No Taxi? No Problem

July 28, 2016

The public transportation in Moscow is known to be one of the best in the world. After living in Boston for four years, I have grown accustomed to waiting 10 to 20 minutes for a train on the T, and sometimes more during the winter. In Moscow, the average train arrives every one to two minutes. I live quite far from our host campus, thus efficient transportation is vital for my morning commute. Although the train closes at 1:00am, I am astonished by how reliable the transit system is in Moscow; what would take me 45 minutes on the T takes less than 20 minutes on the Moscow metro.

The metro stations are known to be the most beautiful in the world. The majority of stations were built when Russia was part of the Soviet Union in the mid-20th century, and the stations have remained in the same architectural style until this day. Unlike Boston, the stations have decorative pillars, marble flooring, mosaics, and chandeliers throughout each platform. It is like stepping into a museum each time I go to class or on excursions! When the station closes at 1:00am, many people opt for taxis to get home. However, many taxis are unsafe or can overcharge. Fortunately, Uber is very popular in Russia, and due to conversion rates, the average ride has cost me $6.00 for a 20-minute ride. Overall, the transportation has been one of the best parts of my Dialogue program!

Written By

Elisabeth Borja

Hello! My name is Elise and I am a senior at Northeastern University. I have a major in Communication Studies with two minors in International Affairs and French. I will be apart of the Tale of Three Cities Dialogue of Civilizations program, which takes place in Moscow, Kazan, and St. Petersburg, Russia. I hope that this Dialogue of Civilizations program will help me improve my Russian language skills, as well as educate me on the many parts of Russia that aren't shown in Western media. A fun fact about me is I speak three languages: English, French, and Russian. I am very eager to share my experiences with you for the next several weeks, and hope you continue to read my weekly posts!