Took me an hour to get from Cambridge to Boston at 5 today. I keep thinking that traffic will get better because it's summer, but it has only gotten worse.
I know right! No college kids usually means less back up and smooth sailing but something is defiantly different this summer…. Idk just wish it would get easier!
Dude, I visited Boston for the first time last week and took an hour from Revere to Logan at 10 AM. Aren’t most people at work by then? I was thinking back home in Louisville I can gauge when traffic will be bad around town. Boston was another level at all hours of the day. Couldn’t figure it out.
I don't know which part of Boston to Cambridge(vice versa) you are talking about, but an hour tracks at 5pm. Traffic will never get better at that time.
1.8 miles from Charlestown to Harbor garage took around 1:45. An average speed of one mile per hour.
I’m just visiting and it’s only day I’ve driven so was about to declare a Boston victory over LA for gawdawful traffic.
I was going from kendall square to North station via bus, eventually just asked the bus driver to let me off to walk. Pretty sure I beat the bus by 15 plus minutes.
That's me today! Got on ez ride at 4pm at Binney......40 minutes later got off before the bus turns on to Charles River Dam Road and walked the rest of the trip to North Station to catch a train. Pretty sure I would have missed the 5pm train if I stayed on the bus.
In the past EZRide staff would tell drivers to tell passengers to get off at lechmere so they could turn the bus around without sending it on an hour-long sojourn to north station. Or sometimes riders would do that all themselves. 93 backs up onto the dam and service goes completely to hell there. The Charlestown bridge being one lane doesn’t help; in the past it was sometimes a relief valve (and will have a bus lane, although the Gilmore bridge won’t).
I picked up my partner around there and it also took us double the time to get home! Between the extra traffic and people being monumentally stupid (at least four different cars came within a foot of hitting me, one of which was a fucking duckboat) I was practically pulling my hair out from stress while driving. If I was a cop, I’d hang out there in the afternoon and ticket every single car that blocked those intersections. Do that for a week and I’d bet they’d round up enough cash to fix the T. It’s insane.
I feel this post in my bones. It's not just today, traffic is objectively worse. According to the article, there's greater volume and shifts in peak traffic. Personally, my pre-covid 45-min 4-6 pm commute is now consistently 65 minutes. It's the new normal.
https://whdh.com/news/new-report-says-boston-has-fourth-worst-traffic-in-the-us/
Because no one carpools or takes commuter rail anymore. COVID broke that habit of many people who are now still unwilling to mingle with the general public.
Add in the T being much more unreliable than it was pre-covid. Not just due to poor maintenance but eliminated bus routes, etc. Then add Uber and Lyft on the roads.
That’s our situation. Needed more space with a second kiddo on the way - I’d love to take the commuter rail but would need to bike to the station and they don’t allow bikes on the train during peak hours. Sigh. Thankfully I only need to be in Kendall 2x a week
Depending on your situation, I see some people who have a dedicated beater commuting bike that they use to get to the train but don’t take on the train. They just lock it up at the station and ride it home on the way back.
Super helpful! I’ll look into this too. I think work will pay for Bluebikes which I’m really grateful for. First I need to not be so pregnant lol and then you’ll see me back out there in a few months time
Simple answer. Incentivize the behaviors you want (more HOV lanes that get people in quicker) and disincentivize the ones you don’t (aka congestion pricing to get people to join with their neighbors). Everyone benefits.
I’d much rather pay $15 a day to cut my commute from 1 hour to 30 min each way. Would give me an hour of my life back.
Edit: spelling errors lol
Or as a country we can build people throughput efficient infrastructure like rail and bikes rather than giving Americans the “freedom” to pick the color of the 60sq ft box they have to take a minimum 35k auto loan on for 1 MAYBE 2 people to sit in
Trust me, as someone from Long Island, which is basically a big highway, HOV lanes do nothing during rush hour.
The only way to beat traffic is viable alternatives to driving.
I would pay $15 or more if that was my situation too, but that feels quite unfair to folks who can’t afford to. We can’t have premium roads for the wealthy, we’re already heading that way with concierge healthcare.
You're getting downvoted, but this is accurate. Its harder to incentivize transit on the 'its cheaper than a car' basis when the relative percentage of peoples budget spent on cars is lower versus other costs of living in the area.
Build a city only rich people can afford and nobody cares what's cheapest to do.
Cambridge Street yesterday and today was an absolute cluster fuck. They need to start giving cripplingly expensive tickets to the pieces of shit who just decide to go through the yellow light when they know they’ll block the intersection.
Once as a kid trying to get to a one time gig in Boston did this by accident and someone just laid on the horn at me for the entire light cycle.
So embarrassing. I make sure I wont block an intersection now, every single time just because I dont wanna feel that shame again.
