Hey, there! Log in / Register
Taxis continue to bypass bypass in East Boston
By adamg on Fri, 11/22/2013 - 9:51am
The Friends of Meridian Street reports cab drivers continue to act like the bypass built for them to avoid local streets continues to go largely unused:
It's 4am and still a steady stream of empty Logan Airport taxis using Meridian Street and East Boston public streets to Chelsea instead of the multi-million dollar Coughlin Bypass Road built with taxpayers money specifically to keep commercial traffic from Logan Airport off the public streets of East Boston. These words of Massport and Massachusetts Department of Transportation leaders have never been backed up and East Boston residents, families and children are still paying with their health, safety and maintenance.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
I can confirm this. My house
I can confirm this. My house is right on Meridian Street, and when I get home from work either late at night or very early in the morning (I work mostly nights) there is an endless stream of cabs going down Meridian Street. It's ridiculous.
What's the problem?
So, why aren't they using the road? Does the bypass take longer to use, rather than via surface streets? If so, they should not have bothered. Or at least not pass it off as a silver bullet for taxi traffic. Why would they use it if it takes longer? Now, if the route itself added more mileage, then I could see those cabbies taking the bypass!
By-pass Road
I think the road's main purpose was to take the shuttle buses and heavy trucks out of Neptune Square where they occasionally get stuck under the bridge or fail to make corners or block intersections. Also this helps to set-up the Silver Bus route to Chelsea. Getting taxis to use it was sort of an ancillary benefit that the residents want to see happen, but you hit the nail on the head - it's a longer route and they don't have a fare in the back seat when they're driving that route....so they won't be using it.
Is that true? Because I seem
Is that true? Because I seem to remember that the By-Pass road (is this the same as the Haul Road, because if it's not, then my point is moot) was constructed specifically for commercial traffic (including taxis) to be able to easily drive from the airport, into the tunnel and then to the Expressway.
I'm betting that these cabbies are looking for a fare by staying on the local streets.
They want to avoid tunnel tolls
The by-pass road being discussed is a new one that goes straight to the Chelsea St bridge to give access to the airport parking there without having to drive through neighborhood streets. However, it would take taxis further away from the Rt. 99 bridge that they are trying to access to avoid the tolls back into Boston. They are not looking for fares on local streets. John-W knows what he is talking about.
Yes, we are not talking about
Yes, we are not talking about the same road. My bad.
Haul road is in south boston..
...yeah not the same road but I know which one you mean. It goes from seaport area to I 93 and also a separate ramp to the Ted Williams I think.
The cabs do not care about tolls
They force riders to pay those tolls no matter what - the local cabbies in Eastie are crooks!
Agree, mostly for buses
I was never under the impression that it was made for Taxis, and even so, they certainly shouldn't take a road that places them at an economic disadvantage. The bypass is for shuttles, Silver Line, and maybe some day (how I hope and pray), for light rail.
Put a bike lane thorough the bypass
Not for the sake of cyclists, mind you. So the taxi cabs will use it. Cab drivers seem to be really confused and think that sort of symbol and markings mean that the space is their special place.
You truly are crazy
Adam could post a blog about about the Raspberry Industry in Poland and you'd some how mention "Bike Lanes."
Do you talk to yourself about "Bike Lanes, Bike Lanes, Bike Lanes, Bike Lanes, Bike Lanes AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Bike Lanes."
No, I'm a CycleZombie
Bike Laiiiinnnnzzzzz!
But I'm going to avoid you.
Jaroslaw Kowalczyk's Jamfest 2013
Planning on meeting some of the biggest names in the biz at this event in Bialystok!
damned cabbies
Probably a case of inertia/habit of cab drivers just going the route they are used to and the fact that it's more of a straight-line from the terminals to Central Square via the ramps and then down Meridian to Chelsea than to go through/under Neptune Square and out over the Chelsea Street bridge and down the crapola Marginal Street stretch in Chelsea (lots of heavy trucking make it a mess - although still better than the stretch of post-apocalyptic, Snake Pliskenesque asphalt hellscape of Williams and Beacham Streets on the Chelsea/Everett no-man's land).
