Editing Transportation in Boston (section)

== Road transportation ==

=== Road infrastructure ===
[[File:Zakim Bridge from Museum of Science Roof - 2014-02-09.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|[[Lechmere Viaduct]] and [[Zakim Bridge]]]]
Except for the [[Back Bay, Boston|Back Bay]] and part of the South Boston neighborhoods, Boston has no [[street grid]]. The City of Boston, composed of many smaller towns annexed over the years, retained most of the pre-existing street names, resulting in many duplicates throughout the city.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

Expressways and freeways in and around Greater Boston are laid out with two circumferential expressways:  [[Interstate 495 in Massachusetts|Interstate 495]] and [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route 128]].  The circumferential routes are intersected by several radial highways, including:

* [[Interstate 93]] (the Northern/Southeast Expressway), which extends north of the city into [[New Hampshire]], and southward to the [[Braintree Split]],
* [[Interstate 90]] (the Massachusetts Turnpike), connecting Boston with [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]],
* [[United States Route 1]] (the Northeast Expressway/Newburyport Turnpike), crossing the [[Tobin Bridge]] and eventually serving [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]],
* [[Storrow Drive]], an unnumbered high-speed parkway along the [[Charles River]] connecting downtown Boston with the Route 2 corridor,
* [[U.S. Route 20]], a route running from Kenmore Square to Newport, Oregon — although it is not an expressway.
* [[Massachusetts Route 2]] (the Concord Turnpike/Alewife Brook Parkway), serving the northwestern suburbs including [[Lexington, Massachusetts|Lexington]], [[Concord, Massachusetts|Concord]] and [[Fitchburg, Massachusetts|Fitchburg]],
* [[Massachusetts Route 3]] (the Pilgrims Highway), connecting Boston with [[Cape Cod]],
* [[United States Route 3]] (the Northwest Expressway), a functionally separate highway serving [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], [[Burlington, Massachusetts|Burlington]] and other suburbs in between Route 2 and I-93,
* [[Massachusetts Route 24]], serving the interior southern suburbs, including [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton]], [[Taunton, Massachusetts|Taunton]] and [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]] 
* and [[Interstate 95]], indirectly connecting Boston with [[Rhode Island]] via I-93.

By the early 1990s, traffic on the elevated downtown portions of I-93 and Route 1 (the Central Artery) was 190,000 vehicles per day, with an accident rate four times the national average for urban interstates. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper for six to eight hours per day, with projections of traffic jams doubling by 2010.  Also, the elevated structure itself was decaying, after more than a half century of continuous use.  For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, driving in Boston was disrupted by the [[Big Dig]], the most expensive (roughly $14 billion) road project in the history of the US.

After more than 15 years of disruption, The Big Dig, along with other highway projects, provided less than 10 years of relief before congestion returned to the levels seen in "prerecession 2005, when the Big Dig was almost complete and marketed as the solution to gridlock for commuters ... analyses would conclude that the added capacity attracted more drivers, and pushed the traffic bottlenecks farther into the suburbs."<ref>{{cite news|title=Boston commute is as congested as it was 10 years ago|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/2015/09/17/zocommute/6oAfphVXJRcUJYM4RAFTWK/story.html"|author=Katheleen Conti|work=Boston Globe| date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> However even without the big dig the raised road was structurally deficient and needed rebuilding or replacement.

Boston remains one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the US.  The complex and still-changing road network, with many one-way streets and time-based traffic restrictions, has led many Boston travelers to consider an up-to-date [[GPS navigation]] map system a necessity.

=== Walking and bicycling ===
[[File:Commute patterns.png|thumb|alt=Major US City Commute Patterns 2021|upright=1.4|Compared to residents of other American cities, Bostonians have average commute times and high rates of public transit use.]]
[[File:Boston_Historical_Commute_Patterns.png|thumb|alt=Historical Commute Patterns in Boston 2006–2021|upright=1.4|Bostonians shifted to driving alone, at the expense of public transit as a result of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic, but continued to walk at the highest rates of any US major city.]]
Boston is known to travel agents as "America's Walking City", has been rated as the third most [[walkability|walkable]] city in the US by [[Walk Score]], and also has a high Transit Score.<ref name=WalkScore>{{cite web|last=Walk Score|title=About Boston|url=http://www.walkscore.com/MA/Boston|work=Walk Score|access-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref>

Boston is a compact city, sized right for walking or bicycling. According to a ''[[Prevention (magazine)|Prevention]]'' magazine report in 2003, the city has the highest percentage of on-foot commuters of any city in the United States. In 2000, 13.36% of Boston commuters [[List of U.S. cities with most pedestrian commuters|walked to work]] according to the [[United States Census|US Census]]. This was the highest of any major US city, bested only by college towns such as nearby [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]. Most of the area's cities and towns have standing committees devoted to improvements to the bicycle and pedestrian environment. The first pedestrian advocacy organization in the United States, WalkBoston, was started in Boston in 1990, and helped start the national pedestrian advocacy organization America Walks.

