Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The T's Fare-Collection System
Boston has come a long way since the Kingston Trio sang about “Charlie on the
MTA”—the transit authority even has a different name—but some things don't
change: “Charlie” is the face of the T's automated fare-collection system. Pas-
sengers store prepaid fares on two different reloadable passes: The
Charlie-
Ticket
is heavy paper with a magnetic strip, and the
CharlieCard
is a plastic
“smart card” with an embedded chip. What's the difference? (1) The Charlie-
Ticket goes into the front of the turnstile and pops out of the top, while the
CharlieCard registers when you hold it in front of the rectangular reader on the
front of the turnstile; and (2) fares are lower if you pay with a CharlieCard than
if you use a CharlieTicket. CharlieCards are not available from the self-service
kiosks that stand at the entrance to each subway station and in each terminal
at the airport. In addition to dispensing CharlieTickets, kiosks allow you to add
value onto CharlieTickets and CharlieCards, using cash or a credit or debit card.
To get a CharlieCard, ask a T employee, order one in advance, or visit a retail
location (check the website for a list of convenience stores, newsstands, and
other outlets). Consider ordering CharlieCards or CharlieTickets online before
you leave home; at press time, shipping is free, and you won't have to buy one
immediately upon arriving.
Tips
The bus terminal, formally the
South
Station Transportation Center,
is on
Atlantic Avenue next to the train station.
The major lines are
Greyhound
(
&
800/231-2222 or 617/526-1800;
www.greyhound.com) and
Peter Pan
(
&
800/343-9999; www.peterpanbus.
com). Other operators include
American
Eagle
(
&
800/453-5040 or 508/993-
5040), Peter Pan affiliate
Bonanza
(
&
888/751-8800; www.bonanzabus.
com),
Brush Hill Tours
(
&
800/343-
1328 or 781/986-6100; www.brushhill
tours.com),
Concord Trailways
(
&
800/
639-3317; www.concordtrailways.com),
Plymouth & Brockton
(
&
508/746-
0378; www.p-b.com), and
Vermont
Transit
(
&
800/552-8737; www.vermont
transit.com).
GETTING AROUND
ON FOOT
If you can manage a fair amount of walk-
ing, this is the way to go. You can best
appreciate Boston at street level, and
walking the narrow, picturesque streets
takes you past many gridlocked cars.
Even more than in a typical large city,
be alert. Look both ways before crossing,
even on one-way streets, where many
bicyclists and some drivers blithely go
against the flow. The “walk” cycle of
many downtown traffic signals lasts only
7 seconds, and a small but significant part
of the driving population considers red
lights optional anyway. Keep a close eye
on the kids, especially in crosswalks. And
you're all wearing comfortable shoes,
right?
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The
Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority,
or MBTA (
&
800/392-6100
or 617/222-3200; www.mbta.com), is
known as the “T,” and its logo is the let-
ter in a circle. It runs subways, trolleys,
buses, and ferries in and around Boston
and many suburbs, as well as the com-
muter rail, which extends as far as Provi-
dence, Rhode Island. The automated
fare-collection system is a bit involved,
but getting the hang of it is easy, and T
employees who man every station can
answer questions.
