In the six months that I've lived in Union Square, this bus has grown on me like fungus under my…read moretoenails. The driver is really friendly in that surly, "I-was-born-in-Chelsea-so-don't-expect-me-to-give-a-shit-because-it's-7am-and-I've-already-been-drinking," sort of way. Despite having to navigate the Union Square traffic melee both directions on its route, it somehow always arrives on time, except on weekdays, when it doesn't bother to show up at all. This tends to happen modt often on Fridays (like this one), and is completely unannounced, so I'll assume it's because the MBTA literally has only one driver available for this route and doesn't bother to find a replacement for our Chelsea boy who just spent a long weekend hugging porcelain in the bathroom of the Tavern at the End of the World. I've also had the pleasure of taking this bus in the middle of the day, when I am literally the only rider for the entire route. It was really creepy and the bus smelled like bad gin and I wouldn't recommend it. If the MBTA were to do something actually useful, like hire a systems analyst, then they might figure out that running routes like this north of the river in the middle of the day when everyone is at work downtown is a huge waste of money. The savings could then be used to not only pay that systems analyst's crappy government salary, but also would allow the 85 to run later at night when people actually need it, and on weekends, again, when people actually need it.

I like this bus because it's a couple of blocks from my apartment and it drops me off a mere 5…read moreminute walk from my office. It's a commuter bus line that runs until around 7:30pm only Monday through Friday. I hate this bus because it seems to run on a random schedule that changes daily. This is mostly because there's one bus that runs in a loop and it gets stuck in traffic going through Union Square. Also, because there's only one bus, it only runs about every 40 minutes in the morning - so your choices are 8:10 or 8:40 (give or take a few minutes). Also, the current bus driver is seriously the most surly individual on the planet. A few weeks ago the buzzer was broken and he just skipped a lot of the stops near/around Union Square. A woman was standing near the front told him so and he said "Do I LOOK like a mind reader?" and when she explained that standing near the front should signal that she wanted to get off he said "Oh yea? And how'd that work out for you?". So, if you don't mind the nasty driver and random arrival times - the 85 bus is a pretty convenient route to get you from Somerville to Cambridge.

On time, worked well with us to make sure our schedule could be accommodated. We had a wonderful…read morebus driver. The only challenge that might be improved is the phone number listed had a full mailbox. Email, however, was immediately answered.

I sent an inquiry to this company, ultimately using someone else. They still invoiced me and it has…read morebeen pure hell trying to get this sorted out. People don't answer the phone, respond to emails and just hang up on you if they feel it is too hard for them to handle. Stay far away from them, if it weren't for government contracts they would be out of business.

The hidden jewel of Somerville bus lines. Worth 5 stars for the front half of its outbound route…read morealone, which runs up the valley between Spring and Winter Hills via Pearl Street and Medford Street, before dumping onto Broadway, running through Ball Square, before slingshotting out around the backside of Tufts to do an end run via High Street in Medford up to Alrington Square. A ride on this reliable and off the beaten path route will take you directly to the best pizza in Somerville (the Paddock), will dump you in front of the Cock Block (Woody's, Wang's and Pini's) at Magoun Square, and dump you in Ball Square so you can get some REAL kick ass cupcakes at Lyndell's. I don't take this out much past Powderhouse, but it's a nice semi-scenic longway alternative to get to Arlington if you don't want to deal with tempestuous 87.

I'm 28 and do not have a driver's license…read more This is no mean feat especially given that I grew up in New Jersey where you are practically shoved into the driver's seat at the stroke of midnight on your 16th birthday. How I've managed this is largely due to never moving far from the reach of SEPTA when I lived outside of Philadelphia and then MBTA when I moved up to Boston. But the MBTA has not made staying car-less these past six years easy. But I will save my negative comments of those routes for other reviews because the #80 bus line is a shining example of all that can be wanted from a bus route! I first dabbled with the 80 to get to work when I lived outside of Magoun Square on days where the 101 was not cutting it for me. Despite several on-time and smooth trips to Lechmere laziness won out when I was living at my old place and I generally ended up riding the 101 to Sullivan Station to get to work because the stop was right in front of my house while the 80 was a ten minute walk away. Happily, when I moved to our new place in April I found out that the bus line that runs in front of our house was the 80. Since moving, my commute to work has improved drastically. Unlike other bus lines, when I used the MBTA trip Planner their estimated arrival times for the 80 were ALWAYS accurate within 3-4 minutes. "Bang on time" could be the motto of the #80 bus if the motto was being written by a blue haired old lady. Add to that in one route you can go to the Cambridge side galleria mall, connect with the green line into Boston, drop by Magoun square, Ball Square or Powderhouse Square, for amazing places to eat (respectively: Old Magoun Saloon, Ball Square Café, and Yoshi's), pop into the outer reaches of Davis Square or just take it all the way to the end and explore Arlington's fun main square. I have done all of these things and have never been late to work thanks to the 80. So if you ever need a positive experience with MBTA jump on the 80....

I usually don't take this bus to go to work in the morning however I had an appointment in lechmere…read morewhich called for this route. I checked the Transit app and it said it would be arriving in 4 minutes. By the time I walked to the bus stop the bus arrived. Luckily despite the Somerville high school student rush I got a seat for my twenty minute commute to lechmere station. I feel like a rockstar today. Give it a try if you need!

