A DIFFERENT ROUTE
by sarah cristine burrola | photography bywendy xie | design by eugene kim
THE BUS COULD BE THE BETTER OPTION
If you’ve lived in Boston for even a week, you’ve probably taken the MBTA subway— casually called the T—at least once. If you haven’t, you should know it’s one of the easiest ways to get around in Beantown, given the never-ending traffic that stretches from the waterfront to Jamaica Plain and everywhere in between. But one thing you might not know is that for the young college student, the MBTA has another equally as convenient and, at times, quicker and more direct option: the buses.
14 | the buzz
While it can seem intimidating, with different stops and the necessity of memorizing those pesky route numbers, the bus is a great alternative to taking the T. Recent Boston University grad Jess Wallace (COM/CAS ’17), now a Brighton resident, said that the bus system was a huge asset during her time at BU. “[The bus] is faster than the T by a long shot and it goes more places for less money than any other MBTA system,” she said. A big plus, she added, is that taking the bus is a friendlier experience than taking the T, which often
leaves just-a-second-late passengers standing on the sidewalk. “If you have a regular route you take at the same time every day you usually end up being friends with the bus drivers which is nice,” said Wallace. Brighton resident Tanner Glickman has what they call a “love-hate relationship” with the bus system. “The key routes are great,” they said, pointing out the 66 and 57, “but you really have to plan for when the bus is coming on others