We’re not really sure why it seems as though the MBTA is the most frustrating public transit system in the country, but their latest move seems to cement that status. On November 15, after 8am, the MyCharlie site, which many Bostonians use to reload their CharlieCards from home, will be shut down.
MBTA is shutting down the MyCharlie website
This is according to the MBTA’s official website, which explains that the MyCharlie site will be shutting down and a new site will relaunch that they claim will be “more accessible and easier to use.” The new site does promise some great features, and you’ll be able to: Register multiple cards and see them all in one place, protect your CharlieCard balance against loss, theft, or damage (no details on how that works yet), quickly request replacement cards and sign up for automatic payments. Also, if you have a MyCharlie account the information will be transferred to the new site but you’ll need to sign up for auto-pay if you want to continue recurring payments.
Where can I reload my CharlieCard?
What you can’t do is reload your CharlieCard. Commuters expressed their frustration on social media, making very good points. A poster on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote “You can’t buy/add value to a CharlieCard online, at home, anytime. But you can wait in line, at a machine, fumbling with physical cards. Just in time for winter. We pay people to make decisions like this?”
Here’s where you can go on the T and more
While this move, and recent slowdowns, have been frustrating, the MBTA and access to trains are one of the best things about Boston. With the commuter rail, you can skip traffic and head straight to Gillette for a game or concert and you can hop on Amtrak from Back Bay or South Station and head to New York or New Haven for not that much money. Of course, frustration with slow downs, like the recent one on the Red Line, continue to simmer.
Commuter Rail, Ferry, and Express Bus passes on CharlieTickets will still be available for online purchase.