What can be done to get drivers to slow down?   One Police Chief in Wales is taking a particularly graphic approach to getting people to obey the speed limit. 

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_headline=police-chief-resorts-to-traffic-shock-tactics&method=full&objectid=18969718&siteid=50082-name_page.html

Now, I am sure you’ve heard tall tales from people like me complaining about how we had to walk three miles to school uphill in blinding snowstorms! However, there are many benefits to walking to school. The Safe Routes to School Program’s official Walk to School Day is Wednesday, May 2.

The Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is managed by the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) through MassRIDES, the Commonwealth's travel options program. The SRTS program educates students, parents and community members on the value of walking, bicycling, carpooling, and taking public transit and the school bus for travel to and from school. Travel to school can account for up to 25% of morning traffic nationwide.

Twenty-two of the SRTS partner schools are participating in Massachusetts Walk to School Day by promoting programs such as the Traveler Ticket and Walking School Bus activities.

Traveler Ticket: Activity encourages healthy transportation alternatives to school. The goal for the students is to receive 20 marks (20 days of trip travel) on their traveler ticket by walking, bicycling, multi-family carpooling, or riding the bus. Students are eligible for rewards each time they complete their ticket.

Drivers, be aware that on May 2, you may encounter more pedestrian traffic in your neighborhoods as the kids walk to school.

For more information on the Safe Routes to School program, please call 1.888.4COMMUTE (426.6688) or visit www.commute.com

In LA, apparently, sitting in traffic is time for film-making. 

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/7181726.html

Tips to make sure the other driver sees you.

Here are some things to consider to reduce the chance that you’ll be in a collision.

Make Eye Contact – It’s not a guarantee that the other driver won’t cut you off, but it’ll lessen the chance. At the very least, if you’re looking at them and they’re not looking at you, then you should be wary.

Signal Your Turn – This should be a “needless to say” suggestion. But being that we’re in Massachusetts where signaling is considered a sign of weakness, it needs to be said. It’s a simple fact, signaling makes driving safer. Other drivers will make better decisions if they are aware of what you are doing.

Brake Lights – Our annual inspections check this each year. However, if you’re lights go out between inspections, you should get it fixed, rather than waiting until the inspection forces you to get it done. Given that we generally drive too closely in Massachusetts, if your brake lights are not functioning properly, it will make it much harder for other drivers to stop when you do. Their reaction time will be significantly diminished.

Flash Your Brakes – Here’s a thought. Before you actually begin to stop, you might consider tapping your brakes once or twice. This will get the attention of vehicles behind you and alerts them that you are about to slow down. You might also consider this if you see someone coming up behind you quickly.

Daytime Headlights – This increases your visibility. It doesn’t help you to see, but so that everyone can see you better.

Blind Spots - Don't drive in other drivers' blind spots. You should always be aware of you position in relation to other drivers cars. The worst blind spot is generally the back right.

I'm not the only one who complains in a blog about bad drivers.

http://www.headlessvector.com/2007/04/25/5-crazy-ma-drivers-which-one-are-you/

This comes to us via http://universalhub.com/

Motorists on Route 495 did not have an easy commute this morning. At around 6:30 AM, a vehicle traveling southbound on Route 495 rolled over at Route 119 in Littleton. The car may have rolled several times and the driver was thrown from the vehicle and seriously injured. A medical helicopter was called to the scene and as a result, the southbound road was closed for about ten minutes to transport the driver to a nearby hospital. The vehicle came to rest in the median strip and the left lane was closed on the southbound side while emergency vehicles worked the scene. A lot of debris was scattered all over the median strip, and that also meant an extended cleanup.

Backups were very extensive. Southbound carries the heaviest morning traffic flow, and delays at worst stretched back about 13 miles to Route 38 in Woburn. The accident scene was visible to northbound travelers, too, and curiosity delays began four miles back at Route 111.

No word on what caused this crash.

Below is a link to a Channel 5 story on the benefits hybrid cars and taxis get at Logan Airport.  Taxis get to jump to the front of the line, and other cars get better parking spots. 

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/money/12931665/detail.html

Do you know where Route 128 is?

Apparently Traffic Reporters, like me, don’t know. While that’s not technically true (I know everything) we don’t refer to Route 128 in the “correct” way when we are talking about the road that runs between Braintree to Canton.

In actuality, Route 128 extends from the I-95 Interchange in Canton to Gloucester. But from the late 1940’s up until 1989 Route 128 ran all the way to Braintree. In 1989 the state re-designated the section between Braintree and Canton, no longer calling it 128. The change was made because the state moved the official designation of Route 1 off of Storrow Drive and the VFW Parkway over to 93. Rather than have the confusion of having Route 128 NB run in the same area as 93 SB, they dropped the reference of 128 entirely.

But not everyone made the change. The general public led by Traffic Reporters and the media have been calling it 128 ever since.

At first this wasn’t really a problem because everyone knew what we were talking about. The signs and maps may have said one thing, but if you grew up here, you knew it was 128, even if the signs said 93.

But that was a full generation ago. There are no signs that show that section of road as 128. In fact there are signs in Canton, near Route 95 that say “END 128”. Maps don’t refer to that section of road as 128. On-board navigational services don’t refer to it as 128. A generation of new drivers has learned the roads by looking at highway signs, none of which refer to 128. And a huge number of people have moved to the area and have never known that stretch of road as 128.

Channel 5 is taking a poll. Should we, as Traffic Reporters, and our general assignment reporters stop calling that section of road between Canton and Braintree as 128? Should we call it by it’s officially designated number of I-93, should we go on as we are, because it's not a problem, or should the state change it back to the way it was originally?

We’ve debated this for years in our Operations Center. Here’s your chance to influence the debate.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/traffic/12997467/detail.html

Now that the weather has started to feel more like spring, I’ll bet you’ve noticed the increase in motorcycles on the roadways. This is a good time to talk about motorcycle awareness and safety. Remember to share the road safely with our friends on motorcycles and use extra caution when changing lanes. Don’t solely rely on your mirrors, as a blind spot might prevent you from spotting a motorcycle when you change lanes. Make sure you glance over your shoulder beforehand.

Motorcyclists, be aware that the roads might be a little rough in spots, as is typical in the spring. Know that you might encounter some potholes in your travels.

Another thing I like about spring (other than the roar of motorcycles) is seeing all of the classic cars on the roads! You can tell when a proud driver takes their vintage car out of winter storage, gives it a good cleaning, and hits the roadways! Over the past few days, I’ve seen some really beautiful, well preserved classic cars, especially sports cars. I don’t expect to see these beauties on a rainy day, but certainly a sunny day like yesterday brings out the best of the older cars. My “older car” will turn 20 years old this August. I have yet to bring it of storage, but will within a week or two. I’m now feeling the pressure to get my summer car on the road like everyone else!!

So, how about you? Do you have a motorcycle or classic car that you’ve just taken out of storage? If so, tell us about it!

This post comes from www.boingboing.net

This invention, The Super Sky Cycle, from a Texas company, will get past rush hour traffic better than anything else, and for only $37,000.

http://www.thebutterflyllc.com/sscycle/sscycle.htm

They’re working on a two-seater version now.  When it’s done, I’m going to ask my wife if we can get one. I’m looking at the pictures on the web site and I don’t see any cup-holders, which means she’ll probably say “no”. Her iced tea is very important to her.   Hmmm, where will I put the child-safety seat?

New York City's Mayor Bloomberg proposed a series of environmental remedies on Earth Day. One of them is an oft-discussed, oft scorned idea of congestion pricing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/nyregion/23mayorcnd.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

I'm not advocating this myself (partly because I have no backbone), but it's certainly an interesting discussion when it comes up.

