Featured Transportation

Reader Poll: Should Massachusetts Implement Pay-to-Use Lanes to Ease Traffic Congestion?

Posted on Author Amanda StollComments(8)

A recent study by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) declared what many residents already know: traffic is only getting worse in the Commonwealth.

The image above shows the estimated commute from the South Shore into Boston on a weekday at 8:30 a.m., with orange and red indicating the severe congestion along I-93. Several suggestions have be made regarding ways to ease traffic flow, particularly in the Greater Boston area. One such idea is to charge drivers a fee to use certain lanes during rush hour.

Those in support of these lanes argue that it will provide an option for drivers willing and able to pay more to avoid traffic, while at the same time reducing the number of cars in the free lanes. Those against these lanes argue that it favors the wealthy and think it might actually attract more cars to the roads.

What do you think? Should Massachusetts create pay-to-use lanes to ease congestion on our roadways? Vote in our poll and add your comments in the section below.

Web polls are unscientific and reflect only those who choose to participate. NorthEndWaterfront.com polls do not have any official significance and are only intended for the interest of our readers.

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8 Replies to “Reader Poll: Should Massachusetts Implement Pay-to-Use Lanes to Ease Traffic Congestion?”

  1. On Sunday a friend of mine who is usually a good source told me that he heard that the City is considering issuing parking tickets on
    Sundays? That would help the issue of the resident only parking abuse that plagues the NE.

  2. Congestion pricing should be used on the heaviest trafficked roads for all vehicles during peak hours. This would incentivize drivers who are able to either travel off-peak or take alternative routes. Ideally, it would force people to leave their cars at home and use other modes of transportation, preferably a new and improved transit system that should be the beneficiary of the congestion toll revenues. It’s worked well in other cities, and is worth trying in Boston!

    1. A lot of people would find free, alternate routes through neighborhoods. It’s nearly impossible to ask someone who has driven for say, 20 years, to give up their car for public trans.
      You can try but…good luck with that. Americans love their cars…right or wrong.

    2. This would disproportionately affect lower income individuals and households. This wouldn’t change the behavior of wealthy individuals one bit. You cannot restrict access to public transportation on the basis of ability to pay, that only hurts working people.

  3. The only thing this will do is squeeze an already squeezed middle class. We can not afford Boston and greater Boston as it is. This will make it worse.

  4. It’s a state scraping bottom to squeeze more out of working people. With one of the most mismanaged and underfunded pensions in the country, this money will never go to improve transportation. Every time they have raised T and commuter fares, they use the same tiresome excuse, they plan to improve the system. How’s that going? They collect more money, but end up losing more money.

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