Transportation in Boston
Transportation in Boston includes roadway, subway, regional rail, air, and sea options for passenger and freight transit in
Road transportation
Road infrastructure
Except for the
Expressways and freeways in and around Greater Boston are laid out with two circumferential expressways:
- Interstate 93 (the Northern/Southeast Expressway), which extends north of the city into New Hampshire, and southward to the Braintree Split,
- Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), connecting Boston with Worcester and Springfield,
- United States Route 1 (the Northeast Expressway/Newburyport Turnpike), crossing the Tobin Bridge and eventually serving Newburyport,
- Storrow Drive, an unnumbered high-speed parkway along the Charles River connecting downtown Boston with the Route 2 corridor,
- U.S. Route 20, a route running from Kenmore Square to Newport, Oregon — although it is not an expressway.
- Massachusetts Route 2 (the Concord Turnpike/Alewife Brook Parkway), serving the northwestern suburbs including Lexington, Concord and Fitchburg,
- Massachusetts Route 3 (the Pilgrims Highway), connecting Boston with Cape Cod,
- United States Route 3 (the Northwest Expressway), a functionally separate highway serving Lowell, Burlingtonand other suburbs in between Route 2 and I-93,
- Massachusetts Route 24, serving the interior southern suburbs, including Brockton, Taunton and Fall River
- and Interstate 95, indirectly connecting Boston with Rhode Island via I-93.
By the early 1990s, traffic on the elevated downtown portions of I-93 and Route 1 (the Central Artery) was 190,000 vehicles per day, with an accident rate four times the national average for urban interstates. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper for six to eight hours per day, with projections of traffic jams doubling by 2010. Also, the elevated structure itself was decaying, after more than a half century of continuous use. For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, driving in Boston was disrupted by the Big Dig, the most expensive (roughly $14 billion) road project in the history of the US.
After more than 15 years of disruption, The Big Dig, along with other highway projects, provided less than 10 years of relief before congestion returned to the levels seen in "prerecession 2005, when the Big Dig was almost complete and marketed as the solution to gridlock for commuters ... analyses would conclude that the added capacity attracted more drivers, and pushed the traffic bottlenecks farther into the suburbs."[1] However even without the big dig the raised road was structurally deficient and needed rebuilding or replacement.
Boston remains one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the US. The complex and still-changing road network, with many one-way streets and time-based traffic restrictions, has led many Boston travelers to consider an up-to-date
Walking and bicycling
Boston is known to travel agents as "America's Walking City", has been rated as the third most walkable city in the US by Walk Score, and also has a high Transit Score.[2]
Boston is a compact city, sized right for walking or bicycling. According to a
Cycling is popular in Boston, for both recreation and commuting. Some bicycle paths are marked on some roadways, but very few completely separated paths are available to cyclists. The
However Bicycling magazine, in its March 2006 issue, named the city as one of its three worst cities in the United States for cycling.[6] The distinction was earned for "lousy roads, scarce and unconnected bike lanes and bike-friendly gestures from City Hall that go nowhere—such as hiring a bike coordinator in 2001, only to cut the position two years later".[7] Neighboring Cambridge earned an honorable mention as one of the best cities for cycling with a population of 75,000-200,000.[8]
Since September 2007, when Mayor Thomas Menino started a bicycle program called Boston Bikes with a goal of improving bicycling conditions by adding bike lanes and racks and offering bikeshare programs, the city has improved accommodations for bicyclists in a number of ways.[9][10] The least visible improvement is zoning and building code changes to encourage showering and locker facilities in major office buildings. Better signage and lane markings for bicyclists are starting to appear. More visible enforcement of traffic regulations on motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians has commenced.[11][12][13][14]
Boston has an active Critical Mass ride group, and MassBike is a bike advocacy group active in supporting cyclists in the area.[15][16] The LivableStreets Alliance, headquartered in Cambridge, is an advocacy group for bicyclists, pedestrians, and walkable neighborhoods.[17]
Maps and guides
The Boston regional
In addition, a small private company called Rubel BikeMaps has for many years published and distributed an extensive lineup of books and maps covering Boston, the state of Massachusetts, and nearby areas of New England.[19] These publications are for sale at many bicycle shops, and online. Because of recent expansion of bike lanes and other facilities, plus increased input from the public, it is important to use the most recent editions of these maps and guides.
