Keller @ Large: Big Dig Fixed Nothing
BOSTON (CBS) - Unless you hit mall traffic, or a fender-bender backup, or bad weather hits, the next two weeks should be a relatively easy stretch for greater Boston car commuters. And that's a badly-needed blessing for some of the most beleaguered drivers in America.
It is now three years after the $22 billion Big Dig was formally completed, and for many of us, the urban traffic mess it was supposed to help relieve is worse than ever. According to an interesting article about local traffic in yesterday's Globe, the new federal census lists four South Shore towns where the ride to the city means fighting off horrendous Route 3 and Southeast Expressway traffic as among the ten longest commutes in the country, IN THE COUNTRY, a country that includes traffic horror shows like New York, LA, Chicago, and – oh, the horror – Houston.
From the Globe story, get these numbers: In 1979, Route 24 was carrying about 40,000 cars a day. Now, it's more than 100,000. Where Route 24 hits 128, about 55,000 cars were using the ramps per day in 1980; today it's nearly 130,000. And those ratios don't even tell you how overwhelmed these roads are at peak rush times.
Yes, if you commute from the South by car, as most people continue to do despite the huge investment we made in extending commuter rail service, it's a nightmare, and if the drive in from the North or West strikes you as a day at the beach, then you're a much more patient person than I am. It's not rocket science. There are too many cars and trucks using outdated road systems and bridges that were left to seed while the Big Dig ate up all the dough. But instead of developing really good, convenient, affordable public transit systems, we went all in on car travel and the Big Dig's alleged fix.
Listen to Jon Keller's Commentary
Podcast
Remember when they used to run ads touting our happy future of delay-free commutes once the Big Dig was done? Some fix.
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.