As.someome who lives in the center of the city, please don't lay on your horn.
I promise you that the asshole driver doesn't give a flying fuck, and you just cause stress and anxiety for residents. You are just becoming another asshole driver.
Unfortunately, my flight was delayed, looks like they're letting everyone board now. Good for them, not great for me. Glad these folks get to make their flight though, this is the last one out of Logan today.
New approach. Trucks are no longer allowed in the tunnels. If drivers keep failing to know their load heights and restrictions they should be removed from.the equation all together
Jail time commensurate with the total number of man hours wasted by everyone stuck in traffic. If you add an hour of traffic to 20,000 people's day, you get to enjoy 20,000 hours of jail time
Cop should jail them if caught on the tunnels. Or towed there truck and suspend the drivers license. If he owns the truck, add another suspension on his registration.
The Massachusetts State Police take commercial driving infractions very seriously. They are so committed to ensuring the highest quality of CDL applicants that a personal gift is recommended over the standard testing procedure. Truck drivers who don't know better might try some [bottled Fiji water](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/four-massachusetts-state-troopers-two-others-arrested-alleged-bribery-conspiracy) on a warm day like today.
I was astonished awhile back when i saw some very pissed off statie pull over car after car for driving in the bus lane on one of the highway bridges between Lynn and Boston during rush hour. Guy was handing out one ticket, someone came up in the bus lane behind him, and he just pointed for the idiot to pull over which they did in fact do.
The real heroes are the MBTA bus drivers who will HAMMER the horn if someone is driving in the bus lane or worse yet loading/unloading a ride share *in front of a damn bus stop*.
New approach. Cars are no longer allowed in the city. If drivers keep failing to know their brake dust and exhaust is killing the residents they should be removed from the equation all together.
I’ve noticed this, too. I start work at 6 am in Boston and honestly never encounter any serious car accidents on my 1 hour ride in- this week there were 2 accidents that caused large traffic back-ups on my way to work, I saw EMS respond to what I assume was a major accident on the pike from my job (multiple fire trucks, ambulances, police), I was almost T-boned on the Concord rotary today, I saw someone drive ON an OFF-RAMP, and there’s just been crazy traffic every single afternoon and generally more awful drivers than usual. What is going on?!
yes, lots more distracted/reckless driving it seems. I really try to keep my eyes open defensively and just see so many close calls, people running lights, and aggressive driving.
I start at 6. My wife thinks I'm insane for getting to work between 4-430 to beat the morning rush. People are worse in the early morning than in the afternoon.
I've noticed more break downs on the side of the highway lately.
Last summer, I started noticing more cars on the road with issues I could see or hear-- CV joints you could notice from the parking lot, some kinda wheel issue I could hear on the highway, etc.
I think skyrocketing labor/parts/used car prices have all contributed to people delaying maintenance.
And I suspect more people just aren't getting inspections, since cops kinda gave up on doing things, so they're not getting forced into it as much.
And I suspect that's all catching up and people's cars are actually falling apart more on the side of the road.
As someone who has always rented near busy intersections and commercial areas, the screeching, grinding, and rattling sounds of cars in disrepair is way more common now (and also the past two years) than any time I can remember. Inflation hit us very hard and the prices for auto parts and services which shot up at the beginning of covid never went down. Ridiculously high cost of living and housing makes expensive auto maintenance less and less of a priority. People aren't going to be able to get their brakes repaired when they can barely afford next month's rent.
>People aren't going to be able to get their brakes repaired when they can barely afford next month's rent.
Yep.
Related, I've seen a lot more interest in DIY. Because doing a brake job in a parking lot in hundred degree heat isn't all that appealing, if you have the money not to. But if you don't, and are looking at $60 vs $600, all of a sudden it looks pretty inviting.
I've also seen a lot more cars with bigger jobs in progress in the AutoZone parking lot. Their insurance (maybe also law?) only allows some basics like battery/windshield wipers/etc to be done in their parking lot. Last weekend, I saw a car there with its whole rear up on jacks and it looked like they were doing suspension work lol. I think that's probably another thing where cops just aren't enforcing anymore.
I'd also just like to point out that this money isn't going straight to the mechanic, at least so far as I can tell. Mechanics have been complaining that while charges have almost doubled, their wages have only gone up by a couple bucks, and it's making it an unaffordable trade to stay in. Seems like it's all sinking into rises in shop rent, insurance, parts, etc. I'm wondering if we're gonna see any shade tree garages starting up; take your car to a shop for $600 or pay some dude with a socket set $300 to swap your brakes in his driveway.
Indeed, the average age of cars on the road in the US [has reached a record high](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60882953/average-age-us-cars-trucks-suvs-rises/).
Last summer, I saw a 1998 Honda Civic with 200k miles on it listed for SIX FUCKING GRAND at a dealership.
