Transportation

Thanksgiving Holiday Road and Air Travel Info from MassDOT

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is reminding members of the public to plan ahead for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday week, use available technology tools and resources to make informed decisions, and pack essential items such as face coverings that maybe required for certain travel.  

During this holiday season, individuals should be aware that there may be a higher number of travelers on Commonwealth roadways and on public transportation as post-pandemic travel increases. “The Thanksgiving holiday period will be a very busy travel time so members of the public should plan ahead, travel off-peak hours, and consider taking public transportation,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler. “We want everyone to reach their destinations safely and that means travel at or below the speed limit, drive sober, limit distractions, and be patient knowing that when roadways and public transportation are crowded, trips will simply take longer.”

“We’re excited to welcome passengers back to Logan this holiday season,” said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “Travel has changed and we are urging passengers to have some patience and download FlyLogan app. As always, we recommend passengers use HOV modes to get to and from the airport, such as MBTA and Logan Express.”

The High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on I-93 between Boston and Quincy will extend its hours to be open from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, November 23, and from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday, November 24. The HOV lane will be closed on Thursday, November 25, and Friday, November 26, and will resume normal operations on Monday, November 29.  The Sumner Tunnel swing lane will not be deployed on Thursday, November 25, or on Friday, November 26, and will resume normal operations on Monday, November 29.

Around Town

Latest Details for Mt. Auburn St. Redesign Include “Road Diet,” Moving Bus Stops; Public Input Wanted

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MassDOTCross sections of Mt. Auburn Street with the “road diet” that removes one lane of traffic each way and ads turn lanes and bike lanes. The redesign of one of Watertown’s major roadways will include some significant changes to the look of the road, as well as improvements that state officials said would improve the road for motorists, transit users, bicyclists and pedestrians. The repaving and improvement of Mt. Auburn Street has been discussed for many years and officially got started by Watertown officials in 2009.

Around Town

Virtual Hearing on Mt. Auburn Street Redesign Planned by State Officials

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WorldTech EngineeringA hearing will be held to discuss the redesign of Mt. Auburn Street. Pictured is a conceptual drawing of what the new bus stop on Mt. Auburn Street near Parker Street when plans were discussed in 2018. The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

A Live Virtual Design Public Hearing will be hosted on the MassDOT website below to present the design for the proposed Rehabilitation of Mt.

Transportation

Changes to MBTA Bus Service to be Discussed at Virtual Meeting

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Charlie BreitroseBuses like this one on the 71 bus will get priority heading toward Harvard Square on Mt. Auburn Street in the new Cambridge-Watertown Bus Priority Pilot program. The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

The MBTA and MassDOT will host a virtual public meeting on Zoom on Wednesday, October 27, at 6 p.m. to discuss the Bus Network Redesign Project. An initiative of the Better Bus Project, the MBTA and MassDOT’s Bus Network Redesign Project is taking a look at the bus system as a whole in order to recommend a new network that better serves the needs of the region. The project’s second public meeting will present the approach and principles used by MassDOT and the MBTA to propose a transformed bus network through the Bus Network Redesign process.

Around Town

Watertown Connector Shuttle Links Pleasant Street to Harvard Square, Serves Residents & Employees

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Charlie BreitroseThe Watertown Connector’s Pleasant Street shuttle pulls into Watertown Mews, the first stop during morning runs to Harvard Square. Watertown’s newest public transportation option made a special run on Wednesday to show Town officials and residents what it is like to ride the Watertown Connector Pleasant Street Shuttle. The Watertown Connector began running on Pleasant Street the day after Labor Day, and has given more than 150 rides on the route that goes down the westside corridor, to Watertown Square and on to Harvard Square. The shuttle makes four runs in the morning and four in the afternoon and evening. Rides are free for residents of apartment complexes and employees of businesses that contribute to the Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA).

Electric Buses

LETTER: Watertown Group Pushing for Faster Electrification of MBTA Buses

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Charlie BreitroseAn MBTA bus in Watertown. A new report calls on the MBTA to update the overhead wires and busses on Watertown’s 71 and 73 routes to InMotion charging as a first step to expanding this technology to other routes. The report “Bus Electrification Accelerating the Electrification of Bus Service in the Boston Metro Area” MBTAReport_Final2.pdf (sierraclub.org) by the Sierra Club, Transit Matters, and Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) along with 14 partner organizations calls the MBTA’s plans “too little too late.”

The MBTA current plan calls for the continued purchasing of hundreds of polluting diesel hybrid buses while gradually transitioning to overnight charging electric buses over the next two decades with full electrification by 2040. The report argues that depending solely on overnight charging short changes us and identifies two promising technologies — InMotion charging and EnRoute charging that should be part of the mix and an implementation rollout that would achieve full electrification by 2030, avoid hundreds of interim diesel hybrids, reduce emissions earlier, save money, serve environmental justice communities, and improve public health for all. It is convenient to use the upcoming Mt.

Transportation

Many MBTA Paratransit RIDE Trips from Logan Airport Will be Free

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The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The MBTA announced Sept. 29 that paratransit RIDE trips that originate from all Logan Airport terminals and end within three-quarter miles of the MBTA’s subway system will be free beginning Friday, October 1, 2021. This service complements the free transit service offered to riders on the fixed-route system from the airport. As the MBTA continually assesses transit equity, and to bring parity for the T’s paratransit riders, the MBTA is now offering free RIDE service for trips from Logan Airport to points on the fixed-route subway system. These RIDE trips from any Logan Airport terminal will be free beginning October 1 and will remain free as long as SL1 services from Logan Airport to South Station are free.

Around Town

Watertown Shuttle Starts Running from Pleasant Street to Harvard Square, Available to the Public

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Watertown TMAThe Watertown Connector started running the week of Labor Day. The shuttle goes down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square and then heads to Harvard Square. It is open to the general public. Watertown residents have a new public transportation option with the addition of the Watertown Connector, which runs along Pleasant Street and ultimately takes people to Harvard Square. For about a decade, the Town of Watertown and residents have been working to start a shuttle to the westside corridor that would serve not only businesses and apartment complexes that help fund it, but also the general public.