is already quite awful as it is. When it rains, however, there seems to be a true-blue gridlock everywhere!
Yet, I've also noticed that there's been gridlock everywhere, rain or shine, at least in part due to construction-related closures all over the place, an example of which is the Longfellow Bridge. What a mess!
I also think, however, that the fact that many more college students here in Boston seem to have cars has also contributed to the increase in gridlocked traffic. College Students here in Boston have always had cars, but not so many of them. I did not have a car when I attended Boston University, back in the late 1970's through the early 1980's. In order to get somewhere, I'd hoof it (walk), take public transportation, or, if I was running late, take a taxi. No big deal.
"great circle of traffic" - where I-95 and I-93 become so congested as to create near total gridlock from Woburn down through Boston into Canton and from Canton back up through Waltham into Woburn - today.
My car's a fuel burning thing
Too many make a fiery ring.
Moved by commuting ire
I drove into a ring of fire.
I drove into a burning ring of fire,
My speed went down as the traffic counts went higher
And it stops, stops, stops,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
green and yellow remaining on the map, plus the fact that the SigAlert system goes red well before near gridlock slow speeds actually set in, I'd say we have some time yet before we attain a true "great circle of traffic".
I started up Waze to see how motorists are defining the traffic, but the traffic filter appears to not be working on my phone for right now, so alas, no screenshot.
However other Waze users describe the areas around Needham and Lexington on 128 to be total standstills, as well as 93 by Milton and near Somerville, where someone wrote "What the **** is causing this".
Just shy of 6pm, my bus went by a car which had jumped over the median when you're approaching the North Washington Bridge towards Charlestown. It looked like it sustained damage from both hitting the raised median and from hitting a car when it went into opposing traffic.
Comments
I'm sensing a theme today
.
the MBTA soon will bat
the MBTA soon will bat cleanup
GRIDLOCK!!
GRIDLOCK!!
Boston traffic, especially at rush-hour,
is already quite awful as it is. When it rains, however, there seems to be a true-blue gridlock everywhere!
Yet, I've also noticed that there's been gridlock everywhere, rain or shine, at least in part due to construction-related closures all over the place, an example of which is the Longfellow Bridge. What a mess!
I also think, however, that the fact that many more college students here in Boston seem to have cars has also contributed to the increase in gridlocked traffic. College Students here in Boston have always had cars, but not so many of them. I did not have a car when I attended Boston University, back in the late 1970's through the early 1980's. In order to get somewhere, I'd hoof it (walk), take public transportation, or, if I was running late, take a taxi. No big deal.
Wonder if we'll attain that elusive
"great circle of traffic" - where I-95 and I-93 become so congested as to create near total gridlock from Woburn down through Boston into Canton and from Canton back up through Waltham into Woburn - today.
Almost!
With a couple of exceptions at 4:06pm, almost the whole circle is red
Ring Of Fire!
My car's a fuel burning thing
Too many make a fiery ring.
Moved by commuting ire
I drove into a ring of fire.
I drove into a burning ring of fire,
My speed went down as the traffic counts went higher
And it stops, stops, stops,
The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
The green parts are probably
The green parts are probably only green because no one can get there. Medford to Southie clocks in at 1:25.
Given the amount of
green and yellow remaining on the map, plus the fact that the SigAlert system goes red well before near gridlock slow speeds actually set in, I'd say we have some time yet before we attain a true "great circle of traffic".
Perhaps
I started up Waze to see how motorists are defining the traffic, but the traffic filter appears to not be working on my phone for right now, so alas, no screenshot.
However other Waze users describe the areas around Needham and Lexington on 128 to be total standstills, as well as 93 by Milton and near Somerville, where someone wrote "What the **** is causing this".
The answer is always the same
They are.
Huh?
Oh, you mean 128!
[runs and hides]
According to some GPS units
it's actually
Of course, most people intent on listening to the entire message before reacting probably miss their entrance ramp.
** = insert random destination here that may or may not be displayed on the signs
User name checks out; this
User name checks out; this guy is legit.
Yup
Right about 4pm, all our drivers started reporting major delays. Particularly on 3, 93, and 128.
Even more fun!
Just shy of 6pm, my bus went by a car which had jumped over the median when you're approaching the North Washington Bridge towards Charlestown. It looked like it sustained damage from both hitting the raised median and from hitting a car when it went into opposing traffic.
Looks like my Boston traffic saying rings true again...
"you can never beat the traffic, you can only wait for it to pass".
But as ever, no one in my office listened, and they are all still stuck after rushing out shortly after 5.
The knuckleheads will make the same mistake tomorrow when they try to leave at 3.
I just had a look at all of the maps, and my ride home after 7 will be its standard no-traffic time of 17 minutes (11 miles).
Go ahead, Haters.
End runs are sometimes possible
We stayed on the surface roads. Used the traffic widget to miss all the trouble spots. Zoom - got to 99 to Everett without any major stoppages.
Simply amazing. Helps to have a passenger-side navigator to make the calls, though.
Sigh.
Every year I watch the same damn people get stuck in the same damn traffic jams at the same damn times every weekend at the Bourne & Sagamore bridges.
No doubt many of them have been making that trip for years.
I have a lizard that learns faster than that.
And where exactly do you
And where exactly do you propose they go to avoid the Bourne and Sagamore bridges? The canal tunnel?
The Boston-Provincetown
The Boston-Provincetown bridge, obviously.
TAKE THE BLOODY TRAIN!
TAKE THE BLOODY TRAIN!