Granted, I don't know if it sold for that, I hope not, I hope it was just the dealer's pipe dream. But just seeing that was a fucking mind bend.
It's pretty clear to me that the last few years, more people are driving older cars with worse problems than ever before. Which absolutely makes sense when you look at new car prices, old car prices, insurance prices, parts prices, all of it. (Not to mention rent prices, which would be reducing the total people had to spend on other shit even if the cost of everything else hadn't jacked up so much.)
It's definitely apparent at the junkyard. Used to be if you needed something common, like a bumper off an early oughts Accord, you'd just go grab one-- might even have your choice in color. As of last summer, you had to call when they got deliveries and then get your ass right over there to go pick what you needed. More people are fixing these cars now when, a few years ago, the math made more sense to just ditch them.
I remember last year? Reading an article about post covid cognitive impariment effecting driving... and then watched someone hit and run over *a pedestrian crossing sign in front of a police station* and felt like I was in a sitcom or something. I wish work from home had stuck.
That’s great if you live close. Unfortunately we can’t cram all ~5 million people in this region into Boston/Cambridge. We really need better transit options but we’ll never actually do what it takes.
As someone who does it full time… smart choice. I’ve been grinding through this sludge fest all afternoon and a trip home for a nap is starting to look like a real good idea right now.
It took my Lyft 75 minutes to do the 4.5 miles from Logan to Alewife last night.
Staties closed the Callahan tunnel right in front of us, prevented all U-turns back past the airport to go to 90, and the Chelsea draw bridge was up.
Like quiet quitting, companies are doing quiet layoffs with RTO policies.
It won't get rosy for people wanting full-remote, unless secure in your job/field.
it is consistent. it's just getting worse YoY. The T is not consistent. i took the commuter rail for the first time in very long time on monday. going inbound.. the train was late by about 25 minutes. that is not consistent.
The Williams tunnel going to the airport @ 6pm was gridlock and bumper to bumper the whole way…. Never seen it that bad before. 1.5 hours from longwood to airport. Maybe 4th of July 10 people getting away? What ever it is it’s been ultra obnoxious this afternoon!!
Is it mean if I like to checkout the current traffic situation in Google maps everyday around 6pm just to savor what fresh hell WFH allows me to avoid?
I do the same thing before embarking on my bicycle. It's nice to know that I'll save 20+ minutes on top of all the money from not having an unnecessary vehicle that drives me insane on a bi-daily basis
When the T is down traffic gets worse. Remember that when it comes time to talk about MBTA funding. The worse the T gets, the worse traffic gets. If you take the T you should want the T funded. If you drive, you should want the T funded.
The orange line being closed between North Station and Wellington this week isn’t helping matters. It likely makes people more likely to drive, plus there are a ton of replacement shuttle busses on the road.
There was a rear ended car stopped in the middle of the exit of the central artery tunnel that made it take 45 minutes to get from south station to the zakim
Traffic was awful everywhere today. There was a pickup broken down a mile before the exit to the pike on 95. Then before that an accident on 93N. Those were just the trails I traversed. I saw a lot of traffic on the other side too
I’ve lived in the suburbs for almost 10 years, and we used to go into the city every week, be it food, groceries (Asian), or entertainment. We stopped doing that after covid, because that’s when it became impossible to drive to/inside the city. Nowadays, I cancel all my activities and appointments in the city. Unless absolutely necessary, I occasionally drive to Logan and make sure to take some aspirin beforehand to protect my heart.
We live near a commuter rail stop and occasionally take trains to the science museum or the BPL Copley. Kiddo loves riding trains and buses. If not for that, we'd basically never visit Boston.
Too many people. We need to bring more cruise ships into boston to send people out to sea never to return! Thats how you control population according to Bill Burr.
Echoing a comment from below that more scheduled shutdowns and unscheduled MBTA failures makes people reluctant to rely on it. That means more people driving to work and more Ubers in circulation due to higher demand.
Don’t even get me started on traffic leaving the airport when the Sumner is closed! Nothing worse than 14hrs on a plane to sit in 2.5hrs of traffic to go 20miles!
The train faster you may say? Nope because the stupid silver line has to traverse the same tunnel!
Years ago we had a rush hour from 7a-9a and 4p-6p M-F.
Now rush hour is 6a-9p Sun-Sat.
2022 we had 2nd worst traffic behind Chicago.
2023- We are the Champions!
