TASC5/KASC12 workshop
22-26 July 2019, MIT / Cambridge, USA
Wong Auditorium, MIT, 2 Amherst Street (on the corner of Wadsworth and Amherst Street), Cambridge, MA, USA
All talks will take place in the Wong Auditorium inside the Tang Center (Building number E51) on the MIT campus. Posters will be presented just outside the auditorium in the foyer, where all coffee and snacks will be served in the breaks.
Logan Airport (IATA-code: BOS) is served by a large number of US and international airlines. Direct flight are offered to most major US and European airports. Several smaller airports exist in the Greater Boston area, but connecting from there to Boston is usually less convenient.
Public transport in Boston is provided by the MBTA. From the airport, take the "Silver Line" SL1 bus, located right outside the Terminal. (Travel starting with the Silver Line from the airport is free, a measure introduced to reduce congestion at the airport terminals.) Stay on the bus to the final stop (South Station).
To the BU Residency Hall: Transfer to the Red Line (inbound to Alewife) and depart at "Park Street" (2 stops). Change to the Green Line train "B" going outbound to "Boston College." The Green line stop "Saint Paul Street" (9 stops) is a minute walk to the hall.
To Marriott Residence Inn: Transfer to the Red Line (inbound to Alewife) and depart at Kendall Sq ("4 stops"). The hotel is right outside the Kendall Sq station.
To Hyatt Regency Cambridge: Transfer to the Red Line (inbound to Alewife) and depart at Kendall Sq ("4 stops"). Between 7:10 am and 8:40 pm, every 30 minutes (10 minutes after the hour and 40 minutes after the hour), the hotel complimentary shuttle picks up passengers outside of Kendall Square Station/street level. An Uber/Lyft from Kendall is about $5 USD.
Both the MBTA and Google Maps offer a journey planner that has up-to-date timetables for all train and bus services in Boston.
CharlieCard: The "Subway-only", "Subway + Local bus" and the "Local bus + Subway + Local bus" combinations are all $2.25 USD. Bus-only is $1.70 USD. You can get a free CharlieCard from an MBTA Customer Service Agent.
CharlieTicket: Both "Subway + Local bus" and the "Local Bus + Subway + Local Bus" combinations are $4.75 USD. Bus-only is $2.00 USD, and like with the CharlieCard, it comes with a free Bus transfer within 2 hours of the tap. Subway-only is $2.75 USD with no free transfer. You can get a CharlieTicket from the MBTA fare vending machines.
A taxi from the airport costs about $35-45 USD (15-20% tips are expected in the US). Taxis prefer cash, but also accept all major credit cards.
App Ride/Transportation Network Companies, like Uber and Lyft, operate in Boston and Cambridge, and will service (pick-up and drop-off) the Boston Logan Airport. The fees are typically ~$25-35 USD for single rides but can fluctuate due to the demand at the time. The option to automatically share a ride with other Uber/Lyft users will significantly reduce the price. In order to access these rides, you must install the app on your phone and have access to the internet. Creating an account through the app and registering your credit/debt card or PayPal/Google Pay is required for service since the drivers will not take cash or credit.
Public transport in Boston is provided by the MBTA and Uber and Lyft are popular services, too. However, the center of Boston is relatively small with many parks and pedestrian-friendly streets, so simply walking is often the best option to get around.
In recent years, cycling has also become a lot more popular and many new bike lanes have been marked to increase safety, see Google maps for a map of bike routes. In particular, there is a very nice bike path along the Charles river. We want to point out two companies for providing bicycles:
A limited number of rooms at a discounted rate have been arranged at the properties below for the nights of July 20 to July 25. These rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis and may sell out before the deadline. Early reservations are strongly encouraged. We do not handle individual reservations for hotels or dorms. Changes and/or cancellations to reservations should be made with the directly with the property.
You must be 22 years of age or older to reserve a room in the BU dormitory. Anyone that is 17 years of age or younger must be accompanied by their own parent or legal guardian. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact stay@bu.edu.
We offer accommondation in BU student halls (green marker on map above, MBTA stop "Saint Paul Street"), about 30 min on foot from the conference venue. (Link valid until July 17th, 2019.) The modern, air-conditioned high-rise was opened in 2010. Apartments have four single-occupancy bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen (not stocked), and a living area. Beds come made with linen and bath towels, and basic amenities. Daily maid service is not provided. Guests are provided with a key to their private bedroom and the shared living spaces. There is a Gym in the building. Price: $88 per person per night (single room, but bathroom shared with one other person) or $154 per person per night (single room, adjacent bedroom empty so that each occupied bedroom has its own bathroom).
Booking can be done at: http://stay.bu.edu/tasckasc.bnb. On the website, pick arrival and departure date by clicking in the date box (Click arrow to proceed to next month) and click "SEARCH". To be matched with the suitemate of your choice, enter their name in the "Special Requests" field. Leave the "Special Requests" field empty to have a suitemate randomly assigned.
We will add a link for booking when available. For now, we recommend booking the BU dorms which offer a similar service at a similar price and distance to the conference venue.
We offer accommondation in MIT dorms, located only 10-15 min on foot fron the confernece venue. Rooms are about 100 $ / night with shared bathrooms. Dorms do not have air conditioning (July can be hot and humid in Boston). This is probably the cheapest option close to campus.
We reserved a block of rooms in the Hyatt Regency Cambridge hotel. This is located about 15 min on foot from the conference venue. Hotel shuttle with limited service available to Kendall Square. Rooms are 249 $ plus 14.45% tax per night. Book using this link (valid until all rooms are reserved, but no later than June 28). Phone: 617-492-1234 (MIT TASC5 KASC12 Workshop)
We also reserved a block of room in the Cambridge Residence Inn Marriot which is located right just on the northern end of the MIT campus, about 10 min on foot from the conference venue. The room rate is 299.00 $ per night plus 14.45% tax and includes breakfast and in-room internet service. Book using this link (valid until all rooms are reserved, but no later than June 28). Phone: 1-800-228-9290 or 617-349-0700 (reference the MIT TASC5 KASC12 Workshop Room Block)
The conference venue is on MITs campus, just across the river fomr downtown Boston.. Several other hotels are available in this area and can be found with any search engine or travel agency. More affordable options should also be available via websites such as Airbnb (We do not endorse any particular option. Links are provided as example only.).
International visitors who present an oral talk, poster, or an exhibit and whose country does not participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program may request a letter of participation from tasc5@mit.edu for a B1 Visa for Business in a timely manner. When requesting a letter of participation, please provide presentation information and full contact information (telephone and mailing address).
Others who do not meet the above criteria but need a visa for entry may apply for the same Visitor Visa except it will be for the Visa for Tourism-Pleasure (B2 Visa). No support letter from TASC5/KASC12 is required.
For more information and guidance regarding the Visitor Visa program, please read: Directory of Visa Categories.
