New England Transit
 NET's official logo. | |
| Formerly | New England Transit Association |
|---|---|
| Genre | Video Game Developer |
| Founded | November 25, 2021 |
| Founder | Ilias Benmokrane |
| Products | |
| Members | 10,000+ (2025) |
| Website | www |
New England Transit (abbreviated as NET or NETransit) is a Roblox-based public transit roleplay and simulation group. Founded in 2021[1] by Ilias Benmokrane, known on Roblox as Ill91, the group created Boston Bus Simulator which became the successor of Benmokrane's first game, New England Bus Simulator. New England Transit focuses on replicating the operations of public transportation agencies in Boston and Worcester, both located in Massachusetts.[2] Boston Bus Simulator recreates bus operations at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), while New England Bus Simulator replicates the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA).[3] The group's main game, Boston Bus Simulator, has experienced rapid growth, garnering over 500,000 visits in under two months.[4] The project has been covered by several Boston-area news outlets, including The Boston Globe, WHDH (Channel 7), WBZ-TV Boston, and Axios Boston.[2][4][5][6]
Development and Structure
[edit]New England Transit develops free-to-play, open-world bus simulator games on Roblox. New England Transit is part of the broader Roblox public transit simulation community. It maintains affiliations with other Roblox transit groups and participates in joint events and collaborations.[7]
Development for its two games is handled on the group level. New England Transit manages game assets, marketing, public relations, and infrastructure design. Updates and feature rollouts are announced via the game page, the group’s official website, and its Discord server.[1]
Game Features
[edit]Across New England Transit's titles, gameplay centers on an in-game cash system, and dedicated gamepasses for exclusive content. In Boston Bus Simulator, users operate fixed MBTA bus routes, as they would in real life, crossing multiple cities near Boston. Currently, MBTA bus routes 104 (Airport Station to Malden Center), 106 (Wellington Station to Lebanon Loop), 110 (Wellington Station to Broadway and Park), and 112 (Wellington Station to Wood Island) are playable.[2][8] Upon completing the route, a summary screen is shown with the user's earnings. Cash is used to unlock certain bus "wraps" or exterior designs, being both fictional and modeled after the MBTA's current fleet.[9] Certain unlockables, such as retired buses, are one-time Robux gamepass purchases.
In New England Bus Simulator, paid features operate the same way. Users operate WRTA bus routes, only in the city of Worcester and town of Auburn. Numbered routes all originate from Worcester's Central Hub bus station, which is across the street from the city's Union Station. Local shuttles, such as the Eldershopper, may omit the Central Hub, serving a neighborhood Price Chopper, Shaws, and apartment complex.[10] However, the game's lone fictional route (the Polar Park Shuttle) was created to transport passengers between the Central Hub and Polar Park.[11] Players can simulate 5 fixed routes, the 7 (to Washington Heights via Family Health Center), 19 (to Goddard Drive via Webster Sq. Plaza), 25 (to Webster Sq. Plaza via Canterbury St.), 27 (to the Auburn Mall), and 80 (a loop around Downtown).[12]
In both games, users may also choose to roleplay positions other than bus operator, including Transit Police (Boston Bus Simulator replicates the MBTA Transit Police agency) and passengers.[5] The Transit Police mode allows players to moderate reckless drivers, create detours and diversions, and issue tickets to improperly parked vehicles across the map.[2] New liveries have expanded gameplay to include simulations of local police agencies, such as in Everett and Worcester.