Rubel BikeMaps also publishes Car-Free in Boston:a Guide for Locals and Visitors, still in its 10th edition as of 2015[update].[20] Prepared by the Association for Public Transportation (APT), this book contains extensive information useful to bicyclists and pedestrians alike, including coverage of intermodal travel and handicapped accessibility. Although the general overview and travel tips are largely still relevant, this classic book has not been updated since 2003, and must be supplemented by current online information.
With widespread use of smartphones and tablet computers,
Buses
162
In an effort to provide service intermediate in speed and capacity between subways and buses, the MBTA has begun projects using bus rapid transit (BRT) technology. The MBTA has one BRT line, the Silver Line, although this operates in two discontinuous sections. The Silver Line operates in part via dedicated trolleybus tunnel, in part via on-street reserved bus lanes, and in part mixed with general street traffic. Service through the trolleybus tunnel is by dual-mode buses, which operate electrically in the tunnel and within a short section on the surface, and which use diesel power for the rest of the route.
Several privately owned commuter bus services take passengers between the city and suburbs.
In June 2014, the Cambridge-based startup Bridj began running "data driven" bus service in core neighborhoods.[30] It uses a mixture of fixed and dynamic routes and pricing, depending on where and when registered members say they want to go.[31]
Parking
Since automobiles did not exist in 1630, when Boston was first settled, parking was not a consideration. The city that sprung up around and away from the original North End neighborhood accommodates cars only awkwardly; parking comes at a premium throughout the city. Off-street parking spaces have sold for more than $160,000 on Beacon Hill.[32] On-street parking is the norm in many sections, and the city created a resident permit parking program to reserve street space for permanent residents in certain neighborhoods. The parking permits are free to Boston residents, however, and the program is overused; permitted spaces remain scarce.[33] Meters citywide are priced at $1.25 per hour, and metered spaces are also often difficult to find.
The number of public parking spaces downtown has been capped since the mid-1970s.[34] The number of parking spaces in East and South Boston, and the hours that they may be used, also is restricted by state regulation. This is part of the state Department of Environmental Protection's plan, approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to address the non-compliance of the region with the mandatory National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone.[35]
The MBTA operates several large park and ride facilities on its subway and commuter rail lines, close to major highways, providing access to downtown. While most of these tend to fill up with commuters on weekday mornings, they provide a good place for visitors to leave their cars and see the city without parking hassles on evenings and weekends.
Rail transportation
Boston has two discrete rail networks. One of these, the MBTA, widely nicknamed "the T", includes elements of
Although the two networks are essentially unconnected, they do in some places run alongside each other in the same right of way. Interchange stations allow interchange of passengers, but not trains, between subway and commuter rail services. Parts of the subway network also use former common user rail rights of way.
Subway network
Boston has the oldest subway system in North America, with the first underground streetcar traffic dating back to 1897. Today the whole subway network is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
In the early 1960s, the then-newly-formed MBTA hired
The one-way fare is $2.40. Monthly commuter passes, and day and week visitor's passes are also available for purchase.[37] There are four subway lines in the metropolitan Boston area: the Red Line, Green Line, Orange Line, and Blue Line. The colors of each line have a symbolic meaning: the Blue Line runs under Boston Harbor; the Red Line used to terminate at Harvard University (whose school color is crimson); the Orange Line used to run along Washington Street, which was once called Orange Street; and the Green Line runs along parts of the Emerald Necklace into the leafy suburbs of Brookline and Newton.[38]
The Green Line is actually four different lines; it starts as one trunk line but then splits into four different branches, the B (Boston College), C (Cleveland Circle), D (Riverside) and E (Heath Street) trains. Because the split is only relevant on the outbound direction of travel, one may take any train inbound, but when going outbound one must be careful to board the correct train. The Red Line splits as well, with southbound trains going either to Braintree or Ashmont.