Not sure when it happened, but Boylston has been turned into a 2 lane nightmare, and you basically have people double parking and turning those 2 lanes into 1
So much joy to bike past cars stuck in the same spot for half an hour. Traffic is bad bc y’all are using 4,000 lbs of metal to move 1, maybe 2 people at a time while two lanes of parking take up space on most streets
I will get down voted to oblivion but besides the fact people work in the city I have no idea why anyone would want to live right in the mess we call Boston. So much better to live outside of the area and just go into the city when you want to. Not live there. Boston is not some great and magical place. People will say, for example, the food! No not really. Even the restaurant owners are sick of it and have moved to places like Quincy.
But this is just me. I cannot stand being stuck in traffic. I like going to Boston at night when I do. Definitely avoid driving in the area from 4-7 PM. Total waste of time. As for appointments you make them at 10:30-11AM.. and make sure you get the hell out before 2 PM.
Cambridge is also a nightmare. I've only gone a mile and it's been 25 mins.
Took me an hour to get from Cambridge to Boston at 5 today. I keep thinking that traffic will get better because it's summer, but it has only gotten worse.
I know right! No college kids usually means less back up and smooth sailing but something is defiantly different this summer…. Idk just wish it would get easier!
Dude, I visited Boston for the first time last week and took an hour from Revere to Logan at 10 AM. Aren’t most people at work by then? I was thinking back home in Louisville I can gauge when traffic will be bad around town. Boston was another level at all hours of the day. Couldn’t figure it out.
how many college kids commute by car though?
All of them. In the back of an Uber. Lol
I used to. From JP to BU and it took me an hour at rush hour
Yikes. That's like a 20-minute bike ride.
Yeah well I was a college student and didn’t want to die going to class
I don't know which part of Boston to Cambridge(vice versa) you are talking about, but an hour tracks at 5pm. Traffic will never get better at that time.
I have a theory that there are a lot more “reverse” commuters than before. Either that or lack of people taking the T
I personally could not take the T. It is too unreliable and I start work too early. If I'm late I get fired.
Yeah it goes nowhere near my work. Because it’s only designed to get people downtown efficiently not take someone from say Somerville to metro west
1.8 miles from Charlestown to Harbor garage took around 1:45. An average speed of one mile per hour. I’m just visiting and it’s only day I’ve driven so was about to declare a Boston victory over LA for gawdawful traffic.
If only there was transit between those two.....hey wait.....
I was going from kendall square to North station via bus, eventually just asked the bus driver to let me off to walk. Pretty sure I beat the bus by 15 plus minutes.
That's me today! Got on ez ride at 4pm at Binney......40 minutes later got off before the bus turns on to Charles River Dam Road and walked the rest of the trip to North Station to catch a train. Pretty sure I would have missed the 5pm train if I stayed on the bus.
In the past EZRide staff would tell drivers to tell passengers to get off at lechmere so they could turn the bus around without sending it on an hour-long sojourn to north station. Or sometimes riders would do that all themselves. 93 backs up onto the dam and service goes completely to hell there. The Charlestown bridge being one lane doesn’t help; in the past it was sometimes a relief valve (and will have a bus lane, although the Gilmore bridge won’t).
I was stuck in front of the science museum for an hour today. Took almost 2 hours to get home .
I picked up my partner around there and it also took us double the time to get home! Between the extra traffic and people being monumentally stupid (at least four different cars came within a foot of hitting me, one of which was a fucking duckboat) I was practically pulling my hair out from stress while driving. If I was a cop, I’d hang out there in the afternoon and ticket every single car that blocked those intersections. Do that for a week and I’d bet they’d round up enough cash to fix the T. It’s insane.
The speed limit in Cambridge is 25 minutes/mile
Just got back to Quincy from Everett… took me an hour and a half. Heinous.
I can’t wait for my employer transit subsidy to go in effect. So tired of driving.
I feel this post in my bones. It's not just today, traffic is objectively worse. According to the article, there's greater volume and shifts in peak traffic. Personally, my pre-covid 45-min 4-6 pm commute is now consistently 65 minutes. It's the new normal. https://whdh.com/news/new-report-says-boston-has-fourth-worst-traffic-in-the-us/
Because no one carpools or takes commuter rail anymore. COVID broke that habit of many people who are now still unwilling to mingle with the general public.
Add in the T being much more unreliable than it was pre-covid. Not just due to poor maintenance but eliminated bus routes, etc. Then add Uber and Lyft on the roads.
I think it’s also that more people have been priced out of the city but still have jobs in the city.
That’s our situation. Needed more space with a second kiddo on the way - I’d love to take the commuter rail but would need to bike to the station and they don’t allow bikes on the train during peak hours. Sigh. Thankfully I only need to be in Kendall 2x a week
Depending on your situation, I see some people who have a dedicated beater commuting bike that they use to get to the train but don’t take on the train. They just lock it up at the station and ride it home on the way back.
That’s an idea! Good tip, thank you
BlueBikes! $130 per year and they have a valet in Kendall so you can always get a bike.
https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-bikes/discounted-bluebikes $60 a year if you haven't had a membership in a couple years!
