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Boston traffic, Sept.10th, 2005. - Boston
Boston traffic, Sept.10th, 2005.
by mwe
Boston Transportation: Driving tips and advice posted by real travelers and Boston locals.
Driving
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Driving: Driving
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  • Updated By Gypsystravels on September 1, 2006
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  • I am not sure why everyone says not to drive in Boston, but it isn't any different than driving around any large city. Just like New York City, Boston has its share of traffic congestions and problems finding a place to park. We drove from New York City to Boston and found navigating the city in a car easy. Maybe because Roni hails from Boston, or because we live in NYC, this wasn't so bad. One word of caution though, the parking can be a bit tricky and you just may wind up paying a bomb to park for just a few hours. We drove to Summerville, parked and then took the "T" in town a few times. We also drove straight into the city and found a really inexpensive place to park (more later).

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    Driving: Dollar Rental Car was okay by us
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  • By jessicadf on November 18, 2003
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  • Driving - Boston
    by jessicadf
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    We had a good experience with Dollar Rental car. Their shuttle service to and from the airport was very, very prompt and friendly. The man behind the desk, Ron, was very friendly and helpful, even at 6:45 on a Sunday morning. We paid for a compact car but got a mini-van, because... well... there aren't very many cars in the lot on a Sunday morning -- so it's a good day for an upgrade. If you can call a mini-van an upgrade. ;-)

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  • Phone: 617-634-0006
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    Driving: Driving really IS horrible in and around Boston
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  • By jessicadf on November 18, 2003
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  • There! THERE! THAT'S the road we want! GO GO GO! - Boston
    There! THERE! THAT'S the road
    we want! GO GO GO!
    by jessicadf
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    Yes, I'd read plenty about this in warnings here on VT, and heard it by word of mouth over the years. But with needing to go to Stow and Weymouth Heights, we really did need to drive. So... there we were. Why does driving stink so much? Street signs that tell you one thing and then disappear for miles at a time... if you stop to ask for directions, people call streets different names than they're labeled (if they're labeled)... traffic, even on a Sunday, can be bad... Oh, and toll roads. Yikes! We went through the Ted Williams Tunnel 3 TIMES in one day, paying $4.50 each time. Ouch!!

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    Driving: Probably the Worst Way to Go!
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  • By saccharinicity on September 3, 2006
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  • The #1 gripe I hear from people who visit Boston is how horrible an experience driving is here. Usually without fail there are at least 6 huge construction projects going on at the same time. You could drive through the city each day of the week and the way you drove Monday, would be different than Tuesday and different than Wednesday...you *must* pay attention to any and all detour and direction signs, but even then I wouldn't be surprised if you still didn't end up where you meant to because who can follow 23 signs nailed to each other with arrows pointing in all directions? Another thing that makes driving a bit difficult in Boston is that most of the streets in the area are one-way. This can make even the most seasoned of Boston drivers a bit dizzy should they miss their turn. Loop upon loop...trying to make your way back to where you wanted to be is the stuff nightmares are made of. Last but not least is the issue of good ol' parking. This is the sole reason I sold my car when I moved into the city. On a weekly basis I would receive 2-3 parking tickets...no matter how closely I followed the parking signs. "PARKING ONLY ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAYS BEFORE 7pm BUT NOT AFTER 10am AND ONLY IF THERE IS NO SNOW ON THE GROUND IN WHICH CASE PARK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET BUT ONLY IF YOU DO 10 JUMPING JACKS FIRST AND RECITE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM"...and that's *if* you find a spot. Good luck on that. If you must drive into Boston, there are many parking garages in the area. I would suggest leaving it there and walking or taking the T for the day. Also, if you look on the T website (http://www.mbta.com) you can figure from the direction you are coming from and usually can park at the last T station stop (such as the Red Line - Alewife garage) for a cheaper fee and just take the T all the way in. You've been warned!