But, of the sake of conversation, perhaps people here could be allowed to pay a premium to use the car-pool lanes on 93 or the Expressway.

Let's discuss.  

Traffic injuries are the leading cause of death in people ages 10 to 24 around the world. This fact needs much more attention.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/19/AR2007041902409_pf.html

Also included here is a statement about the verbiage used for crashes. The word "accident" seems to imply that crashes are unavoidable. They are not. In almost all crashes someone is at fault at least to some degree. But that's a separate conversation that I'll blog about later.

Hollywood comes to Boston this weekend, and they're going to tie up traffic.  A film shoot is going to shut down the Mass Ave. Bridge on Sunday. Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Lawrence Fishburn are here working on a film called “21”.    Hey, Kate, while you're in town, try Emma's Pizza in Cambridge.   It's the best.  

The Mass Ave. Bridge will be closed on Sunday morning from 6 am to 3 pm.. No cars will be able to cross the bridge, but pedestrians and bikes will be allowed between takes. Boaters on the Charles will be kept 500 feet away.

Expect delays on Mass Ave in both Cambridge and Boston. I don’t expect any traffic problems on Storrow Drive or Memorial Drive.

Update - 9 AM - Friday

Also on Sunday...

Back Bay will be tied up due to the Greek Independence Day Parade.  It starts at 1 PM and travels up Boylston Street from Exeter Street to the Common.  The cross streets will be closed as well.  

BTW, Kevin Spacey and Lawrence Fishburn, you would also love the pizza at Emma's. 

I spent a good part of the day today driving out to Fitchburg on Route 2, a trip I make to see family every couple of weeks. Today’s trip was different in that there was more road-kill than I’d ever seen. There were huge numbers of small animals that had been killed, lying on the side of the road. It was very sad and definitely more than I had ever noticed before. And it wasn’t limited to a single species; I saw raccoon, opossum, skunks and a whole bunch of unidentifiable critters as well.

Perhaps some of you might have another theory as to why this might happen, but my guess is that it’s a result of all of the flooding in the region. I’m guessing that animals are being displaced by all of the water and need to look for food in new and distant locations.

Is that accurate?

And me without my party hat.

Seriously, though, your tires are extremely important and should not go unchecked. Tires are integral to steering, braking, and handling. A little drop in air pressure can make a big difference in gas mileage, too.  Always have a tire pressure gauge in your car and check your tires at least once a month.

Tire manufacturers are spearheading an effort to educate the driving public about proper tire care during National Tire Safety Week April 22 to 28^th.

How much do you know about proper tire inflation? See how at:

http://www.rma.org/tire_safety/tire_maintenance_and_safety/quizzes/quiz.cfm?quizid=2

The Rubber Manufacturers Association has a great website that is full of good information regarding proper tire care, inflation and maintenance.  Click this link to find out more about tire safety:

http://www.rma.org/tire_safety/tire_maintenance_and_safety/how_to_take_care_of_your_tires/

Also, many potholes are cropping up now that we are in the springtime season. That means you might need your car aligned, so check that, too. If your wheels are not properly aligned, your tires will wear faster and unevenly, and if left unchecked, your brakes might be adversely affected, too.

Don’t trust other drivers!

Don’t be paranoid, but everyone is out to get you.

When you are driving, you should never rely on what the other driver will do.

I’m far from a perfect driver, I’ve made mistakes, and I’m know you have as well. We’ll all make mistakes, everyone has lapses of judgment while driving – everyone.

So, unfortunately, to be safe, don’t trust anyone. Always keep an eye out for the other guy. Leave yourself plenty of space so that you have the ability to react to the errors other people make on the road. You already know that other driver is going to make a mistake; it’s only a question of when. You need to be in the best position to respond to their errors, and that generally means being far away from them.

When you drive too close you put your trust in them - that they will make the right decision. Is that what you want to do? Do you want to put your safety in the hands of a complete stranger? That person might have just come from a bar, may have been up all night, may be reading a map, talking on the phone or lighting a cigarette.

