An Enjoyable (12-Hour) Ride on the MBTA

Most riders on the MBTA (the public train system known locally as "the T") have one simple goal: the shortest trip possible. No delays, no missed trains, and no mysterious underground breakdowns. The quickest trip is always the most enjoyable.

A group of graduate students in the MIT Transit Lab had a different motive: visit every stop on the T’s Red, Blue, Green, and Orange lines in a single day. Transit Lab student Raphael Dumas documented their experiment in real time, live-tweeting throughout the adventure using the hashtag #TDay.

The students accomplished their goal on June 22. Beginning at the Red Line’s Park Street station shortly after 9 a.m., the group traveled each of the T’s major lines—with a few bus transfers for variety—in slightly over 12 hours.

Dumas told Boston Magazine that their purpose was two-fold: a fun adventure that directly ties in with the group’s coursework. The Transit Lab’s research focuses on transit policy, operations planning, and transportation modeling.

From Boston Magazine:

“None of us had ridden the whole network, so we decided to challenge ourselves to see if we could do it all in one day,” he said, adding that some schoolwork was involved. “I’m working on an algorithm in the MIT Lab to look at where people get in and out of the network.”

A few observations from their journey, via the #TDay twitter stream.

• The Red Line has the most parking lots, but also the most public bathrooms.
• The Blue Line is the cleanest.
• The Green Line’s D Branch is the most scenic.
• The Redline’s Mattapan high speed rail line, which passes through a cemetery, is the prettiest.

Their travels also included a stop in Harvard Square, a stroll on the Blue Line’s Revere Beach, a detour to find Dumas St. off of the Red Line, and a brief period of self-doubt.

The final stop, the Green Line’s Boston College station, occurred shortly before 10 p.m. In addition to Dumas, the Transit Lab travelers included William Chow, Katie Pincus, and Michael Gordon.

The MIT Transit Lab research team includes research associate John Attanucci SM ’74; Haris N. Koutsopolous SM ’83, PhD ’86; Frederic Salvucci ’61, SM ’62; and Nigel Wilson SM ’67, PhD ’70.

The team has participated in the development, design, and construction of San Juan’s Tren Urbano rail system, Chicago’s Circle Line and Airport Express projects, and Boston’s MBTA Silver Line.

Screenshots via @DumasRaphael.