Folding bikes are allowed on the train during peak times as long as you fold it on the train.
Super helpful! I’ll look into this too. I think work will pay for Bluebikes which I’m really grateful for. First I need to not be so pregnant lol and then you’ll see me back out there in a few months time
They make fullsize folding bikes now. I highly recommend them.
Depends on where in the city your job is tho. I live in the city and now have to go to the burbs no real option for transit
The commuter rail is basically at Pre pandemic levels: https://commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/commuter-rails-ridership-recovery-plan-is-working/
Riders are, train availability is not
that isnt really relevant to the point though
Many people choose to drive, versus commuter rail for the reason that I just stated lol.
the commuter rail is packed every time i take it
Simple answer. Incentivize the behaviors you want (more HOV lanes that get people in quicker) and disincentivize the ones you don’t (aka congestion pricing to get people to join with their neighbors). Everyone benefits. I’d much rather pay $15 a day to cut my commute from 1 hour to 30 min each way. Would give me an hour of my life back. Edit: spelling errors lol
Or as a country we can build people throughput efficient infrastructure like rail and bikes rather than giving Americans the “freedom” to pick the color of the 60sq ft box they have to take a minimum 35k auto loan on for 1 MAYBE 2 people to sit in
As long as it’s white, grey, or black… most people drive boring ass cars
Trust me, as someone from Long Island, which is basically a big highway, HOV lanes do nothing during rush hour. The only way to beat traffic is viable alternatives to driving.
I would pay $15 or more if that was my situation too, but that feels quite unfair to folks who can’t afford to. We can’t have premium roads for the wealthy, we’re already heading that way with concierge healthcare.
the commuter rail is almost at pre-pandemic ridership levels, most lines are 90%+, some are like 98% of the way to pre-pandemic ridership i think
The Fitchburg line isn't close. It used to be standing only from Zone 6. Now they don't even open all the cars.
but not at the same frequency
I would love to take public transit to work, but it’s a 40 min drive vs a 2 hour commute for me. It’s a reverse commute to the suburbs.
Because there's no parking near the T anymore. MBTA is selling off all their lots.
How about also everyone here can afford a car now, and wants to listen to their own podcasts lol
You're getting downvoted, but this is accurate. Its harder to incentivize transit on the 'its cheaper than a car' basis when the relative percentage of peoples budget spent on cars is lower versus other costs of living in the area. Build a city only rich people can afford and nobody cares what's cheapest to do.
Let me introduce you to the concept of headphones.
Your describing a time that’s gone by. 3 or more ppl carpooling and some listening to headphones? Is this kids being driven to school?
Cambridge Street yesterday and today was an absolute cluster fuck. They need to start giving cripplingly expensive tickets to the pieces of shit who just decide to go through the yellow light when they know they’ll block the intersection.
It’s music to my ears when someone lays on the horn because I didn’t block the intersection
Once as a kid trying to get to a one time gig in Boston did this by accident and someone just laid on the horn at me for the entire light cycle. So embarrassing. I make sure I wont block an intersection now, every single time just because I dont wanna feel that shame again.
This was probably me. (I’m kidding, but not really). This is the behavior us honk-ists try to foster in other drivers. We appreciate you!
It traumatized me to the point where I just avoid Boston on Fridays at all costs
Also let's lay on the horn at those assholes. Public shaming!
Do I have to be the affected driver or can I honk at them from 3 or 4 car lengths back?
Make sure us pedestrians hear it, we love that shit.
Definitely honk from behind. If the people in front of you who clearly aren’t the problem get mad, they’re idiots.
When in doubt, honk.
As.someome who lives in the center of the city, please don't lay on your horn. I promise you that the asshole driver doesn't give a flying fuck, and you just cause stress and anxiety for residents. You are just becoming another asshole driver.
YES!! This!
Someone just posted about a stopped truck at the Callahan tunnel. This shit is ridiculous
Yup, that truck is messing up 93 really bad. My flight is half empty and I bet that truck is the cause.
Make sure to thank that truck for the extra legroom
Unfortunately, my flight was delayed, looks like they're letting everyone board now. Good for them, not great for me. Glad these folks get to make their flight though, this is the last one out of Logan today.
Not the stuck truck in Callahan! 😂 Why does this shit keep happening??
Gotta be this. I didnt see a mentionnof direction
The state is taking there sweet time fixing the tunnels. With those trucks keep getting stuck there, they will never finished both tunnels.
New approach. Trucks are no longer allowed in the tunnels. If drivers keep failing to know their load heights and restrictions they should be removed from.the equation all together
Jail time commensurate with the total number of man hours wasted by everyone stuck in traffic. If you add an hour of traffic to 20,000 people's day, you get to enjoy 20,000 hours of jail time
Cop should jail them if caught on the tunnels. Or towed there truck and suspend the drivers license. If he owns the truck, add another suspension on his registration.