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    Driving: THE FASTEST AND CHEAPEST WAY FROM NEW YORK
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  • By moiraistyx on October 11, 2006
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  • My experience has taught me that the fastest and quickest way to get to Boston from New York is to drive there. From my home town it takes my just over 3 hours to get there by car and it only costs about $25 in gas and tolls, sometimes less. A train will cost upwards of $100 and a bus will cost $50 or more per person.

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    Driving: Driving and parking is simply impossible...
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  • Updated By Cabana_Boy on November 28, 2002
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  • The
    The "Big Dig" constructon
    project, downtown Boston
    by Cabana_Boy
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    Driving and parking is simply impossible for people visiting Boston, so, don't attempt it unless you are a masochist. The picture here is of the “Big Dig” which seems to be a huge public works project that has most of the streets in the downtown core totally ripped up, a true mess. So, if you are staying downtown (or even near downtown), forget about renting a cah (again, car) and use the subway. In Boston, the subway is simply called the “T” and runs above and below ground through the city and surrounding area. Check out the MBTA website (www.mbta.com) for more information about schedules and route maps. There are also commuter rail trains that run further aboard. Unfortunately, the “T” shuts down at 12:30 am, rather early in my opinion. But never fear; taxicabs are readily available throughout the city as well.

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  • Website: www.mbta.com
  • Other Contact: http://www.bigdig.com

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    Driving: "She drives like crazy like noone else"
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  • Updated By dinhyen on September 17, 2002
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  • Driving - Boston
    by dinhyen
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    Boston is based on a system of squares or plazas, such as Kenmore Square or Harvard Square (pronounced squay-ah). Streets connect square to square, public transportation stops at squares, directions are given in relation to the squares, you name it. The streets here follow no logical layout. There are many one-way streets. Many streets are not clearly marked. Even when they're marked, some of them change names at town borders, or at seemingly random places, just to keep you on your toes. For instance, one of the streets near where I live changes name 3 times in a mere 3 block stretch. The streets are narrow and not very good because they keep getting dug up. There are very few parking places; garage parking costs a small fortune and it's practically impossible to find meter parking in a busy area. Traffic snarls are usually horrendous around any area worth visiting. Did I mention Massachusetts is the rotary capital of the world? If you haven't found yourself in the middle of one, count your lucky stars. Now that was just the infrastructure. Don't get me started on the humans. Boston drivers have a pretty nasty reputation, which I would have to say is fully deserved. I can say this from the perspective of an impartial pedestrian, cyclist, and driver. So what does this mean in a nutshell? Avoid driving at all costs. The public transportation system will get you to most places you want to go. Chances are, many places that you want to see are within walking distances, as Boston is a relatively small city. Don't take any chance and leave your car at home. Thanks for doing your part to keep our lives sane.

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    Driving: Traffic jams.
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  • Updated By mwe on January 8, 2007
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  • Boston traffic, Sept.10th, 2005. - Boston
    Boston traffic, Sept.10th,
    2005.
    by mwe
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    In 1991 I was shocked to see Boston's streets gridlocked from 3pm to 7pm: I've never seen traffic jams anything like the ones I saw in Boston in the UK! Between my penultimate visit to Boston in 1998 & my last in 2005, something called the 'Big Dig' took place, which involved dismantling the flyovers of Boston's urban motorways & moving the roads underground into tunnels. As my 2005 visit was on a Saturday, when things were pretty free-flowing, I'm unsure of how well this grand scheme has worked.

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    Driving: A Driving Nightmare
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  • Updated By londonlover on April 10, 2004
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  • what a mess! - Boston
    what a mess!
    by londonlover
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    THIS picture illustrates why no tourist should be driving around Boston. The "Big Dig," as they call it around town, is the massive construction project that is going on in Boston, and has been for the last 10 years. I believe it's nearly finished, but it has made central Boston a mess for driving. So until things change, don't try this unless you're willing to sacrifice your car for your trip! :)

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    Driving: We got to Boston by car!...
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  • By mainiacgal on August 26, 2002
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  • We got to Boston by car! yikes! We mostly used the 'T' (the subway) and it was great. Otherwise, we just walked everywhere which was no big deal.

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