Boston ranked No. 3 in a recent Transit Score ranking, largely due to the geographic reach and convenience of its Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency.
Boston’s transit system, which includes America’s first subway, experienced a 1.8 decrease in its transit score but still ranked third overall with a 72.6, while also ranking third among the the country’s most walkable large cities. Residents in Boston are able to walk to an average of three restaurants, bars and coffee shops in five minutes, according to walkscore.
The rank order of the top six cities for public transit has remained consistent since 2012, with each of the top three cities having a Transit Score of at least 70, meaning their public transportation has exceptional frequency, route type and distance to the nearest stop on the route.
Boston transit has several upcoming projects on the horizon, including transit expansions, all-electronics fare collections and the North Station-South Station connector. These projects may further increase the city’s Transit Score.
Transit Score is the only national, quantitive rating of access to public transit, measuring ranking of U.S. cities’ transit systems based on residents’ access to public transportation in order for homebuyers and renters to find neighborhoods where they can drive less.