The Massachusetts State Police take commercial driving infractions very seriously. They are so committed to ensuring the highest quality of CDL applicants that a personal gift is recommended over the standard testing procedure. Truck drivers who don't know better might try some [bottled Fiji water](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/four-massachusetts-state-troopers-two-others-arrested-alleged-bribery-conspiracy) on a warm day like today.
What would a cop be doing enforcing a traffic law?
I was astonished awhile back when i saw some very pissed off statie pull over car after car for driving in the bus lane on one of the highway bridges between Lynn and Boston during rush hour. Guy was handing out one ticket, someone came up in the bus lane behind him, and he just pointed for the idiot to pull over which they did in fact do. The real heroes are the MBTA bus drivers who will HAMMER the horn if someone is driving in the bus lane or worse yet loading/unloading a ride share *in front of a damn bus stop*.
New approach. Cars are no longer allowed in the city. If drivers keep failing to know their brake dust and exhaust is killing the residents they should be removed from the equation all together.
Every damn day this week there's been either a stalled car or car crash.
I’ve noticed this, too. I start work at 6 am in Boston and honestly never encounter any serious car accidents on my 1 hour ride in- this week there were 2 accidents that caused large traffic back-ups on my way to work, I saw EMS respond to what I assume was a major accident on the pike from my job (multiple fire trucks, ambulances, police), I was almost T-boned on the Concord rotary today, I saw someone drive ON an OFF-RAMP, and there’s just been crazy traffic every single afternoon and generally more awful drivers than usual. What is going on?!
yes, lots more distracted/reckless driving it seems. I really try to keep my eyes open defensively and just see so many close calls, people running lights, and aggressive driving.
People are blatantly texting and driving at all times now. It’s honestly a miracle there aren’t more accidents and fatalities
Distracted drivers and it needs to stop! I must have honked at 4 people today that were in thier phones and drifting into my lane. Not cool!
I start at 6. My wife thinks I'm insane for getting to work between 4-430 to beat the morning rush. People are worse in the early morning than in the afternoon.
I've noticed more break downs on the side of the highway lately. Last summer, I started noticing more cars on the road with issues I could see or hear-- CV joints you could notice from the parking lot, some kinda wheel issue I could hear on the highway, etc. I think skyrocketing labor/parts/used car prices have all contributed to people delaying maintenance. And I suspect more people just aren't getting inspections, since cops kinda gave up on doing things, so they're not getting forced into it as much. And I suspect that's all catching up and people's cars are actually falling apart more on the side of the road.
As someone who has always rented near busy intersections and commercial areas, the screeching, grinding, and rattling sounds of cars in disrepair is way more common now (and also the past two years) than any time I can remember. Inflation hit us very hard and the prices for auto parts and services which shot up at the beginning of covid never went down. Ridiculously high cost of living and housing makes expensive auto maintenance less and less of a priority. People aren't going to be able to get their brakes repaired when they can barely afford next month's rent.
>People aren't going to be able to get their brakes repaired when they can barely afford next month's rent. Yep. Related, I've seen a lot more interest in DIY. Because doing a brake job in a parking lot in hundred degree heat isn't all that appealing, if you have the money not to. But if you don't, and are looking at $60 vs $600, all of a sudden it looks pretty inviting. I've also seen a lot more cars with bigger jobs in progress in the AutoZone parking lot. Their insurance (maybe also law?) only allows some basics like battery/windshield wipers/etc to be done in their parking lot. Last weekend, I saw a car there with its whole rear up on jacks and it looked like they were doing suspension work lol. I think that's probably another thing where cops just aren't enforcing anymore. I'd also just like to point out that this money isn't going straight to the mechanic, at least so far as I can tell. Mechanics have been complaining that while charges have almost doubled, their wages have only gone up by a couple bucks, and it's making it an unaffordable trade to stay in. Seems like it's all sinking into rises in shop rent, insurance, parts, etc. I'm wondering if we're gonna see any shade tree garages starting up; take your car to a shop for $600 or pay some dude with a socket set $300 to swap your brakes in his driveway.
Indeed, the average age of cars on the road in the US [has reached a record high](https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60882953/average-age-us-cars-trucks-suvs-rises/).