Though most of Boston's
Like the
Elevated sections
Despite the first rapid transit segment being built underground, many later parts were built as
The Boston Elevated Railway was the company that owned all the elevateds and subways. The following Els once existed:
- Haymarket Incline to the Lechmere Viaduct
- Masspike
- Haymarket Incline to Everett
- Atlantic Avenue Elevated (closed 1938), from the Washington Street El at the Castle Street Wye at Herald Street (Tower 'D') to the Charlestown El and Causeway Street El at North Station (Tower 'C')
Common user rail network
Unlike the subway, which is owned and operated by the MBTA, the common user network is owned and operated by a mixture of various public and private sector bodies. In the Boston area, trackage is owned by a mixture of the MBTA and several freight railroads. Commuter rail services are operated by the
Commuter rail
The MBTA commuter rail system brings people from as far away as
There are two major
Intercity rail
Boston is served by four intercity rail services, all operated by Amtrak. The Acela and Northeast Regional services both operate on the Northeast Corridor to and from Washington, D.C., with stops in places such as New York City and Philadelphia. A branch of the Lake Shore Limited service operates to and from Chicago. The Downeaster service operates to and from Brunswick, Maine.[42]
The Northeast Corridor services terminate at South Station, as does the Lake Shore Limited. The Downeaster service terminates at North Station, primarily because the Downeaster Amtrak line is intended for points north of downtown. The Northeast Corridor and Lake Shore Limited services also stop at Back Bay station. The lack of a direct rail connection between North Station and South Station means that passengers transferring to and from the Downeaster are faced with a transfer between stations. Although most such transfers can be achieved using the Orange Line between Back Bay and North Station, Amtrak recommends passengers with luggage to use a taxi.[42][43]
Within the Boston area, most Amtrak services operate over commuter rail track owned by the MBTA, who also own the Northeast Corridor track as far as the Rhode Island state line.[41]
Freight rail
The other significant freight railroad in the Boston area is
Only a few rail freight customers remain in or near Boston, including a chemical packager in Allston, and food distribution facilities and a scrap metal processor in
Water transportation
Port of Boston
The Port of Boston is a major
Today the principal cargo handling facilities are located in the Boston neighborhoods of
The
Passenger boat services
The MBTA Boat system comprises several
Outside the MBTA system, seasonal passenger ferry services operate to the Boston Harbor Islands, to the city of Salem north of Boston, and to the town of Provincetown on Cape Cod. Water taxis provide on-demand service from various points on the downtown waterfront and from Logan Airport, and in particular between the airport and downtown.
Several companies operate tourist oriented cruise boats on the harbor and on the
Public transportation statistics
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Boston, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 83 min. 29% of public transit riders ride for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 15 minutes, while 24% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 7 km, while 12% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.[53]
Aviation
Boston's principal airport is
To help address overcrowding at Logan Airport, Massport operates two other airports in eastern Massachusetts:
- L.G. Hanscom Field
- Worcester Regional Airport: formerly owned by the city of Worcester until ownership transfer to Massport was mandated by law in 2009,[54] and subsequently completed on June 22, 2010.[55]
In addition, MassPort has designated two out of state regional airports (which are administered independently) as reliever airports:[56]
- T. F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island
- Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire
Around 2010, the MBTA commuter rail initiated new train service from T.F. Green Airport to Boston.
