Keller @ Large: Be Skeptical Of Boston Traffic Study Sponsors

BOSTON (CBS) - Where would we all be without academic studies to confirm the obvious?

The latest contribution comes from the group A Better City, in a report that points out – wait for it – traffic around here is really, really bad and getting worse.

"Highway congestion has become so bad that typical AM and PM commuting speeds [on major highways] are below 25 mph and on many segments below 20 mph," the authors write, surely leading some of you to wonder – where are these speed demons finding the running room?

Among their horrific projections: an extra 117,000 commuters over the next 15 years putting at least 80,000 more vehicles on local roads, with another 26,000 public transit users jamming into already overcrowded subways, busses, trolleys and commuter trains.

That all seems quite plausible.

But as ominous as all that is, what's really troubling about this report is the presence among its sponsors of the usual suspects who more than 25 years ago were banging the drum the loudest for the colossal boondoggle and misallocation of resources known as the Big Dig.

Remember the radio ads they ran claiming the commute would be a breeze once it was finished?

Buyers, beware of any policy recommendations these people might make.

The Big Dig ruined our finances, left public transit in disarray, and did little to improve traffic.

Let's make sure we don't repeat the same bad decisions these same folks were urging on us way back when.

Listen to Jon's commentary: