Boston Blues

...I didn't have a GPS at the time, but when they first started becoming popular the Boston Globe ran a humorous story about how they didn't work well on the city's roads.

My advice: forget the car, and use the T, especially if you are just traveling in the downtown area. Besides, on-street parking is close to nonexistent, and lots are very expensive for the first hour, to be bopping from one to another.

GC

I second GC's advice. Boston drivers follow a very different set of rules that take decades to master. For example, in Boston, the term "Right of Way" means, "It really doesn't matter what you do, but whatever you do, you'd better do it right-a-way." Also, making eye contact is illegal and parking is an adventure if you can find it. I once watched my parked car be attacked by a woman who left her parking spot "by feel", taking my bumper with her as she pulled out, and moments later a bicyclist, in the process of tying his "steed" to a lamp post with a steel cable, let his bike fall against my passenger door, leaving a golf ball sized dent. The car was old and beat up from when it had been broken into and stolen (another Boston trademark... There are two types of cars in Boston... Those that are stolen, and those that are about to be) so I was more entertained than upset, but with rental car companies being so retentive about marred paint, it would be best to park the car in Beverly and take the T.

If you have a Palm, there's an excelent public transportation program that can get you anywhere you need to go, from wherever it is you are, in over 350 cities. And best of all, it's free. It's called MetrO and you can find it at www.freewarepalm.com.

I was in Boston a week ago for a weekend... and I will simply say now I understand why my friend that grew up in the area said the nick name is MASSHOLE Drivers... as far as GPS it sucks in the Boston downtown general area as due to all the tunnels and streets that have been closed or changed to one way...

I agree with the whole take the T or a cab if you can because as a whole BOSTON SUCKS... when it comes to driving, and baseball... and when it comes to driving I have to say it is worse than NYC by about a million times over...

While in Boston I attended a game at the Patriots Stadium in Foxboro.

I was surprised to see on I95 and I93 they allow drivers to use the shoulder lane.

Is this the norm in Boston as well?

Cheers
Kirt

Boston is a very old city, with very narrow roads and very confusing street signs.

Without being harsh, I must admit (living an hour away from Boston) that it is an extremely tough city to navigate. It's never the same place twice.

Road construction is never ending, streets that you planned to take are suddenly closed off with no further instruction on where to detour to. The city doesn't have enough signs directing drivers. Tunnels and GPS don't mix and Boston is full of them.

If I don't feel up to the challenge of driving into the city, I park at the Alewife garage and take the red line in.

Wish I had better news about Boston. All the stress of city driving might be the reason Boston drivers have that not so nice nickname. Of course, I'm not one of them A smile and a little common courtesy behind the wheel goes a long way.

I can sympathize with Delevine73's intense response to Boston drivers. Your feelings are normal for first-time visitors and your reaction is proof you are from somewhere else. The drastic feelings you have will dissipate over time (unless you foolishly try to relive your experience by driving back into the city). I haven't driven in downtown Boston since 1980 and my night sweats have nearly disappeared. With all the new tunnels and construction going on, your recent experience must have been absolutely terrifying.

Now, I don't know if this will help, but as part of my therapy, I'm still compelled to listen to Boston's "Car Talk" on NPR Saturday mornings.

I realize, after all these years, I'm not out of the woods myself just yet, because your rant dug up some of old and disturbing memories. I think I may have suffered a relapse. My advice to you is, take heart. In a few years, your feelings of driving in Boston will begin to temper and you'll be able to function at an almost normal level once again... Now the Red Sox may be another matter:-)

I've been traveling to Boston-suburbs for the last 15+ years (26+ trips/year for the last two years alone) and I avoid downtown like a plague. Just getting in and out of Logan is enough for me so I always excuse myself from going into Boston for a group dinner (I oversee several development teams).

However, I'd say Boston drivers use "controlled" anarchy method where people can actually start predicting other drivers' actions once you spend some time there. Living in Phoenix-area where three cities in the valley's been top 5 growing cities in the country for several years, it's actually more dangerous because so many people from all over the country is coming with different driving style.

My 2cents

My family is planning to go there this summer (if money allows) for vacation. Now I am sure that most of the tourist stuff isn't downtown, so here is my question.

Will I still run into the horror stories as said above? I am planning to fly into Boston and then get a rental car.

This issue is not unique to the city of Boston. But is compounded by the frequency of construction in the city.

In many cities my GPS has trouble staying locked onto the satellites because of the tall buildings.

What GPSr do you have?

For Boston, most of the "tourist stuff" are in downtown and all are walking distance (Faneuil Hall, Qunicy Market, Freedom trail, Boston Common, Chinatown, Paul Revere's house, North End, etc.) then followed by Cape Cod, Martha's, etc.

Where are you planning to stay? If you're staying strictly in the downtown area, then I wouldn't even bother with a rental car because you're only a few miles from the airport. You'll be spending more time and money finding a parking space. When I go into downtown area, I let someone else drive so I don't have to worry about parking

dont rent a car if you staying downtown ...... take the T or catch a cab....DON'T DO A CAR....THOSE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY....I live in the DC area and we are ranked by AAA as one of the top 3 most congested areas in the county...we have people from all over the world driving here since it is the capital of the "free world".... that said I would rather drive here or NYC any day any week than go back to driving in boston... i have been to boston a few times and honestly if i can avoid going back I WILL....

I travel to NYC all the time and can truly say they drive a million times better...DC area well that is a different story but I still pick both over Boston driving nightmare....and RedSox still suck...

StreetPilot i5

Delevine73,

Sorry you had such a horrible - or maybe traumatic experience in Boston. lol

It's happened to me on more than one occasion, but I still enjoy the city. There are plenty of places to have a drink and relax near Boston Harbor, in the North End, Quincy Market, the Theatre District...all fun places.

Boston is wicked fun if you can get over the traffic thing.

If not, you can always visit virtually on the many Boston websites.

We'll miss you.

Go Sox! Go Pats!

I left Boston after 23 years, partly because the driving was so much hassle (1 1/2 hours to go anywhere, and 2-3 times that long if the weather was bad, it was a holiday, or traffic just felt like backing up for no good reason).

But, having moved to N. Carolina I have to say that I prefer Boston drivers to the people down here, who can't figure out how to make a left, or even a right turn if they see a car approaching within a half mile of them. (And insurance rates are virtually identical to the suburb I lived in Boston, meaning the drivers here are incompetent).
What's nice about Boston drivers is that they know how to make good use of tight space, don't waste seconds being polite and genteel, and are very predictable in their aggressiveness.

As for driving on the shoulders of the highways: that became permissible years ago. Can you think of a better way to increase traffic capacity of a highway by 33% without spending a penny? I never saw anyone in the breakdown lane get creamed, but nasty glares from the drivers stuck behind them were sure plentiful.

As for whether driving outside of the downtown area is bad: are you kidding? 5 million cars in a small region, what do you think? There are a multitude of traffic jams on Boston roads, 24/7, literally. I got caught in many at Sunday 3 AM, or any other time of the day. Rush hour is nominally about 18 hours/day, but it never really lets up.

Tune to 1030 AM, WBZ, and they list the traffic jams every 10 minutes around the clock (I occasionally pick it up here in NC, just for fun and fond reminiscing).

Unless they've dropped the system since I left in 2003, you can also dial *1 on a cell phone, and get free info on all the major highways and what's going on, in real time. It may not work with cell phones from outside the Nynex or whatever they have up there region now, I'm not sure.

As for DC traffic, I was born and raised in that town. Traffic there in the 1960's was worse than Boston is today. And it hasn't gotten better in the intervening decades.

I've also spent considerable time in NY. Suffice it to say that the average speed in that town is slower now than it was approximately 100 years ago when horse and buggy traveled the cobbelstone roads; no joke.

GC

The way I see it, the reason the street system is so upside down in Boston right now is the BIG DIG. Going on 15 years and still not finished yet. Several billion dollars over budget, tunnel roofs falling in and killing people,and Atlantic Ocean leaking in, have screwed up traffic throughout the surrounding City of Boston. Most streets in the area have been turned into detours. By the way, the other 49 states all share in the cost for this boondogle. Until the big dig is officially finished, leave both your GPS and car at home and take the T. Go Sox! Jake

I have to admit, Boston drivers also have a great sense of humor. One morning, driving in from New Hampshire, stuck in the normal bumper-to-bumper stop and go traffic, in my rearview, I see a black BMW weaving its way through traffic, going from one lane to the next, using the breakdown & turning almost perpendicular to the direction of traffic to squeeze between cars in order to work its way forward. My temper rising as I sit in the third lane over behind a pickup truck full of trash, watching this clown work his way toward me. He worked his way next to me, and managed to squeeze his car past mine and move in front of the pickup. As soon as he passed me, I immediately forgave him however. His personalized license plate simply said "LATE"

You neglected one fact that might dispute your assumption... Why do you suppose more successful race car drivers come from the Carolinas than from the Northeast?

Just for the record, only one person died. I know, I flew in few days later when they frantically started shutting down everything. Took me nearly three hours to get to my hotel in Waltham (approx 19 miles) and this was 1:00am!

I totally agree. I have lived in Boston suburbs the last 20 years. I try to avoid driving to Boston city whenever I can. I even asked my visiting sister to take subway to Alewife Station so I did not have to pick her up at airport during rush hours. I remembered the first few times I visited Boston, I did not know how to get out.

You're right. One thing I've noticed is Phoenix drivers have a tendency to be aggressive toward anything with out of state plates. Best bet in Phoenix is to check to see if your rental car has plates from somewhere else. If it does, it may pay to switch it out.

bfk

LOL, that's for sure. It's because we seem to attract a bunch of jerks driving big pick-up trucks and think they own the roads. (and always tailgates you if you don't get out of your way even in congestion).

They look like monster trucks from my Civic.

Maybe that should be another rule.. In Phoenix, drive tanks:-)

Or rocket/grenade launcher like the ones Bond drives...

...that's easy to answer. How can anyone learn to drive fast in bumper to bumper traffic? Boston to Washington is one large traffic jam on I-95.

Boston does have the upper hand when it comes to a different kind of demolition derby. To wit: my first day living in Boston I was in one of its usual traffic jams, and hadn't moved an inch in an hour. Some resourceful fellow drove on the sidewalk, and scattered the pedestrians real fast.

GC

Yeah no Racecar drivers of any kind in/from Boston
Don't get me wrong I liked the Marche' and various parts of Boston. Did NOT like being there during 9-11 the light house was turned off and I think the GPS accuracy was put back to 300 meters or feet whichever it is that the Gov't can switch back to.
The only things flying were armed fighter jets anyway. BUT Take the T it's cheap on time and easy to navigate. As for the incompetency anywhere that allows driving through an emergency lane, or excessive speeding or bullying of those of us WHO OBEY THE LAW is a DISGRACE, best thing we ever did was stop going to Boston. I'll take the south where people can actually drive, over the lawless states any day.

BUT the GPS system is not at fault ,remember you're using maps .If the street is changed during the day or week etc. The GPS can't know it . Boston is still trying to fix the old steel mess from the green monster bridge that's not needed now since the "Big Dig" so the roads will probably still be a mess....

Well, just checked into my hotel in Waltham (approx 20 miles from Logan) and my 660 worked great from Avis to my hotel. It gave me correct directions to get on Ted Williams tunnel to Mass Pike. It did want me to get off at Newton exit, but as soon as I selected the 'detour' button it gave me the exact route I normally take (to 128 north).

What I was amazed was that 660 didn't have any problems while in the tunnel and kept the correct location...and I always lose my mobile signal while in the tunnel.

Well, it was actually lying to you. It didn't really have a signal in the tunnel.

It took you speed and direction when you entered the tunnel and extrapolated it to plot where it thought you "should" be at a particular point. It keeps doing this for a short period of time while still searching for the satellites. Had you gotten stopped in the tunnel, you likely would have gotten a "Lost satellite reception" message.

I'd say that was enough!

"Other than the disruption, how was the play Mrs.Lincoln".

I contracted work in Boston in 2002. I had to inspect 842 homes for home owners insurance policy's.
My Wife and I stayed in a Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge. This was the best thing that could have happened since every morning we left we were going the opposite direction of traffic. At the time the BIG DIG was in full force. To my surprise I found my Garmin Street Pilot III with NavTeq data. Overall I found the mapsets to be very reliable. There were a few bugs here and there however an experienced GPS user should be able to out think a bad GPS algorithm.

...you might have saved taxpayers a few extra billion.

... On a different note, I wonder, Motorcycle Mama, what happens to the track when a GPS'd vehicle is not only going thru the tunnel, but thru the water in the leaky tunnel?

Glub, glub,
GC

You're right, I took the tunnel few more times and when I did have to stop one time due to traffic congestion, I got that "Lost satellite reception" message.

Well, just got back from my 10-day business trip and traveled in and out of Boston and my 660 worked great. I did have one mis-direction in Newton where it took me into a dead-end and the map said it was a through street. However, once I exited out of that street it recalculated and got me to the destination correctly.

Overall, I'm quite impressed with its performance given the caotic road layout of MA! I didn't get to test out the traffic receiver because I forgot to pack the adapter, but I'll be sure to bring it with me when I go back in a week.

From the Boston Globe:

More water leaking into Big Dig tunnel
July 1, 2007

BOSTON --Nearly two million gallons of water have been leaking into the Big Dig's Thomas P. O'Neill tunnel each month this year -- an 18 percent jump over last year.

