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The Commuter's Page

Boston

The Plymouth area has very good transportation service to Boston and a number of transportation alternatives. Route 3 is the major commuter highway to the city and is called "The Southeast Expressway" as it approaches Boston. The MBTA Commuter Rail also services the area as far as Kingston (with limited service to Cordage Park in Plymouth). There are two ways to commute to Boston; 

1. private vehicle or 
2. public transportation.

Public Transportation

If you choose to use public transportation for your commute to Boston, you have two choices;

1. The MBTA Commuter Rail at Exit 8 in Kingston or 
2. the Plymouth & Brockton Bus from the Park & Ride at Exit 5 in Plymouth. 

Both will land you at South Station in Boston. If predictability and the shortest commute are important to you, then the train is your best bet. If your schedule has some flexibility, the bus may be your best option. Here is a comparison of these two public transportation options;

The seats on the bus are more comfortable.	Seats on the bus are individual cloth reclining seats with headrests. The seats on the train are faux-leather bench seats that don't recline and have no headrest. (You'll never see people sleeping on the train but quite often on the bus)
The bus schedule is more flexible.	The buses run about every 20 - 30 mins. during rush hour. The train run on a 45 min to 1 hour schedule.
The bus is cheaper.	A book of 10 tickets runs $50 (about $200/ month) and parking at the Exit 5 Park & Ride is free. The price of a monthly commuter rail pass to Kingston is $250.00. Parking will still cost $2 per day at the Kingston Station (totaling about $290/month).
The bus stop is closer.	The Exit 5 Park and Ride is 15 - 20 mins from Great Island and right off the highway. The train station is 25 - 30 mins from Great Island and well off the highway. (On a dark, rainy or snowy morning you'll notice the difference)
The train is generally on-time.	The only time the bus runs on time is during the peak vacation season during the summer. Add ½ hour to the bus schedule arrival times during the winter months.
The train has the shortest commute.	The scheduled commute times for the bus and the train are about an hour. During the winter, the normal bus ride is 1 ½ hours on an average day and can be 2 ½ hours on a bad day. As a result, the train on-average has the shortest commute.
The train is less crowded.	You'll never have a problem finding a seat inbound on the train or the bus because you board them where they originate. On occasion, the bus will be full at South Station for the ride home.

Private Vehicle

Traffic along Route 3 starts backing up around 7 am so the earlier you leave the better. Expect bumper-to-bumper traffic from Braintree to Boston with a secondary traffic jam in Wellesley.

Vehicles with two or more occupants can use the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane on the expressway. Vehicles using the HOV lane can expect about a 2 hour inbound commute during the winter rush hour and 1 ½ hours outbound and inbound during peak vacation season. The HOV lane will save you about a ½ hour on your morning and evening commute. 

Otherwise, expect your inbound commute to be about 2 ½ hours during rush hour and 2 hours outbound and inbound during peak vacation season.

Single Occupancy Vehicle

Single occupancy vehicles are not allowed in the HOV lane.

Car Pool

Car pools are allowed in the HOV lane.

Van Pool

MassRides operates a van pool service for commuters. There are four or five van pools leaving from the south shore, including from Plymouth and Sagamore. This is the cheapest option for commuting to Boston and is otherwise comparable to the bus. The van pools run about $175 per month.