New England Transit stands out among Roblox bus and city simulators for its near 1:1 recreation of roads and buildings.[13] Modeled primarily from Google StreetView data, developers scale and map city blocks in Roblox Studio.[4]
As of October 2025, New England Transit operates a small portion of the MBTA's actual bus fleet, including the New Flyer Industries XDE40, D40LF, and C40LF buses.[14] The American-made Gillig Advantage is also available in-game. For the WRTA's fleet, New England Bus Simulator operates a larger variety of vehicles, including Gillig Advantages but also NovaBus RTS buses, and Ford E350 minibuses.[14]
History
[edit]Benmokrane started developing on Roblox in May of 2019, motivated in part by his desire to improve the quality and accuracy of public transit simulator games on the platform.[4] Elwin Reyes, known as iiBOSTONIAN, encouraged Benmokrane to create the original Worcester Regional Transit Authority game and corresponding group, as he was a native of the city and a local transit advocate.[13] Medy Florestal, known as CallMeMedy, assisted Benmokrane in developing the original map in 2019.[1] The map initially recreated the Main South neighborhood in Worcester but later expanded to cover a larger area, stretching from Downtown Worcester to the Auburn Mall in the town of Auburn.[13][12]
Benmokrane decided to sell the WRTA group in 2021. New England Bus Simulator subsequently became unavailable to play that same year.[1] Despite parting ways with the group, Benmokrane began development on a new project based in Boston. He then created Chelsea/SL3 Bus Simulator, which would later become Boston Bus Simulator. It would grow to cover seven cities: Everett, Boston, Medford, Malden, Chelsea, Revere, and Somerville.[2]
New England Bus Simulator was updated and reopened in November 2024. Benmokrane retained the title despite the sale, since the game operated from his personal Roblox account rather than through the WRTA group. Following continued development of the Boston-based network, the New England Transit group was established to manage both games, succeeding the WRTA group. The first Boston-area map, titled Lower Mystic Bus Division, was released on June 29, 2025. MBTA operations use the centralized hub system (known as Boston Bus Simulator), allowing players to select and join different regional maps.[1]
Reception
[edit]New England Transit and its games have been featured in various Boston and Worcester area publications.
The Boston Globe described Boston Bus Simulator as a "hyperrealistic MBTA bus simulator" created by Boston area high school students, referring to its accurate simulation of bus routes and stations.[2]
WHDH (Channel 7) featured the game's rapid popularity, reporting that it received over 500,000 visits within less than two months.[4]
CBS Boston wrote about the project as well, noting its appeal to students and its groundbreaking simulation of Boston's public transit system. During the interview, Benmokrane shares that his work encouraged a user in the group's Discord server to pursue a career in public transportation.[5]
Axios Boston said the game is an unusual but notable inclusion in the city's digital landscape, citing its role in placing transit simulation on a mainstream stage.[6]
Worcester's Telegram and Gazette newspaper calls New England Bus Simulator a 1:1 recreation of Worcester, notably sharing how Benmokrane would often have to redo parts of the game's map in accordance with ongoing city projects. For example, when Polar Park and the Canal Distict were redeveloped, Benmokrane traveled to Worcester to document the changes and update the game.[13]
Future plans
[edit]According to WHDH, a Downtown Boston division is expected sometime in the near future, while group developers have announced that their older game, New England Bus Simulator, is set to receive a graphical update in late 2025.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "New England Transit - About". www.netransit.net. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ a b c d e f "These local teens love transit so much they made a hyperrealistic MBTA bus simulator on Roblox - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ "New England Transit - About". www.netransit.net. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ a b c d e f "Boston University student creates successful MBTA simulator on Roblox". WHDH 7News. 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ a b c "Boston University student creates MBTA bus simulator game on Roblox - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ a b Deehan, Mike (2025-08-01). "There's an MBTA bus video game". Axios. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ Mr Neil (2025-08-10). Transport Tech 2025 - ROBLOX. Retrieved 2025-08-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ "New England Transit - MBTA Boston". www.netransit.net. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ Collazo, Nat (April 15, 2025). "Massachusetts Transit Being Recreated in Roblox Simulation Game: 'I'll Speed Run This Game'". NerdStash.
- ^ Anthony Vasquez (2025-07-08). WRTA Roblox Bus Driving Eldershopper Shuttle. Retrieved 2025-10-29 – via YouTube.
- ^ Anthony Vasquez (2025-07-15). WRTA Roblox Bus Driving Polar Park Shuttle. Retrieved 2025-10-29 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b "New England Transit - WRTA Worcester". www.netransit.net. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ a b c d Collings, Jesse. "Teen creates a simulated Worcester in transit-inspired game". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
- ^ a b "New England Transit - Fleet". www.netransit.net. Retrieved 2025-10-28.