MassDOT is looking at ways to increase capacity on Rte. 3 south of Boston. WBZ reports one way to pay for it: Use that newfangled "open tolling" system to create an express lane. And while they're at it, why not vary the tolls by time of day, so people who have to be in town in the morning could pay more for the privilege?
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Although there are some
By tape
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 2:39pm
FWIW, 90 used to end at 93 until it was extended to the airport for the Big Dig.
Anyway, if all parties involved really wanted this to happen, they could just make it a spur route and call it I-193 or whatever.
Um, per those same numbering conventions,
By roadman
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 5:38pm
a principal interstate cannot start at a spur or loop route. In 2004, in response to a request from then Governor Romney, MassHighway investigated various options for simplfying the route designations in the Greater Boston area.
One option that was considered, and had many advantages from cost and implementation standpoints, was to truncate I-93 in Braintree, and re-designate the highway between Canton to Braintree as a spur of I-95. This was to address the Glob(e)s ongoing complaints about the fact that Canton to Braintree was signed "north/south" while it actually runs east-west, as well as the whole "93 north/128 south" issue they love to whine about - which hasn't existed since 1989 when 128 was officially decomissioned south of Canton.
AASHTO and FHWA's response was they would not approve such a change for the reason I stated in my first sentence. Of course, the whole issue became mute when the Glob(e) found out that a key part of any route re-designating plan (even the "no-build" option) was to decomission 128 south of I-95 in Peabody. After the Glob(e) printed an editorial basically accussing MassHighway of treason, dogs and cats living together, and the like, the Mittster issued a public statement declaring that the 128 designation would not be removed during his tenure.
The problem
By S
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 12:34pm
Isn't the issue the overloaded Southeast Expressway and the Route 128 corridor? Is $800 million of new lanes needed to speed up the commute from Marshfield to Braintree?
Look at Wired magazine article "Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse". More lanes will mean more commuters moving farther away for larger yards, cheaper housing, creating sleeper suburbs and sapping the vitality of the city that is the economic engine. Unless the tolls are used for some public good, it is simply a trade of public resources (land, civil servants time) for the benefit of a few who will pay to use the lanes.
I'm not sure why the rich suburbs that dominate state politics can't see that a more efficient MBTA will ease commutes for drivers AND riders.
T
By jkw
Fri, 03/27/2015 - 12:59pm
Back in early 2000 they added almost 200 more spaces to the commuter rail lot in Halifax on the Kingston line because the lot was full every day. Following that they proceeded to almost fill the lot each day with the added spaces. Parking was $1 and the T-Pass cost south of $150. Fast forward to today: the T pass has more than doubled; parking is $4; the schedule and timeliness of that schedule is subpar. Result: the lot is 1/4 full on a good day. Fix the T and make it too cheap not to take and the Rte 3 congestion issue is mitigated significantly - and perhaps even solved.
Smart tolling with stupid implementation
By Markk02474
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 1:10pm
People who have been using "smart" tolling and EzPass have been getting huge fines when not getting bills or notifications that their credit card charges did not go through. The system is failing at giving people due notice and by charging outrageous fines. This needs fixing.
If tolling is added to Rt. 3, at least 2 more lanes in each direction are needed. Didn't anyone learn from the 1 lane widening of Rt. 3 north which was filled within 10 years. On Rt 3 south, EXISTING, pent up demand would fill the extra lane immediately with no margin for the future. MassDOT's own study has shown that HOV lanes should only come from adding to existing roads, as the roads already need added capacity.
A small percentage of people
By roadman
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 1:21pm
A small percentage of people who have been using "smart" tolling and EzPass have been getting huge fines when
not gettingignoring multiple bills or notifications that they used an E-ZPass lane without a transponder. FIFY.As for "their credit card charges did not go through", for all practical purposes this is impossible. You obviously don't know how E-ZPass accounts works.
How's it impossible? First
By anon
Fri, 03/27/2015 - 12:48pm
How's it impossible? First the credit card you have on file expires or the number changes. When your E-ZPass balance goes below the threshold, the automatic recharge fails. And then your account goes negative, and you start racking up fines.
Maybe they notify you before this happens, but I wouldn't depend on it.
It's a separate issue from using E-ZPass lanes without a transponder.
Other E-ZPass gotchas that are totally *not* the user's fault:
- Getting other people's fines because they misread the license plate
- Fines when your transponder fails to read, even though it was properly mounted and the license plate was registered on the account
Same story... different decade
By MassMouse
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 1:28pm
Wasn't this talked about back when the Distressway was paved back in the early '80s?
Brilliant!
By bulgingbuick
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 2:34pm
I say we do a nationwide search. Hire Bechtel as the designer, builder and owners representative. It's Privatization nirvanna. What could possibly go wrong?
excise tax
By Ann Weatherbee
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 3:39pm
what is it axactly?
DC/VA Does This
By Annie
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 4:23pm
They do this in the DC/VA area. On 66 and possibly 495. That area has horrific traffic day/night and weekends. Many people use it and love it. I think it would be great and may generate income. No toll booths though, should only be possible with the EZPass or you are fined.
Not sure if tolls are a great
By anon
Thu, 03/26/2015 - 9:07pm
Not sure if tolls are a great idea
It is CHILD CARE not daycare. If your worried about picking up late, plan extra time
Preschool?
By Waquiot
Fri, 03/27/2015 - 12:25am
Hey, they take care of the kid during the day, and they are regulated by the Department of Early Education. All I know is that my kid learned the word oval there.
My problem with express toll
By anon
Fri, 03/27/2015 - 12:56pm
My problem with express toll lanes: they only work when the regular lanes are screwed up, and not a lot of people use the express lanes. In other words, they depend on the existence of an inefficient situation.
What happens if we somehow improve mass transit and the regular lanes start to flow better? There goes the toll revenue.
Here we go with electronic tolls everywhere
By Bob F
Tue, 04/04/2017 - 9:22am
Now that the MA liberals got their magic electronic tolling gantrys all down the MA Pike... of course the next step in the moonbat liberal agenda is to put them on all major roads... because they don't use the state gas tax to pay for roads anyway so they have to fill the unlimited pension and healthcare coffers with something??
NO MORE TOLL GANTRYS !!! The pro comments on here are so spastic they have no concept of what it is like to work a regular job... idiots.
Now a Bill has been forwarded to ... suprise... put up a toll gantry on the southeast expressway....
NO MORE TOLLS
After Geoff Deihl defeats Brockton Senator Mike Brady
By bulgingbuick
Tue, 04/04/2017 - 10:12am
and then beats Liz Warren tolls will be a thing of the past.....
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