Trust no-one, at least when you’re driving.

OK, I know I said “don’t be paranoid”. Now that I think about it, go ahead and be paranoid. They may not be out to get you, but they’re going to get you.

Look on the bright side!  Oh, wait, that's not possible right now.  The sunny side isn't up this week, that's for certain.  We traffic reporters long to discuss sun glare-related slowdowns for a change.  All we have seen this week (and last) are dreary, windy, waterlogged, slow commutes.  Flooding has closed some roadways and large puddles have hampered the ride everywhere, it seems.  Large puddles can often hide potholes, so drive carefully.  There are a lot of small branches down on the roads and a lot of debris to contend with, too. 

At least the volume of traffic has been somewhat lighter this week, thanks to April school vacation.  Let's hope those vacationers bring the sunshine upon their return.

The Patriot Ledger recently ran an article discussing the possibility of widening Route 3 between Duxbury and Weymouth. There is also discussion of expanding mass transit services for South Shore travelers.

http://www.patriotledger.com/articles/2007/04/14/news/news03.txt

The Brockton Enterprise also has an article about road expansion, this time for Route 24 between Bridgewater and Stoughton.

http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/04/17/news/news/news06.txt

Thanks to the folks at the NE Transportation Google group.

I see this almost every night and it never ceases to amaze and confound me.

93 NB in Somerville has a section between the Route 28 off and onramps that is clearly marked as a non-travel lane. (See my amateur illustration below).

In an effort to bypass the slow traffic in the legal travel lanes people use the offramp lane and then continue along this non-travel lane. Sure it’s faster, but come on people; hundreds of other drivers have managed to accept their inability to use that lane. It’s blocked off so that access to and from Route 28 is more manageable and safer.

What can these people possibly be thinking? Do they think they are above the law? Do they think the rest of us are stupid for not ignoring the law?

It’s not like they’ve made a mistake. They have made a conscious decision drive down this lane, to flout the law in order to pass a few other cars. The lane is at least a quarter mile long. If it were a mistake, they’d have plenty of time to say “oops” and squeeze into the legal travel lanes.

The state of Montana recently passed a law putting everyone's driving record on-line.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/10/news/state/40-driving.txt

This allows you to check what is actually posted in your record. It also allows others who have a "valid claim" to review your record as well. This can be people "such as an employer doing a background check, the parents of a teenage driver or even a private investigator."

In Montana, driving records are public documents. I assume that it is similar here in Massachusetts, but am not familiar with the law.

I wonder if people would alter their driving behavior if they knew that the general public might have access to their driving records.

Would you?

The MBTA's newly designed web site has been nominated for a "webby", which, I'm told is the on-line equivalent to an Oscar.  

They say it's an honor just to be nominated.

Massport expects heavy passenger travel at Logan Airport during the April school vacation period from Wednesday, April 11 through Sunday, April 22. If you are heading to Logan, expect increased traffic through the Ted Williams, Sumner and Callahan Tunnels and along the airport roadway.

Massport advises that you check with your airline to see if your flight is running on schedule, and allow an extra 30 minutes to get to the airport.

Due to the expected increase in passenger traffic, consider taking the MBTA’s Blue or Silver Line to the Airport, or use Logan Express from Framingham, Braintree, Peabody and Woburn.

If you are not taking advantage of April vacation, you should be rewarded with a fairly light commute. While passenger traffic will be heavy at Logan, highway travel will likely be much lighter during the vacation period.

How well do you drive the roads?  Do you play well with other drivers? 

Take the GMAC Insurance National Driver's Test and find out how much you know about driving.  Let us know how you fare.

http://www.gmacinsurance.com/SafeDriving/2006/

According to GMAC's test results, who has the most knowledgeable drivers in the nation?  (Scroll WAY DOWN to find Massachusetts.)