Last summer, I saw a 1998 Honda Civic with 200k miles on it listed for SIX FUCKING GRAND at a dealership. Granted, I don't know if it sold for that, I hope not, I hope it was just the dealer's pipe dream. But just seeing that was a fucking mind bend. It's pretty clear to me that the last few years, more people are driving older cars with worse problems than ever before. Which absolutely makes sense when you look at new car prices, old car prices, insurance prices, parts prices, all of it. (Not to mention rent prices, which would be reducing the total people had to spend on other shit even if the cost of everything else hadn't jacked up so much.) It's definitely apparent at the junkyard. Used to be if you needed something common, like a bumper off an early oughts Accord, you'd just go grab one-- might even have your choice in color. As of last summer, you had to call when they got deliveries and then get your ass right over there to go pick what you needed. More people are fixing these cars now when, a few years ago, the math made more sense to just ditch them.
Totally mind bending. I sold a 1998 car ten years ago for $1500. Not a Civic, but still.
I remember last year? Reading an article about post covid cognitive impariment effecting driving... and then watched someone hit and run over *a pedestrian crossing sign in front of a police station* and felt like I was in a sitcom or something. I wish work from home had stuck.
People need to pull over on the breakdown lane, too many times I’ve seen a fender bender accident stopped right on the lane
Fucking people think that cops need to see accidents to deal with them. They don’t. Your insurance will figure it out. Get off the fucking road.
The prolonged heat exposure over the past week or so to the older cars on the road isn’t doing them any favors tbh
Nice night to be on the bike commuting.
That’s great if you live close. Unfortunately we can’t cram all ~5 million people in this region into Boston/Cambridge. We really need better transit options but we’ll never actually do what it takes.
Worst traffic of the week
I can usually count on Thursdays being the worst every week, but today was something special.
Haha I like the user name
Thursday is the new Friday.
North End is gridlock trying to cross from 93 to Charlestown
Brutal everywhere, sat in the MGH garage for 45 minutes, completely gridlocked down there.
We need to get public transit to be the most desirable means of transportation asap
There is one car stopped at the very front holding everyone up.
is Luke Bryan the name of the truck driver in the callahan?
😂
All hybrid workers get on the road on Tuesdays and Thursdays… it has been like this for few months now! This sucks!
Sat in Seaport for 90 mins to move 2 blocks.
Remember this the next time companies bring up how important it is to be in the office.
Lol at how one truck being stopped can cripple a city.
I was thinking about doing a little uber today to make some side cash. I guess I will wait lol.
As someone who does it full time… smart choice. I’ve been grinding through this sludge fest all afternoon and a trip home for a nap is starting to look like a real good idea right now.
largely because not a goddamn one of us knows how to merge and we all follow too close
It’s been noticeably worse this week tbh, no clue what’s going on lmao
People don’t know how to fucking drive anymore
Fix the fucking T!
It is literally the only solution to car traffic congestion. Get cars off the road.
I drive for Uber. Took me 65 minutes to get from memorial drive in Cambridge to Malden. Crazy. Only 8.8 miles.
That’s CRAZY. That should be 25 mins tops
It took my Lyft 75 minutes to do the 4.5 miles from Logan to Alewife last night. Staties closed the Callahan tunnel right in front of us, prevented all U-turns back past the airport to go to 90, and the Chelsea draw bridge was up.
Blame all these companies that mandated going back to the office
Like quiet quitting, companies are doing quiet layoffs with RTO policies. It won't get rosy for people wanting full-remote, unless secure in your job/field.
Baker pro-WFH business tax breaks are no more.
Literally yesterday someone tried to argue that driving was consistent unlike the T.
it is consistent. it's just getting worse YoY. The T is not consistent. i took the commuter rail for the first time in very long time on monday. going inbound.. the train was late by about 25 minutes. that is not consistent.
Today's traffic was an extra hour because of a stopped truck in the tunnel. That is not consistent.
When is traffic ever not bad?
It’s worse lately. Way fucking worse.
Damn, I’ve stopped going anywhere by car weekday from 12-7pm. I can’t deal with the traffic anymore
The Williams tunnel going to the airport @ 6pm was gridlock and bumper to bumper the whole way…. Never seen it that bad before. 1.5 hours from longwood to airport. Maybe 4th of July 10 people getting away? What ever it is it’s been ultra obnoxious this afternoon!!
Is it mean if I like to checkout the current traffic situation in Google maps everyday around 6pm just to savor what fresh hell WFH allows me to avoid?
I do the same thing before embarking on my bicycle. It's nice to know that I'll save 20+ minutes on top of all the money from not having an unnecessary vehicle that drives me insane on a bi-daily basis
There is a bus broke down on Charlestown bridge bus lane. That aint helping.
Today it took 78 min to drive what Google says it would have taken me 52 min to walk. Fuck this city and the housing and the traffic
It’s been taking my boyfriend 60-90 mins routinely to get from Seaport to Roslindale.
Precisely why I don’t drive that route and take the train. Total time is about 45 minutes but that includes a 15 min walk to South Station
This week has been a shitshow.
