Roxbury to Waltham Commute on Public Transit? (Boston, Cambridge: how much, to live in)

[kestrel89]

Will be moving to Boston in the fall and will be studying in Waltham. Have a potentially great opportunity to live in Roxbury. I'll be on public transit. Google Transit puts the commute at an hour, on bus and depending on time of day, bus/subway combo. How accurate is that time generally, and also in the winter? How much additional time should I typically guestimate in winter for such a commute?

Thanks.

[professeurpablo]

It really depends on where in Roxbury and where in Waltham, but an hour sounds rather optimistic regardless. The very, very rarely running 170 bus (which only runs twice outbound in the morning and twice inbound in the afternoon) takes about an hour for the run from Waltham to Dudley. If you'll be near the orange line in Roxbury, you could take that into Downtown, get out, walk a couple of blocks down to Otis and Summer Streets and grab an express bus to Waltham (there are a few depending on where in Waltham you're headed - Bentley or Brandeis I'm guessing? The latter would be easier to get to than the former.) In any event, however, this option would take well over an hour, and you'd have to pay extra for a pass that is valid on the express bus.

Overall, I think this commute is one that is best done by car. If you'd rather use public transit, opt to live in Waltham itself, or look at the few non-express bus lines that serve Waltham. These go by way of Cambridge and Watertown and run reasonably often but are slow. Again, this all depends on where in Waltham you're trying to go. Brandeis at least has a commuter rail station nearby and is a destination for a couple of express bus lines; the Bentley area is more difficult to reach without a car - I believe only one bus line goes near it, and it's an express line coming from Boston.

[kestrel89]

Thanks very much for that valuable info, especially about the 170. I will be going to Brandeis. Sounds like, from what you say, any option will take at least an hour and a half each way and will be pretty expensive.

Again, thanks for such a thorough and helpful response - much appreciated.

[Amontillado]

I think the bus you want to look at is the 553, which makes several stops by the Brandeis campus and goes to downtown Boston.

You can also take the Orange Line up to North Station and then the Fitchburg line out to the Brandeis-Roberts stop on the edge of the campus. It would get you off the city streets at rush hour, and the rail part of the trip is less than 30 minutes, but it's expensive.

[kestrel89]

Thanks, Amontillado, that's helpful info. The area I'm looking at to live is not far from Dudley Station in Roxbury. Do you know how winter conditions typically affect bus lines i.e. should I plan on significant time added (to an already lengthy commute) in the winter months?

(I've never lived where there is snow....) Thanks so much, again.

[professeurpablo]

The only issue with the commuter rail out to Brandeis/Roberts is the cost - a monthly pass would be just under $200. There can be issues on commuter lines in the bad weather, and buses, though generally ok, sometimes run later than usual. All in all I wouldn't be able to confidently recommend doing this commute by MBTA unless you were okay with the length and cost up-front.

[kestrel89]

Sage advice, professeurpablo. Thank you.