Next big highway project?

They should probably just spend the money making this a reality instead of a 3rd bridge: http://transitauthorityfigures.bigcartel.com/product/cape-cod-subway-map

TAF-BC-Full-Cape.jpg
 
^^^
+1 Great Plan

This state HWY and Subway grids are so outdated. This is where I want my tax money spent.
 
I think there can be a lot done on the infrastructure as it exists. Upgrade some highways and lead ins to the Sagamore and Bourne, also do 25.

You could also run the train somewhat more regularly at peak times, even do a short run middleboro to hyannis to encourage a park and ride. Simultaneously, spend a few hundred grand and run a much more frequent bus connecting service. I've looked at it with the train, and it's pretty decent, but also pretty easy to double capacity. Another bus and another driver plus fuel. Outside of the bus it's pretty cheap.
 
Ron Newman said:
If you run more Cape Cod trains from Boston, and reinstate the service from NYC and Providence, wouldn't that eliminate the need for any more highway bridges?
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I doubt it. Most people would not think to take public transit to get the Cape. They would rather drive and have the ability to get around to different parts of the Cape with relative ease.
 
mass88 said:
I doubt it. Most people would not think to take public transit to get the Cape. They would rather drive and have the ability to get around to different parts of the Cape with relative ease.
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The question is, could enough people be convinced to take an improved train service that bridge traffic would be a little better for the people who don't? It doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition, after all.
 
Right. It takes a combination of things. But if the train is to become more attractive to more people, there needs to be a more robust system of busses/shuttles that are integrated with the train stations on the Cape. Could also have more car, bike and moped rentals around Hyannis station.
 
No matter how bad the traffic is and how good the train service is, there are really only a handful of spots on the Cape that can be vacationed at car free. It's not just a matter of getting people to their destination conveniently. It's also how do they get groceries? How do they get to dinner? A lot of the Cape is way too spread out to do that car free. The train seems to be paying for itself though, so no reason to get rid of it, but I'm not sure it'll ever put a major dent into traffic to a place that's basically pretty rural/suburban outside of a few small spots.
 
underground said:
No matter how bad the traffic is and how good the train service is, there are really only a handful of spots on the Cape that can be vacationed at car free. It's not just a matter of getting people to their destination conveniently. It's also how do they get groceries? How do they get to dinner? A lot of the Cape is way too spread out to do that car free. The train seems to be paying for itself though, so no reason to get rid of it, but I'm not sure it'll ever put a major dent into traffic to a place that's basically pretty rural/suburban outside of a few small spots.
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Right. A bus system could help with that. Or car rentals. One big reason public transit will never take over as transportation to, from and on the Cape is that many people who vacation to the Cape are not Boston-centric. The Commuter Rail system IS Boston centric. Anyone traveling to the Cape from the South Shore, MetroWest or the Merrimack Valley would have to first get to Boston, then catch the CapeFlyer, then get to their final destination from Bourne or Hyannis. Too way much trouble for a lot of people especially if they're traveling with a fair amount of luggage and/or children.
 
Maybe the problem with transit is we think of terms of "Will everyone use it" versus "Will enough people use it to make it worthwhile".
 
MBTAddict said:
They should probably just spend the money making this a reality instead of a 3rd bridge: http://transitauthorityfigures.bigcartel.com/product/cape-cod-subway-map

TAF-BC-Full-Cape.jpg
Click to expand...

Clearly this thread is headed for "Insane, right it is Insane -- [weird nod] I was going to say Crazy again..." Transit Pitches

If there is to be a 3rd bridge over the canal it should be designed so that in connection with the Sagamore there can be reversible lanes for peak demand -- the best idea I've got so far is to build a 6 lane new bridge and restructure the Sagamore to 3 wider lanes

Then construct a switch:

Sagamore would provide 3 lanes counter to flow and connect 1 express lane to Rt-3 [redesignated as I-93] and 2 lanes to the new I-795 interconnecting Sagamore and Bourne Bridges with I-495

New Bridge would provide 6 lanes with flow -- 3 express lanes direct to Rt-3 -- and 3 lanes connected to I-795 [RT-25 connected to I-495 and also the Bourne Bridge]
 
whighlander said:
Clearly this thread is headed for "Insane, right it is Insane -- [weird nod] I was going to say Crazy again..." Transit Pitches

If there is to be a 3rd bridge over the canal it should be designed so that in connection with the Sagamore there can be reversible lanes for peak demand -- the best idea I've got so far is to build a 6 lane new bridge and restructure the Sagamore to 3 wider lanes

Then construct a switch:

Sagamore would provide 3 lanes counter to flow and connect 1 express lane to Rt-3 [redesignated as I-93] and 2 lanes to the new I-795 interconnecting Sagamore and Bourne Bridges with I-495

New Bridge would provide 6 lanes with flow -- 3 express lanes direct to Rt-3 -- and 3 lanes connected to I-795 [RT-25 connected to I-495 and also the Bourne Bridge]
Click to expand...

So...an asphalt hellscape basically.
 
BTW, the next big highway project is the I-90 interchange improvement project... lest we forget so soon ;)
 
The I-90 (Allston) interchange redesign could greatly improve the surrounding neighborhood. I don't see any such benefit from fiddling with the 128/93 interchange.
 
^ Isn't zapping that cloverleaf one of high priorities of DoT? Maybe I'm off-base, but that's what I thought.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
^ Isn't zapping that cloverleaf one of high priorities of DoT? Maybe I'm off-base, but that's what I thought.
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Canton split, yes. Reading is the one not included on this round.


They're all bad, but the combo of Canton + Braintree split that they're prioritizing does more aggregate good.
 
Wait, the Cape Cod Canal is man-made? Srsly, I either never knew or (hopefully) just forgot?

That canal is 7 miles long. Is there anything to gain by adding a second one? Based on the transit map, it would run about 3.5 miles, following one or more current roads, hit the airport, then meet up with the Hyannis high-speed ferry?

How do you go about doing that? What route would it follow?
 
JohnAKeith said:
Wait, the Cape Cod Canal is man-made? Srsly, I either never knew or (hopefully) just forgot?

That canal is 7 miles long. Is there anything to gain by adding a second one? Based on the transit map, it would run about 3.5 miles, following one or more current roads, hit the airport, then meet up with the Hyannis high-speed ferry?

How do you go about doing that? What route would it follow?
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Put Google Maps on "terrain" view and look at the elevations. The shortest path between two points isn't the flattest. Cape's got the most meat (rock) on its bones pretty much along the spine of Route 6 out to Orleans. The existing canal followed the flattest strip of coast-to-coast land available, so it's not "improvable" per se.
 
Matthew said:
BTW, the next big highway project is the I-90 interchange improvement project... lest we forget so soon ;)
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There are 3 main interchanges in the Metro area that need to be completely rebuilt: the 93/95 interchange in Woburn, the 93/95 interchange in Canton and the 90/95 interchange in Weston.

These are in addition to the Allston/Brighton toll situation.
 
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