Cycling is popular in Boston, for both recreation and commuting. Some bicycle paths are marked on some roadways, but very few completely separated paths are available to cyclists.  The [[Minuteman Bikeway]] (which runs through several suburbs northwest of Boston) and the [[Charles River]] bike paths are popular with recreational cyclists and tourists. The [[Emerald Necklace]] system of parklands and parkways, pioneered by [[Frederick Law Olmsted]] and his sons, provides some more pleasant alternative routes for cyclists.  The [[Southwest Corridor (Boston)|Southwest Corridor]] also provides [[cycling infrastructure]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/southwestCorr.htm|title=DCR web page.}}</ref> as does the [[East Boston Greenway]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bostonnatural.org/gwyeb.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 5, 2016 |archive-date=November 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118134712/http://www.bostonnatural.org/gwyeb.htm |url-status=usurped}}</ref> Many MBTA riders use a bicycle to get to a nearby station, and the number of bicycle racks and lockers has been increased.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://usingbicycles.blogspot.com/2008/04/mixed-mode-commuting-in-boston.html | title = Mixed-Mode Commuting in Boston  | work = Using Bicycles | author = Sherwood Stranieri | date = April 25, 2008 | access-date = April 26, 2008 }}</ref>

However [[Bicycling (magazine)|''Bicycling'']] magazine, in its March 2006 issue, named the city as one of its three worst cities in the United States for cycling.<ref>{{cite journal|author=MacLaughlin, Nina |year=2006 |title=Boston Can Be Bike City...If You Fix These Five Big Problems |journal=The Phoenix – Bicycle Bible 2006 |url=http://thephoenix.com/supplements/2006/bicyclebible/article.aspx?ID=Boston |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811055614/http://thephoenix.com/supplements/2006/bicyclebible/article.aspx?ID=Boston |archive-date=August 11, 2011 }}</ref> The distinction was earned for "lousy roads, scarce and unconnected bike lanes and bike-friendly gestures from City Hall that go nowhere—such as hiring a bike coordinator in 2001, only to cut the position two years later".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-2-16-14593-11,00.html |title=Urban Treasures |website=bicycling.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707032056/http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-2-16-14593-11,00.html |archive-date=July 7, 2007}}</ref> Neighboring [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]] earned an honorable mention as one of the best cities for cycling with a population of 75,000-200,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-2-16-14593-9,00.html |title=Urban Treasures |website=bicycling.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206024029/http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-2-16-14593-9,00.html |archive-date=February 6, 2010}}</ref>

Since September 2007, when Mayor [[Thomas Menino]] started a bicycle program called Boston Bikes with a goal of improving bicycling conditions by adding bike lanes and racks and offering bikeshare programs, the city has improved accommodations for bicyclists in a number of ways.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/us/09bike.html |title=Boston Tries to Shed Longtime Reputation as Cyclists' Minefield |access-date=August 16, 2009|author=Katie Zezima|work=The New York Times | date=August 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-2-13-17078-1,00.html|title=A Future Best City: Boston|access-date=August 16, 2009|publisher=Rodale Inc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211195827/http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-2-13-17078-1,00.html |archive-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref> The least visible improvement is zoning and building code changes to encourage showering and locker facilities in major office buildings. Better signage and lane markings for bicyclists are starting to appear. More visible enforcement of traffic regulations on motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians has commenced.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/13/boston_gear_up_for_influx_of_new_bicycle_riders/ |title=Boston gear up for influx of new bicycle riders|work=The Boston Globe|date=July 13, 2011|access-date=July 15, 2011|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203033712/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/13/boston_gear_up_for_influx_of_new_bicycle_riders/ |archive-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/15/make_boston_bicycle_free/ |title=Make Boston bicycle-free|work=The Boston Globe | author=McGrory Brian | date=July 15, 2011|access-date=July 15, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/11/bicycle.wars/index.html|title=Drivers, bicyclists clash on road sharing|access-date=July 15, 2011|publisher=Turner Broadcasting System |date=October 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2009/07/29/hub_to_beckon_bikers_with_sharing_program|title=Hub's bike routes beckon, white knuckles and all|access-date=July 15, 2011|work=The Boston Globe |first=David|last=Filipov|date=July 29, 2009}}</ref>