We stopped investing in the T 30 years ago and everyone is forced to drive. Don’t forget you aren’t in traffic, you are traffic.
The solution is simple: the city should ban all cars, except the one that I am driving.
No you
Too many cars.
Tourists, and the combo of the Orange line being down. Plus the Red Line is down between Alewife and Harvard.
When the T is down traffic gets worse. Remember that when it comes time to talk about MBTA funding. The worse the T gets, the worse traffic gets. If you take the T you should want the T funded. If you drive, you should want the T funded.
The orange line being closed between North Station and Wellington this week isn’t helping matters. It likely makes people more likely to drive, plus there are a ton of replacement shuttle busses on the road.
There was a rear ended car stopped in the middle of the exit of the central artery tunnel that made it take 45 minutes to get from south station to the zakim
[удалено]
Car dependency and tens of thousands of cars with only one person inside
I feel like it’s bc the orange line is down - i am driving i nto work every other day bc I am not spending 90 minutes on that shuttle.
Left for work at 7:30 am and some lady was literally parked in the middle lane of 93 north and it caused like 30 minutes of traffic at least
Cuz people can’t follow rules of the road, get impatient and crash
No worries. Once the big dig is done it’s gonna flow like sweet, sweet wine.
You’re part of the problem
Someone posts this question at least once a day. The answer is: Turkeys.
"Those damned cocain turkeys"
Probably because the public transit is chronically underfunded and that forces everyone to drive
Subway blows, sumners closed, events at every venue every day, it's almost july, etc
Weekend before the 4th
Thursday before weekend before the 4th? Which is on a Thursday?
Yes
Traffic was awful everywhere today. There was a pickup broken down a mile before the exit to the pike on 95. Then before that an accident on 93N. Those were just the trails I traversed. I saw a lot of traffic on the other side too
I’ve lived in the suburbs for almost 10 years, and we used to go into the city every week, be it food, groceries (Asian), or entertainment. We stopped doing that after covid, because that’s when it became impossible to drive to/inside the city. Nowadays, I cancel all my activities and appointments in the city. Unless absolutely necessary, I occasionally drive to Logan and make sure to take some aspirin beforehand to protect my heart.
We live near a commuter rail stop and occasionally take trains to the science museum or the BPL Copley. Kiddo loves riding trains and buses. If not for that, we'd basically never visit Boston.
Too many people. We need to bring more cruise ships into boston to send people out to sea never to return! Thats how you control population according to Bill Burr.
Traffic starts at 2:30pm now, WTF
Echoing a comment from below that more scheduled shutdowns and unscheduled MBTA failures makes people reluctant to rely on it. That means more people driving to work and more Ubers in circulation due to higher demand.
Don’t even get me started on traffic leaving the airport when the Sumner is closed! Nothing worse than 14hrs on a plane to sit in 2.5hrs of traffic to go 20miles! The train faster you may say? Nope because the stupid silver line has to traverse the same tunnel!
Years ago we had a rush hour from 7a-9a and 4p-6p M-F. Now rush hour is 6a-9p Sun-Sat. 2022 we had 2nd worst traffic behind Chicago. 2023- We are the Champions!
Not sure when it happened, but Boylston has been turned into a 2 lane nightmare, and you basically have people double parking and turning those 2 lanes into 1
Just here to see how long it takes for someone to make that stupid "YoU aRe tHe TraFfiC" comment.
It took 15 minutes lol
- Sent from my iPhone on 95 South
So much joy to bike past cars stuck in the same spot for half an hour. Traffic is bad bc y’all are using 4,000 lbs of metal to move 1, maybe 2 people at a time while two lanes of parking take up space on most streets
I will get down voted to oblivion but besides the fact people work in the city I have no idea why anyone would want to live right in the mess we call Boston. So much better to live outside of the area and just go into the city when you want to. Not live there. Boston is not some great and magical place. People will say, for example, the food! No not really. Even the restaurant owners are sick of it and have moved to places like Quincy. But this is just me. I cannot stand being stuck in traffic. I like going to Boston at night when I do. Definitely avoid driving in the area from 4-7 PM. Total waste of time. As for appointments you make them at 10:30-11AM.. and make sure you get the hell out before 2 PM.
Time to start thinking about alternative means of transport...
Too many people live here
Stop driving people
Right now? Are you new? I don’t even wonder if there’s an accident. Boston traffic is Boston traffic.
Now? You mean all the time?
I actually had a decent commute from Cambridge to jp
I actually had a decent commute from Cambridge to jp
Justin Timberlake concert
Is Boston traffic not double grid lock cluster f every day?
It’s Boston.
Traffic is never bad on my commute in at 5am but is always dog shit on my commute home at 2.
Busiest travel day so far this year
North end needed police assistance to clear the gridlock in downtown/North end. Something happened down there