The Metropolitan Area Planning Council warns that 128 is going to see 77% more traffic between Route 3 and the Turnpike ... and then proposes band-aids: shuttle buses.
The projected increase in traffic is going to be fueled by new development. Why not meet the new demand with a supply of mass transit? Why isn't the answer new rail or bus rapid transit?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
128 to become permanent parking lot
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I don't think you're being exactly fair, since they also proposed (immediately below "shuttle buses") express bus service, a dedicated bus lane, and a "multi-modal transportation hub at a commuter rail station near the highway", whatever that means.
I have noticed, in recent months, an apparent uptick in traffic on the Middlesex Tpk -- inbound traffic jams are occurring more frequently, and they are worse on the days that they customarily occurred.
I'm curious to know how "multi" their multimodal is. A friend and colleague, some years back, was looking into a bicycle commute between the North End and Network Drive in Burlington, and investigated using the commuter rail out the RTC. Bicycle connections were inconvenient, because nobody though to put a bridge across the tracks; instead of 5.8 mile ride avoiding frontage roads and similar dreck, 7.5 miles, with lots of "share the road" style riding on frontage roads.
Everywhere to everywhere commuter travel patterns work poorly with current public transit and its hub and spoke topologies. Someday, riders armed with smart mobile devices might be able to plan a trip over bus routes that intersect one another. Riders replace rides in to just ride out with a series of carefully directed bus changes. That will take getting used to, so better to do the long overdue widening on 128!
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