Boston has an active [[Critical Mass (cycling)|Critical Mass]] ride group, and [[MassBike]] is a bike advocacy group active in supporting cyclists in the area.<ref name=bimag>{{cite web | title = Urban Treasures | url = http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-2-16-14593-1-P,00.html | publisher = Bicycling Magazine | access-date = June 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707033025/http://bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-2-16-14593-1-P,00.html |archive-date=July 7, 2007}}</ref><ref name=massbike>{{cite web | url = http://massbike.org/ | title = MassBike: The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition | publisher = MassBike: The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition | access-date = June 9, 2008}}</ref> The [[LivableStreets Alliance]], headquartered in Cambridge, is an advocacy group for bicyclists, pedestrians, and walkable neighborhoods.<ref name=LSA>{{cite web|title=LivableStreets: Rethinking Urban Transportation|url=http://www.livablestreets.info|publisher=LivableStreets Alliance|access-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref>

====Maps and guides====
{{anchor|Maps and guides}}
[[File:Bostonhorseandcart.JPG|thumb|alt=Horse-drawn carriage at dusk on a city street|One of several horse carriages transporting tourists around the city]]
The Boston regional [[Metropolitan Area Planning Council]] (MAPC) publishes a large and detailed "Greater Boston Cycling & Walking Map", which it distributes free of charge.<ref name=MAPCBikeMap>{{cite web|last=Metropolitan Area Planning Council|title=Greater Boston Cycling & Walking Map|url=http://www.mapc.org/resources/bike-transport|publisher=Metropolitan Area Planning Council|access-date=February 20, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304080055/http://www.mapc.org/resources/bike-transport|url-status=dead}}</ref>   The map is also available online and in downloadable form, and revisions are solicited from the general public.

In addition, a small private company called Rubel BikeMaps has for many years published and distributed an extensive lineup of books and maps covering Boston, the state of Massachusetts, and nearby areas of New England.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rubel BikeMaps |title=Welcome to Rubel BikeMaps |url=http://bikemaps.com |publisher=Rubel BikeMaps |access-date=February 20, 2013}}</ref>   These publications are for sale at many bicycle shops, and online.  Because of recent expansion of bike lanes and other facilities, plus increased input from the public, it is important to use the most recent editions of these maps and guides.

Rubel BikeMaps also publishes ''Car-Free in Boston:a Guide for Locals and Visitors'', still in its 10th edition {{as of|2015|lc=y}}.<ref name=CFIB>{{cite book|last=Association for Public Transportation|title=Car-Free in Boston:a Guide for Locals and Visitors|year=2003|publisher=Rubel BikeMaps|location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=1-881559-76-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781881559764/page/192 192]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781881559764/page/192|url-access=registration}}</ref>   Prepared by the [[Association for Public Transportation]] (APT), this book contains extensive information useful to bicyclists and pedestrians alike, including coverage of intermodal travel and handicapped accessibility.  Although the general overview and travel tips are largely still relevant, this classic book has not been updated since 2003, and must be supplemented by current online information.

With widespread use of smartphones and tablet computers, [[online mapping]] services such as [[Google Maps]] have become popular aids for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.  The MBTA was one of the earliest large transit agencies to embrace the [[Open Data]] philosophy, making route, scheduling, and [[real-time locating system|real-time]] vehicle location information publicly available in the standard [[General Transit Feed Specification|GTFS]] format.<ref name=MBTA-GTFS>{{cite web|last=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|title=Schedules and Trip Planning Data (GTFS)|url=http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/developers/|work=Rider Tools|publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|access-date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> As a result, many third-party apps are available on a number of hardware platforms, allowing riders a wide range of choices in obtaining travel information.<ref name=MBTA-Tools>{{cite web|last=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|title=App Showcase|url=http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/apps/|work=Rider Tools|publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|access-date=February 20, 2013}}</ref>  Google Maps has started to present maps of the interiors of underground subway stations, and this information is available on Android and iOS smartphones, as well as web browsers.

=== Buses ===

[[File:MBTA route 77 bus on Mount Auburn Street, October 2019.jpg|thumb|right|An MBTA bus on Mount Auburn Street in 2019]]

162 [[MBTA bus]] routes operate within the Greater Boston area, with a combined ridership of approximately 375,000 one-way trips per day, making it the [[List of United States local bus agencies by ridership|seventh-busiest]] local bus agency in the country. The bus fare is $1.70 with a [[CharlieCard]], or $2 with a CharlieTicket or cash; monthly commuter passes are available, as are reduced fare transfers between most bus lines and the subway.

In an effort to provide service intermediate in speed and capacity between subways and buses, the MBTA has begun projects using [[bus rapid transit]] (BRT) technology. The MBTA has one BRT line, the [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]], although this operates in two discontinuous sections. The Silver Line operates in part via dedicated trolleybus tunnel, in part via on-street reserved [[bus lane]]s, and in part mixed with general street traffic. Service through the trolleybus tunnel is by [[dual-mode bus]]es, which operate electrically in the tunnel and within a short section on the surface, and which use diesel power for the rest of the route.