There are also several
Since the
Boston Vision Zero Plan
In 2015, mayor Marty Walsh announced that the city of Boston would become part of a worldwide program known as Vision Zero.[57] Vision Zero is a plan self described as “a new standard for safety on our streets.” The plan aims to eliminate deaths caused by transportation, whether that be pedestrians, personal vehicle riders, or cyclists.[58]
Since 2015, the city of Boston has adopted several different policies aimed to help bring down the number of fatalities caused by Transportation in Boston. These policies include the creation of a 25-mile per hour speed limit law citywide,[59] and the implementation of Neighborhood Slow Streets, a tool of Traffic calming designed to make personal vehicles slow down in residential areas.[60] Pedestrian deaths have fallen to 57 in 2019, down from the 2017 total of 82. Cyclist deaths have also fallen from 10 in 2017 to just 3 in 2019.[61]
Boston now seeks to expand this plan by committing more funds to the program, as they currently spend roughly five dollars per person annually on the Vision Zero plan, whereas cities like San Francisco spend upwards of seventy five dollars per person annually.[59] Boston aims to eliminate vehicle crash fatalities by 2030, while planning for more Neighborhood Slow Streets, speed humps, and curb extensions to help bring vehicle fatalities down to zero.[57] One area that the Boston Transportation Department specifically wants to focus on are the numerous Boston public schools, stating in their 2017/2018 vision zero report, that “We will be upgrading school zone flashers throughout the City and focusing on schools as we select locations for future safety improvements.” [57]
See also
- Greater Boston for a wider scope
- List of bridges in Boston
- List of U.S. cities with most pedestrian commuters
- MBTA accessibility
- Transportation in Massachusetts
- Free public transport in Boston
- Plug-in electric vehicles in Massachusetts § Boston
References
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- ^ Walk Score. "About Boston". Walk Score. Walk Score. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
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- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
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- ^ Katie Zezima (August 9, 2009). "Boston Tries to Shed Longtime Reputation as Cyclists' Minefield". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^ "A Future Best City: Boston". Rodale Inc. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved August 16, 2009.
- ^ "Boston gear up for influx of new bicycle riders". The Boston Globe. July 13, 2011. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ McGrory Brian (July 15, 2011). "Make Boston bicycle-free". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
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- ^ "LivableStreets: Rethinking Urban Transportation". LivableStreets Alliance. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
- ^ Metropolitan Area Planning Council. "Greater Boston Cycling & Walking Map". Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Archived from the original on March 4, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ Rubel BikeMaps. "Welcome to Rubel BikeMaps". Rubel BikeMaps. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
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- ^ Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. "Schedules and Trip Planning Data (GTFS)". Rider Tools. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
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- ^ "Routes". Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015. lists shuttles between LMA and Ruggles, JFK/UMass, Crosstown (near Melnea Cass Blvd.), M6/Chestnut Hill, Landmark Center, and Fenway
- ^ "M2 - Cambridge - Boston | MASCO". www.masco.org.
- ^ "Pop-up bus service Bridj to launch test runs June 2". BostonGlobe.com.
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- ^ "Fares Overview". Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
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- ^ a b "Routes - Northeast". Amtrak. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
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- ^ "Ethanol Safety Study". state.ma.us. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ "Rail plan for ethanol is decried". Archived from the original on December 11, 2014.
- ^ Study of the Safety Impacts of Ethanol Transportation by Rail through Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Somerville, and Revere Archived June 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, MassDOT 2013
- ^ Trains Carrying Flammable Liquids Won’t Be Traveling Through Greater Boston Archived December 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Steve Annear, Boston Daily, July 3, 2013
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- ^ "Boston Public Transportation Statistics". Global Public Transit Index by Moovit. Retrieved June 19, 2017. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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- Massport (June 22, 2010). "Massport, Worcester Airport Deal Completed". Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MASSDOT). Archived from the originalon June 26, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
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- ^ "What is Vision Zero?". Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ a b "Boston". Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "Neighborhood Slow Streets". Boston.gov. December 14, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "Massachusetts Pedestrian and Bicyclist Fatalities Map". Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
External links
- Boston Bikes - an official webpage of the City of Boston