Battle of the Transit
The BU Shuttle and the T grapple for the title of supreme mode of campus transportation.
By: Siena Griffin
Photo by Alex Neuman
You need to get all the way to Questrom from West Campus by 11:00 a.m.—and it’s currently 10:50. In your mad dash to make it to class comfortably, cheaply, and on time, do you opt for the BU Shuttle or the T?
The BU Shuttle, aptly abbreviated to BUS, has three loops: Commonwealth Avenue, Fenway, and 1BU, which circles the Charles River and Medical Campuses. It spans from Agganis Arena to as far east as Newbury Street. The T is a product of the MBTA; its multicolored lines cover all of Boston, with the Green Line running the length of Commonwealth Avenue.
Most students are partial to one or the other for reasons that include comfort, cost, and reliability.
The Green Line (B) runs from Boston College to Government Center, so you’ll find the average Bostonian on this line of transit. Typically only BU students ride the BU Bus, which means it is less crowded, according to Takumi Tomono (ENG ‘26).
“You have a better chance of being able to sit down on the BUS,” Tomono said.
However, the all BU-student demographic means the BUS attracts crowds at certain times: “There's always the big rush when people are getting out of class or trying to get back to West [Campus],” said Sara LaFever (COM ‘25).
The BUS is free to BU students, while the T charges $2.40 per ride. However, since the Green Line runs above ground throughout BU, it’s common for students to catch a free ride if the driver opens all car doors.
Tomono cited cost as the primary reason he prefers the BUS. He said, “If I get on the T at Blandford [Station], I always have to pay.”
Ericka Correia (COM ‘26) feels similarly to Tomono: “I used to always take the T but now I’ve started taking the BUS,” she said. “It’s very beneficial because there’s more room, it’s all BU students, and I know it’ll be free.”
The T’s convenience appeals to some, because it runs straight down Comm. Ave., “It is nice when you can run on the back and take it a few stops down campus and then get off,” LaFever said.
LaFever said she prefers the T “for getting outside of campus,” adding that she “feel[s] more like an adult because it’s actually part of Boston.”
The deciding factor in the on-campus transportation debate? Personal preference: Both the BU Shuttle and the T carry positives and drawbacks for students looking to travel around campus, so there may never be a true winner of public transit.