The increase comes three years after state managers pledged to plug thousands of small leaks in the nearly $14.798 billion Big Dig, the costliest public works project in US. history.

The leaks could also translate into heavier maintenance costs for the tunnel in the future.

"It's no secret that leaks are an issue we will have to deal with for the foreseeable future," said Jon Carlisle, spokesman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which oversees the downtown tunnel system told the Boston Sunday Globe. "It's a problem that we will need to continue to monitor and remediate."

Carlisle said the authority spends about $5 million a year to close the leaks by injecting grout into fissures in the concrete.

He said the actual number of leaks has dropped to 800 from the more than 3,500 acknowledged by tunnel manager in 2004. Part of the problem, he said is that new leaks open up where patches had been applied earlier.

Records from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority showed the amount of water pumped out of the tunnel increased to 1.9 million gallons per month for the first three months of the year, compared to 1.6 million for the same period last year.

The leaks are a cause for concern because water can weaken concrete and deteriorate steel over time, leading to more frequent inspections and repairs than originally anticipated.

The leaks have been a problem ever since the roof of the tunnel was attached well before it opened to traffic in 2003. The bulk of the leaks are between the wall and roof where construction workers had trouble creating a waterproof seal in the mile and a half long tunnel.

In November 2004, the project's overall design and construction management consultant Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff said in a written statement that "the program to seal leaks will be completed within months, not years."

The big dig isn't the only thing leaking in Mass. They are bleeding western mass dry. Bridges are in decay, potholes abound. Although we finally got a traffic camera installed in some prominent intersections so I guess I should be happy that we are starting to spend some money round here again....

And despite all that... Western mass still has the best roads in the state for (Motorcycle) riding. Maybe we need a Governor that rides?

So should I be concerned with taking the tunnel out of Logan Monday? and two weeks later?

Sounds like reverting back to Sumner tunnel is more appealing...

Just got back from my Boston trip. The FM traffic report worked pretty good while in the Boston area. However, it became useless once I got out to Rt128(I-95) and MassPike area. I also got stuck in Rt9 in Newton area when it showed no traffic slowdowns according to my 660.

for not drowning in the Big Dig:)

Anyone in the Boston Area should be familiar with "5 Corners" in Braintree. I've been to Braintree many times on business, and have never seen an accident there. For those who don't know about "5 Corners"....well, 5 streets converge and criss cross with no stop lights. That's been a few years ago, so it may have changed by now. In that time period, about 8 - 10 lanes of traffic coming from the airport narrowed down to 2 lanes going through the tunnel. You locals will know what I'm talking about.

I live a short distance away from the 5 corners and they all have traffic lights now. It was faster without the lights, but probably a little safer now.

Jake

I lose reception in Boston every time. Nothing you can do about it. Boston traffic ALWAYS stinks!

Ray

I have been planning on visiting Boston for some time now. It never occurred to me the traffic problems that everyone has been mentioning. I will definitely take it into consideration when I visit.
For any of my American friends travelling to Canada, Montreal can have similar problems to what people are describing in Boston. Best to park and walk for sure. They also have a very good subway system.

if you are a bad driver outside of Boston you will be a bad driver in Boston. The real key to drivng there (and I do 10-20 times per year as I have family there) is "he who hesitates is lost". If you miss your turn don't do stupid $h!t like stopping and trying to turn across three lanes to make it right...go around the block, even if it takes you five extra minutes and then do it right. Bostonians assume you know what you are doing and, thus, will cut you no slack if you bone it up. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen out of state drivers (typically NJ and NY) stop dead on Mass Ave or Commonwealth Ave, put a turn signal on in the right lane trying to cut all the way across to make a left, or visa versa, and then causing near fatal situations cutting across rather than just coming around and trying again.

It is all too glib to refer to Boston drivers as "MASShole" drivers when the reality is you, not they, are the "MASSholes". Imagine how you'd feel if someone came to your town and drove like an idiot and then "demanded" that you delay your trip to save their sorry "masses". I try to be a polite driver in Philly but, frankly, if the choice comes down to me being late for a business meeting while you try to violate four different traffic laws because you don't know the town while holding me up...you lose; sorry but my business meeting is more important to me, at least, than you having 3 extra minutes at the Liberty Bell.

Yes, I know, I am a crankly, no good, SOB...the only consolation is a I practice what I preach and try to be extra polite while driving in your city, realizing I, not you, am 99.9% at fault for bad moves.

