Massachusetts has 10 regional
metropolitan planning organizations and three non-metropolitan planning organizations covering the remainder of the state;
[210] statewide planning is handled by the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Rail service
Amtrak operates
inter-city rail, including the high-speed
Acela service to cities such as
Providence,
New Haven, New York City, and Washington, DC from
South Station. From
North Station the Amtrak Downeaster serves
Portland, Maine and
Brunswick, Maine.
[211]
Regional services
The
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), also known as "The T",
[212] operates public transportation in the form of subway,
[213] bus,
[214] and ferry
[215] systems in the
Metro Boston area. It also operates longer distance commuter rail services throughout the larger Greater Boston area, including service to
Worcester,
Lowell, and
Plymouth.
[216] As of the summer of 2013 the
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority in collaboration with the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is operating the
CapeFLYER providing passenger rail service between Boston and Cape Cod.
[217][218]
Fifteen other regional transit authorities provide public transportation in the form of bus services in their local communities.
[219] Two
heritage railways are also in operation: the
Cape Cod Central Railroad and the
Berkshire Scenic Railway.
[220][221]
As of 2015, a number of
freight railroads were operating in Massachusetts, with
CSX being the largest carrier.
[222] Massachusetts has a total of 892 miles (1,436 km) of freight trackage in operation.
[223] The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority regulates freight and passenger ferry service to the islands of Massachusetts including
Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket.
[224]
Air service
The major airport in the state is
Boston-Logan International Airport. The airport served 33.5 million passengers in 2015, up from 31.6 million in 2014,
[186] and is used by around 40 airlines with a total of 103 gates.
[225]
Logan International Airport has service to numerous cities throughout
the United States, as well as international service to Canada, Mexico,
the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
[226] Logan,
Hanscom Field in
Bedford, and
Worcester Regional Airport are operated by
Massport, an independent state transportation agency.
[226] Massachusetts has approximately 42 public-use airfields, and over 200 private landing spots.
[227] Some airports receive funding from the Aeronautics Division of the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the
Federal Aviation Administration; the FAA is also the primary regulator of Massachusetts air travel.
[228]
Roads
There are a total of 31,300 miles (50,400 km) of
interstates and other highways in Massachusetts.
[229] Interstate 90 (I-90, also known as the
Massachusetts Turnpike),
is the longest interstate in Massachusetts. The route travels 136 mi
(219 km) generally west to east, entering Massachusetts at the New York
state line in the town of
West Stockbridge, and passes just north of
Springfield, just south of
Worcester and through
Framingham before terminating near Logan International Airport in Boston.
[230] Other major interstates include
I-91, which travels generally north and south along the
Connecticut River;
I-93, which travels north and south through central Boston, then passes through
Methuen before entering New Hampshire; and
I-95, which connects
Providence, Rhode Island with Greater Boston, forming a partial
loop concurrent with
Route 128 around the more urbanized areas before continuing north along the coast into New Hampshire.
I-495 forms a wide loop around the outer edge of Greater Boston. Other major interstates in Massachusetts include
I-291,
I-391,
I-84,
I-195,
I-395,
I-290, and
I-190. Major non-interstate highways in Massachusetts include
U.S. Routes 1,
3,
6, and
20, and state routes
2,
3, 9,
24,
and 128. A great majority of interstates in Massachusetts were
constructed during the mid 20th century, and at times were
controversial, particularly the intent
to route I-95 northeastwards from Providence, Rhode Island, directly through central Boston, first proposed in 1948. Opposition to continued construction grew, and in 1970 Governor
Francis W. Sargent issued a general prohibition on most further freeway construction within the I-95/Route 128 loop in the Boston area.
[231] A massive undertaking to bring I-93 underground in downtown Boston, called the
Big Dig, brought the city's highway system under public scrutiny for its high cost and construction quality.
[129]