[[Massport]] operates the [[Logan Express]], an express bus service between Logan International Airport and suburban park-and-ride lots.

Several privately owned commuter bus services take passengers between the city and suburbs.<ref>http://www.seaporttma.org/pdf/Commuter%20Bus%20Services%20available%20to%20Commuters%202010.pdf {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>  Transportation Management Associations<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.masscommute.com/tma_directory/|title=MassCommute - MassCommute - List of MA TMAs|work=masscommute.com|access-date=August 28, 2014|archive-date=September 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915021905/http://www.masscommute.com/tma_directory|url-status=dead}}</ref> also run public shuttles to specific employment centers, such as the EZ Ride for [[Kendall Square]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlesrivertma.org/|title=Charles River TMA - Charles River TMA - Commuting Solutions|work=charlesrivertma.org}}</ref> and the Route 128 Business Council shuttles around Alewife, Needham, and Waltham;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://128bc.org/|title=128 Business Council – Unlocking the Grid|website=128bc.org}}</ref>  [[Partners HealthCare]] runs public shuttles among its locations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.partners.org/shuttle_schedules.aspx|title=Shuttle Services - Partners HealthCare|work=partners.org}}</ref>  The MASCO TMA operates six commuter shuttles for the use of [[Longwood Medical Area]] employees and students<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masco.org/directions/routes?ql=shuttles |title=Routes |access-date=June 6, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506065308/http://www.masco.org/directions/routes?ql=shuttles |archive-date=May 6, 2015 }} lists shuttles between LMA and Ruggles, JFK/UMass, Crosstown (near Melnea Cass Blvd.), M6/Chestnut Hill, Landmark Center, and Fenway</ref> run by the MASCO TMA for the [[Longwood Medical Area]].  The MASCO M2 shuttle between Harvard Square and the LMA via Massachusetts Avenue is available for public use, though tickets or cash card must be purchased in advance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.masco.org/lma-shuttles/m2-cambridge-boston|title=M2 - Cambridge - Boston &#124; MASCO|website=www.masco.org}}</ref> Many colleges and universities also run private shuttles for students and employees.

In June 2014, the Cambridge-based startup [[Bridj]] began running "data driven" bus service in core neighborhoods.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/05/13/pop-bus-service-bridj-launch-test-runs-june/tOGnFPBvXlSyzma28F71NK/story.html|title=Pop-up bus service Bridj to launch test runs June 2|work=BostonGlobe.com}}</ref>  It uses a mixture of fixed and dynamic routes and pricing, depending on where and when registered members say they want to go.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/04/10/data-driven-pop-bus-service-launch-boston/yz4EjzZC9nXnl22O6JcV2I/story.html|title=Data-driven pop-up bus service to launch in Boston - Business - The Boston Globe|work=BostonGlobe.com}}</ref>

===Parking===
Since automobiles did not exist in 1630, when Boston was first settled, parking was not a consideration.  The city that sprung up around and away from the original North End neighborhood accommodates cars only awkwardly; parking comes at a premium throughout the city.  Off-street parking spaces have sold for more than $160,000 on Beacon Hill.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/realestate/communities/profiles/2002/boston_beacon_hill.html|title=Boston.com / Real estate|work=boston.com}}</ref>  On-street parking is the norm in many sections, and the city created a resident permit parking program to reserve street space for permanent residents in certain neighborhoods.  The parking permits are free to Boston residents, however, and the program is overused; permitted spaces remain scarce.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/08/22/is_parking_too_cheap/|title=Is parking too cheap?|work=boston.com}}</ref>  Meters citywide are priced at $1.25 per hour, and metered spaces are also often difficult to find.

The number of public parking spaces downtown has been capped since the mid-1970s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/environment/sbf.asp|title=Parking Freezes - City of Boston|work=cityofboston.gov|access-date=August 31, 2007|archive-date=September 13, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913182407/http://www.cityofboston.gov/environment/sbf.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>  The number of parking spaces in East and South Boston, and the hours that they may be used, also is restricted by state regulation.  This is part of the state Department of Environmental Protection's plan, approved by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] to address the non-compliance of the region with the mandatory [[National Ambient Air Quality Standards]] for [[ozone]].<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/region1/topics/air/sips/sips_ma.html EPA-Approved MA Regulations | State Implementation Plans (SIPs) | Topics | New England | US EPA<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

The MBTA operates several large [[park and ride]] facilities on its subway and commuter rail lines, close to major highways, providing access to downtown. While most of these tend to fill up with commuters on weekday mornings, they provide a good place for visitors to leave their cars and see the city without parking hassles on evenings and weekends.