Public Transit
Riding the "T"
Downtown Boston is where our MBTA system began–literally. In 1897, Boston’s Tremont Street Subway (predecessor to the MBTA) opened. Running beneath Tremont Street, it linked Scollay Square (now Government Center) to Boylston Street. It was the first subway system in North America.
MBTA Subway & Silver Line
The MBTA’s subway system converges in downtown, with the Red, Orange, Green, and Blue lines meeting underneath Downtown Crossing. The Silver Line (bus line) goes through the Downtown Crossing area, too.
Use any of the following T subway stops to access downtown. Click here for more info about the service changes, schedules and maps:
- Boylston Street (Green line)
- Chinatown (both Orange and Silver lines)
- Downtown Crossing (both Orange and Red lines)
- Government Center (both Blue and Green lines)
- Park Street (both Red and Green lines)
- South Station (both Red and Silver lines)
- State Street (both Blue and Orange lines)
In addition to the four subway lines, the Silver Line rapid-transit bus shuttles continuously between South Station and Logan Airport, with additional downtown stops at 600 Washington Street and 26 Temple Place.
Please visit here for additional MBTA subway-related info, including the complete fare schedule and maps.
MBTA Service Alerts
Stay up-to-date with construction and maintenance that may affect your commute or visit to Boston.
Service for Seniors and People with Health Conditions
The Downtown Crossing CharlieCard Store offers one-stop customer service. The store is open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for seniors, Transportation Access Pass (TAP) customers, and customers with chronic health conditions, and open to the general public from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s closed on Mondays.