

Forest Hills Cemetery - www.foresthillscemetery.com/

Franklin Park - www.cityofboston.gov/parks/emerald/Franklin_Park.asp

Jamaica Way Bikepath - www.fenwayculture.org/MainSite/cyclepaths.htm

Melnea Cass Bikepath

Middlesex Fells - www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/fells.htm

Minuteman Bikeway - www.mhd.state.ma.us/downloads/maps/bikes/minute.pdf

Muddy River Bikepath - www.fenwayculture.org/MainSite/cyclepaths.htm

Neponset River Greenway - www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/lnrt.htm

Pierre Lallement Southwest Corridor Park - www.mhd.state.ma.us/downloads/maps/bikes/south.pdf

South Bay Harbor Trail - www.massbike.org/bikeways/indexb.htm

Stony Brook Reservations Paths - www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston

Walking

Boston is a very pedestrian friendly city and is often referred to as “the walking city. The City of Boston puts high priority on making the city walkable through various efforts, including marking crosswalks, regularly maintaining traffic signals and pedestrian pushbuttons, and employing innovative pedestrian safety signs at busy locations such as downtown, schools, parks, playgrounds, elder complexes, and libraries.

“WalkBoston” has developed a Downtown/Back Bay/South Boston Seaport walking map (shown below) to help commuters and visitors get around Boston.

Walking Map

Source: City of Boston.gov

If you want to download or print the map for your use, click on the link below.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/Images_Documents/city_routes.pdf