South Station Bus Terminal

Main entrance on Atlantic Avenue, Boston

The South Station Bus Terminal, owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, is the main gateway for long-distance buses in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located at 700 Atlantic Avenue, at the intersection with Beach Street, in the Chinatown/Leather District neighborhoods.[1][2] The facility is immediately south-southwest of the main MBTA/Amtrak South Station terminal, and is located above the station platforms.

History

The building serves as a nexus to consolidate several intercity bus locations serving Boston into a single central location. This shift facilitated the removal of the main bus terminal at the heart of Dewey Square, a shift from the former Greyhound Bus terminal at number 10 St. James Avenue in the Back Bay area, and the transferral of various curbside Chinatown bus lines into this one facility. Continental Trailways service also previously operated from a terminal in the Back Bay, until sometime in the 1980s.

Facilities

Main hall and skylight, surrounded by food concessions and ticket sales counters

The bus station building, which was constructed in the 1990s, is a mixture of glass and metallic exterior, with mainly a red-granite stone and metallic-surfaced interior. Situated separately from the main South Station train terminal, the bus terminal is strikingly vertical in design, with five floors. Entry is via a long escalator, or a large glass-sided elevator with exterior views. The passageway from the upper entrance lobby towards the main hall has a series of large windows overlooking the railway tracks below.

The station contains a variety of amenities for waiting passengers. These include a newsstand and snack bar; three fast-food outlets: Honey Dew Donuts, D'Angelos, and McDonalds; a number of payphones; free 15-minute public parking on the roof,[3] and restrooms. Like other significant transportation facilities, it also contains full service ticket counters and seating areas.

Bus lines serving the terminal

Southward-looking aerial view of highway and railway approaches, with the bus terminal roof parking visible at lower left
Bus terminal on Atlantic Avenue, viewed looking southeast. The entire structure is elevated above multiple railway tracks.
Dedication plaque inside the South Station Bus Terminal

Unless otherwise indicated, all destinations are in Massachusetts.

BoltBus
Boston Express
C&J Trailways
Concord Coach Lines
Dattco
Fung Wah Bus Transportation
Greyhound Lines
Lucky Star
Megabus
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Plymouth and Brockton
YO! Bus (Greyhound Company)

Gate assignments

Bus waiting area and gates

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Station Bus Terminal.


Coordinates: 42°21′00″N 71°03′21″W / 42.3500°N 71.0558°W