Once again the Greater Boston area is ranked the most congested in the US by transportation analytics company INRIX. An impressive #9 in the world. INRIX estimates this congestion costs the average driver 149 hours and $2,205 a year. Once again the Greater Boston area is ranked the most congested in the US by transportation analytics company INRIX. An impressive #9 in the world. INRIX estimates this congestion costs the average driver 149 hours and $2,205 a year. 
We still have a way to go internationally though.
We’re coming after you Bogata!
What really irks me is the complete lack of urgency I feel from our State House Reps and Governor on this issue. This is not a problem Newton can solve on its own – but it is a big problem for Newton!
I think having open meeting and record laws apply to the State House would help us solve this issue, but learning who is moving or who is stalling transportation reform.
Here’s a link to the Boston report card:
https://inrix.com/scorecard-city/?city=Boston%2C%20MA&index=9
https://inrix.com/scorecard/
There’s something a little suspect about the “Commute Areas” map plot though. According to their data, one of the “frequented routes and destinations throughout a region” is from F. A. Day Middle School to downtown, which I’m a little skeptical of :)
But, for for a “transportations solutions” company, I’d like to see a little less car-centric material in addition to what they have. Where’s the public transportation congestion/delay map?
It’s fine to say what our current problem is. But we can’t solve it with more roads. And we can’t solve it with public transit IF we don’t have a good idea about the specifics where our current system is failing us.
@Mike Halle – the car congestion map can help us identify where our current system is failing us, because many of those driving do it because of lack of accessible reliable public transit from home to work. We can use the most congested routes to tell us where we need more buses or trains.
And we can’t solve it with more cars, which is the now inevitable result of two large developments recently approved; namely Riverside and Northland. And yes, absolutely, sour grapes.
The densest parts of Newton are along the #59 bus route, according the FEMA’s map in Newton’s Hazardous Mitigation Plan (page 113). A map that does not include the 1123 apartments recently built or planned (800 in Northland, 22 in Four Corners and 301 in Austin St, Orr, Haywood, and Court St).
Many new studies in the US have shown increase frequency and reliability of a bus route and ridership goes up. I don’t think it would be a bold, daring or expensive (compared to other solutions) experiment to reduce traffic congestion for the MBTA to make a five year commitment to run the #59 bus as frequently as the Green Line runs the T – but with better reliability!
Five years, because few will commit to moving or giving up a car, if the transit service is not dependable.