We Recommend Public Transportation

Public Transportation

We encourage you to take public transportation to UMass Boston, especially during the opening weeks of the semester when traffic volume can be very high. The MBTA offers many ways to reach the university—subway, commuter rail, and bus service, as well as “The Ride.”

MBTA Subway or Train with Free UMass Boston Shuttle

UMass Boston is located less than a mile from the MBTA’s JFK/UMass Station, which serves both the Red Line (subway) and the Old Colony Line (commuter rail). The university runs a regular, free shuttle bus service between the JFK/UMass stop and the campus. The trip normally takes less than ten minutes.

Shuttle Bus Service

  • Route 1 buses run non-stop from JFK/UMass Station to the Campus Center. They run only on weekdays, on the following schedule:

Monday-Thursday

6:40 am-9:30 pm every 3-6 minutes
9:30 pm-11:30 pm every 12 minutes

Friday

6:40 am-6:40 pm every 3-6 minutes
6:40 pm-10:18 pm every 12 minutes

  • Route 2 buses stop at the Quinn Administration Building, the Campus Center, the Massachusetts Archives, and the JFK Library. They run seven days a week, on the following schedule:

Monday-Friday

6:40 am-5:45 pm every 20 minutes

Saturday

7:30 am-7:00 pm every 20 minutes

Sunday

8:00 am-8:30 pm every 20 minutes Spring and Fall Semesters only

8:00am -7:00pm every 20 minutes Summer Semesters only

MBTA Bus Service

  • Route 8 MBTA buses run daily from Kenmore Square to the campus between 5:15 am and 12:30 am. The MBTA bus stop at the campus is next to the front field, near the Quinn Administration Building.
  • Route 16 buses run from Forest Hills to the campus Monday through Friday during rush hour.

MBTA “The Ride”

“The Ride” offers door-to-door service for eligible people who cannot use public transit because of a physical, cognitive, or mental disability. For information, call 617.222.5123, 800.533.6282, or 617.222.5415(TTY); or email THERIDE@mbta.com. Drop off locations are as follows: Campus Center circle; University Drive between McCormack and Wheatley halls, and the Quinn Lower Level busway.

MBTA Schedule Information

For more information on MBTA schedules and routes, visit www.mbta.com; or call 617.222.3200, 800.392.6100, or 617.222.5146 (TTY) .