From PortlandAfoot

Boston is a metropolis on the East Coast. It's larger than Portland but shares some of its faintly European flavor.

Its venerable but increasingly decrepit subway system, called the T, is quite popular. Boston's is one of the few metro areas that has more public transit trips per capita than Portland.

As the home of Harvard, MIT and many large research companies, Greater Boston is an innovation capital and the home of carsharing companies like Zipcar and RelayRides. With the Hubway system operated by Portland-based Alta Bicycle Share, Boston also became one of the first major U.S. cities to offer commercial bikesharing.

[edit] Pedestrian commuting rates

Boston's lowest-income workers are about three times as likely to walk to work as middle-income workers.

Walking to work is about twice as common in Boston as in Portland, but it's more highly concentrated among people in poverty. As in Portland, Boston's lowest-income workers are about three times as likely to walk to work as middle-income workers.

In New York City, by contrast, low-income workers are only twice as likely to walk as middle-income workers.