A rare model of efficiency and punctuality - except when it's not. But these exceptions are mostly…read moreinfrequent and forgiveable - except frequently on Sundays, when its runs are sparse and infrequent and thus any serious delays become slightly, but not completely, unforgiveable. But that said, the 88 was never done me wrong, not really, not in any serious way. We have our differences occasionally, but we always make up in the end, and any contempt bred of familiarity is diluted by the strength of our mutual respect for one another. "Swing down, sweet chariot Stop, and let me ride"

T stations are what they are. As a visitor, I found it on par with the NYC subway. It's a little…read moredirty, but what do you expect from a major city. I don't mind at all. The station has clean restrooms and areas to sit as you wait for the train.

Since the last time I was here, the parking lot has gotten a makeover. It's been repaved, the…read moreentrance where you paid cash has been replaced by a parking smartphone application, and the entrance and navigation through the lot have been redone. It's actually tougher to get to the entrance now if you're coming southbound because of the cross-traffic coming out of the lot and the 2 poorly timed traffic light sets. I wish the inside/T-stop part could get a face-lift too. Maybe over time. That would include the rest rooms. My opinion is still that the only way I'd want to go in there is with an open petri dish for a science project.

+1 Door to door service b/t my apartment and Taco Loco +1…read moreDoor to door service b/t my apartment and Good Time Emporium +1 Back up plan for getting down to Davis when the 88 betrays me

The 90 runs between Davis and Wellington and stops at Assembly Sq and at the end of my street…read more As my fellow yelper Jake M. said, it's a great back-up plan when betrayed by the 88. (See my review of the 88. This happens often) It doesn't run very often, or very late, but other than that, the service is pretty solid.

Clarendon Hill or Davis, but not both. Choose wisely…read more.. Once upon a time I was mad at the 89, because it stranded my ex-gf up on Winter HIll for an hour and a half one Sunday, waiting for a bus that never came. Now I'm mad because I wish she'd been on that bus before it disappeared from the face of the earth forever. Ball Square ---) The Cock Block ----) East Somerville It gets the job done, but barely. The 80 is still my bus of choice for Broadway

For a bus that attracts the clientele it does, you'd think I'd be less thrilled every time I buck…read morethe odds and emerge from the Davis escalator to find it sitting patiently, almost as though waiting for me like Cinderella's coach. Do scuzzy folks ride this route? Have I thought I was in conversation with someone only to find they were schizophrenic? Do people put their kid-filled strollers in the middle of the aisle and give you a look that dares you to not make them punch you in the face? INDEEDY DO, 89! That said, such salty co-riders are a small price to pay for getting dropped off a few steps from my Ball Square front door in the middle of the winter, and thanks to my trusty Pocket MBTA iPhone app, I've never waited for it longer than I thought I would. Why walk when you can be carried?

Deep, in fact the deepest station of the MBTA system as 105 feet below. It's always a bit cool to…read moredescend that far underground. I also enjoy the design of the large pipes "linking" the Northbound and Southbound levels. Also worth mentioning that I'm always a fan of stations where you can access both directions (ND&SB) after passing the fare gates. It's never Finding out you just paid for a train going the wrong direction! Where this station struggles is in the need for a little TLC. The platform was generally clean, but the surrounding walls could surely benefit for a long-overdue cleaning. Another point is the escalator. While I would not call it shaky, it did not offer a very smooth ride. Just in case, hold on to the handrail, it's a long way down otherwise.

This station is at a busy intersection, but if you don't want to cross the street they have a stair…read morecase that goes underneath. This is nice, but the only problem is this staircase is a very sketchy and dirty path. The station besides this was nice and they had trains constantly running.

This is a big T transit hub and there is a garage connected to it I believe. There are multiple…read moreways to enter and exit and so it can be a bit confusing, especially for first timers here like myself.

This place is a complete shit hole disgustingly dirty the bathrooms you can't even use because they…read moreare so gross. The parking lot is a mess. It's always under construction. It doesn't feel very safe. Honestly, where does the tax dollars go? This place is horrendous.!!!!!

I'm a big fan of efficient public transport systems but I can't say that I'm really pleased with…read morethe one that is operated for the city of Boston. It's ancient and old and a long list of other synonyms. The biggest improvement in the system has been the introduction of the Charlie Card, which is similar to London's Oyster and is a "stored value" contactless card where you charge it up (or pay a monthly fee) and simply swipe it at the turnstile. Easy. The stations have narrow platforms. In many places, the concrete is cracked and stained. The announcements are difficult to hear or understand. The trains are loud and run down. The seating has exposed edges and places behind to put trash. I've ridden metros in more than two dozen cities. From Atlanta and Amsterdam, Basel and Brussels and even Tokyo and Taipei. I can honestly say that I have experienced better.

There is a total College town atmosphere in this station. Hippies outside, college kids…read morecongregating, puppies, musicians, artists and police in the midst of the cacophony of a mass transit station in one of the most chic neighborhoods in the country. History everywhere. Every cobblestone outside of the station has a tale of Puritans walking by, Paul Revere and William Dawes riding by, George Washington galloping next door, the former Thai King busily walking to his classes at the Yard, and of course, the smell of beer from the many pubs in the area. Wonderful and colorful location.