JM2C, YMMV

Ted

First I will agree with you. Visitors and tourists, along with new arrivals DO create a real problem for the locals. But the Cellphone revolution has created a whole new group of "idiots" on the roads. A local who has been here for decades will drive like a 16 year old from the boondocks when he/she has a cellphone to their ear. I drive in Atlanta all day long for my job, and when I see something stupid, with Georgia plates, I can predict with 95% certainty that the driver is talking on the phone. I know everyone thinks they need to, but come on, we got by without them for a very long time.
Now to disagree. MASSholes are not only the visitors, and not only in Boston. My family visited Salem in my RV a couple of years ago. Trying to leave, I sat at the exit from the parking lot for an eternity. Driving past me on the road, bumper-nearly-touching-bumper were hundreds of Mass license plates, none of whom would give me a gap to pull out. Meanwhile, behind me, another MASShole laid on his horn, like I could do something about it. I actually walked back to him and asked what he would like for me to do? He just cursed at me and rolled up his window. (Yes, I did check his plate, to see if he was local or tourist). Clearly I was the outsider, but in what way was I violating any of the laws to become the "bad guy"? I guess I could have just pulled out, and hoped that someone hit their brakes, but then, I WOULD be breaking the law, wouldn't I? I have driven that same RV in at least 28 states, and the worst experiences I have had with rude and/or mean-spirited drivers all seemed to be while passing through Massachusetts. I think they got the nickname the old fashioned way - They earned it.

I have found without fail that the bigger the city, the less patient the drivers. I pull a 28 foot fifth wheel trailer so I get to see what the truckers have to deal with on a daily basis. It has made me appreciate and respect them much more.
A couple of years ago we travelled across country from our home, through Buffalo and then onwards towards Yellowstone. We only had traffic troubles in two places; Chicago and Cleveland. When approaching an exit or toll booths in each of these cities people would just not let me into traffic. In one instance I had my turn signal on for more than two minutes. In all cases I had to slowly creep over until someone would finally decide they didn't want to crash into me. It shouldn't be like this. Lack of courtesy can be contagious. Before you know it, you're not letting someone in simply because you don't want them to be "ahead" of you. These problems just don't happen in the smaller cities and towns. Of course as mentioned before, the cell phone has made driving in general worse for everyone.

I have to agree, the cellphone should be banned from every automobile...it is probably the leading cause of accidents today, bar none; including alcohol and drug use. Take for instance those 5 girls in Fairport NY killed last month...the driver was texting as she slammed head first into a semi (don't believe me, look up the local news reports)!

As for the rude drivers, you do have a point but that doesn't make them MASSholes....they are everywhere so just remove the "M"

Regards, Ted

Part of the problem with navigating in Boston may be related to language...

Shortly after I had moved to the Boston area, I went to meet a friend in Methuen. I was supposed to meet her on Worcester Street, but I got her directions all wrong, and soon was driving around hopelessly lost (this was before GPS). Eventually, I felt the need to stop someone and ask where I was. I flagged a guy, who asked "Where ya need to go?" I said, "Worcester Street", pronouncing it "Woor-cest-ter".

He gave me a funny look and shook his head, saying "I've lived here all my life but never heard of that one... How's it spelled?" I started spelling it and he cut me off, saying, " Oh, you mean WIS'tah.":)

and moved to Boston in pre-Big Dig days. I learned the reality of driving in a heavily congested city like Boston very fast. As much as NYC drivers have learned to be aggressive and not give an inch because a few feet of road may take an hour to travel across, so have Bostonians (and many other big city drivers elsewhere). Leaning on one's horn is not meant to accomplish much, but let loose of some of the frustration that accumulates from spending several hours each day commuting. (Boston's rush hour of bumper to bumper traffic, at least when I left in 2003, was something like 18 hours/day. Where I live now in NC it's about 45 minutes, twice a day.)

For out of towners visiting big cities with bad traffic: there's something to be said about 'When in Rome, do as...' Just be more careful since you don't know the roads and turns.

GC

Earlier this year I went to Boston and drove through with no problem. People were courteous and let me get through on left turns and all.

Maybe it's because I was driving a big truck. It does tend to make people think twice before trying to bully a truck.

GPS worked fine as far as acquiring satellites. I have an external antenna on the roof.

Go Red Sox!

Is the external antenna a messy installation? I've thought about doing it but don't like wires hanging out. Even the dangling 12v plug bugs me at times. I'm reluctant to cut a factory wired plug but I guess eventually I'll have to if I want to get the loose wires cleaned up.

[quote
Is the external antenna a messy installation? I've thought about doing it but don't like wires hanging out. Even the dangling 12v plug bugs me at times. I'm reluctant to cut a factory wired plug but I guess eventually I'll have to if I want to get the loose wires cleaned up.