Stick a tamper-proof transponder in the taxis and make them pay a $5 toll when they go over the McArdle Bridge and chances are you'll see them start using the Chelsea Street bridge.
Beacham
Beacham is kept intentionally shitty so that people don't use it as a MA-16 bypass.
Until a gasoline or oil
Until a gasoline or oil tanker tanker cracks a weld and spills its load ....
Why? Are there powerful
Why? Are there powerful NIMBYs living in the gasoline truck depots and porn stores?
From Logan to 99, going via
From Logan to 99, going via the Chelsea Street Bridge and Marginal Street adds a half mile and 2 minutes, versus Meridian Street and the McArdle Bridge.
While Marginal Street between the bridges is mostly industrial, a few houses are on it, or on side streets within a few feet. Is it fair to these people to force all cabs to go that way instead of on Meridian Street?
Of course, the real reason to use any bridge is the offensively high tunnel toll for cabs. It's time to reduce it to the standard car rate, and maybe give discounts in the middle of the night to discourage the use of all residential streets.
Oh there you go...
...again with the common sense. Get outta town!
Why dont they install
a few speed bumps, inconvenience the taxi drivers and force them onto the bypass.
That would inconveneince everyone else more
I'm sure taxi traffic at night is much lower than general traffic in the day. Speed bumps on Meridian St would simply inconvenience a whole lot of heavy traffic in the day, rather than [relatively] lighter taxi traffic at night. The taxis are more likely to disregard the speed bumps, anyway. There's probably better ways to calm traffic than speed bumps which can maintain the slow flow of high volume in the day, but will get taxis to slow down when there's fewer cars at night.
Also, speed bumps would increase wear and tear on the general public's vehicles.
Topes
Actually folks in Eastie have asked for speed bumps to slow down the cut through traffic (actually, locally-based Todisco towing is probably the worse offender) in the residential n'hoods and were told by BTD that this is not done because of snow plowing. Cambridge seems to manage with the raised intersections and other traffic calming measures, but of course in Boston this just CANNOT BE DONE. Why? Well, because WE'VE NEVER DONE IT THAT WAY. Here's hoping some of this might change in the Noo Whirled Orduh.
What??? MassDOT created a new road?!!!
Perhaps people are still in shock and disbelief. Turn it into a bike and pedestrian path to instantly make East Boston "vibrant" and the next Kendall Square, full of vitality and Cafe's. Or publicize the new road with fliers in the government's 100 standard languages. I still use the McArdle bridge.
Back in the 1980s I would
Back in the 1980s I would hail a cab at night from fanuel hall to East Boston and some of the cabs declined to give me a ride, so its been going on for a while, taking a cab to East Boston from Boston and being refused by cab drivers, Its nothing new! It's been going on for years! That's why Boston mayor walsh has to push a bill with mbta to keep public transportation running all night, which should include the new mbta boat service to E, B.
Forget the boat. Just run
Forget the boat. Just run the Blue Line or a bus all night.
logan airport parking
Maybe if instead of taking cabs to and from the airport causing local traffic, people should consider Logan Airport parking facilities instead. There are a number of affordable and convenient facilities offered. I know that Propark www.propark.com offers some great rates and services there.
Why I don't "park n fly"
1. I take longer trips
2. My family has one vehicle, so it can't be at the airport
3. My employer will not pay parking
4. Taking luggage for a 1-3 week trip on a shuttle bus is a huge hassle
I don't think that I'm alone in this, either.
I do know someone who takes regular overnights to NYC and DC and has his own car and does park at the airport (although he will use public transit as Blue Line is very convenient at rush hour). That sort of short range/short trip traveler is who these lots are designed to service.
logan airport parking
If cabbies do not want to use Coughlin Bypass Road, then perhaps people should stop using cabs. I drive and always look for Logan Airport Parking near Propark Boston.
www.proparkboston.com makes it easy to do.