1 Oregon
2 Washington
3 Vermont
4 Idaho
4 South Dakota
6 Montana
7 Nebraska
8 Kansas
9 Iowa
10 Wyoming
11 Wisconsin
12 Minnesota
13 Alaska
14 California
15 Indiana
15 Colorado
17 Michigan
18 North Dakota
19 West Virginia
20 Utah
21 Mississippi
22 Illinois
23 Tennessee
24 Texas
24 Kentucky
26 New Hampshire
27 Arkansas
28 Virginia
29 Arizona
30 Georgia
30 Louisiana
32 North Carolina
32 Maine
34 Ohio
35 Oklahoma
36 Alabama
37 Missouri
37 Delaware
39 Nevada
40 South Carolina
40 Florida
42 Pennsylvania
43 New Mexico
44 Connecticut
45 Hawaii
46 Maryland
47 New York
48 New Jersey
48 Massachusetts
50 District of Columbia
51 Rhode Island

You can’t yield into a crash.

When you’re driving, if you have any question about right of way or who should go first, give it away. Let them go first.

You may have the legal right, that other driver may be completely wrong, but why risk the possibility that you could end up hurt, dead, or with a damaged vehicle. I’m not arguing the legal question of who has the legal right of way; it’s an issue of defensive driving and safety, not to mention general politeness.

There are a lot of situations where it’s not 100% clear who has the right of way. That other driver may be unfamiliar with the area and may not know the roads. They may be distracted for some other reason, right or wrong. There are a lot of circumstances that might affect another driver’s ability to recognize who has the legal right of way. So instead of making it an issue of principle, or some big legal issue, give that other driver the benefit of the doubt.

Let them go first, be safe, lower your stress, and do something nice.

In the wake of two serious accidents on the ramps connecting the Tobin Bridge to Route 93 and the Leverett Connector, new speed limit signs will be posted.  Keep your speeds at or under 25 mph for safety.

Here's a link to Channel 5's coverage:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/11532715/detail.html

Well, spring is finally here. How do we know? The Red Sox are playing! The home opener is Tuesday, April 10. They will face Seattle at Fenway Park at 2:05 PM. There are a few things to know before you head to the game, and even if you’re not, you might find yourself in game-related traffic before and after.

Here’s what we expect traffic-wise. Anytime after 11 AM or so, we begin to see increasing volume along Storrow Drive and Soldier’s Field Road. Storrow Drive Westbound traffic approaching the Fenway/Kenmore exit will be back to Leverett Circle, while delays on Soldiers Field Road Eastbound will stretch back to Western Ave. Also, the Pike will be heavy around the Allston/Brighton Tolls approaching Western Ave. and River St., and the Mass. Avenue Bridge will be slow from Cambridge to Boston. The Leverett Connector Inbound will be jammed, too.

Your best bet as always is to take the MBTA to the game. The T says in order to save time and avoid long lines, add value to your Charlie Card of Charlie Ticket in advance of game day.

Here’s the closest stops to Fenway Park:

Green Line: Travel to the Kenmore station from the B, C, or D branches, or the Fenway station on the D branch. Remember, outbound fares are now collected on the Green Line.

Orange Line: Take the Ruggles Station Shuttle to Fenway. You can also access the Ruggles Station from the Providence/Stoughton or Needham/Franklin Commuter Rail Line.

USA Today ran an article yesterday about a company that’s set up a web site allowing you to schedule a cab on-line.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-04-03-cab-ride-usat_N.htm

http://www.1800cabride.com/

They’re operating in 40 market’s, including Boston.

I checked on availability and cost of a ride from my office in Government Center to Logan. It’s $16, which is supposed to include everything, fare, tips, taxes, tolls.

I haven’t actually used the service, primarily because I don’t need to go anywhere, and I don’t want to fork over $16 just to see if it works. So I can’t comment on whether it works or not.

I’m also not sure if the price is better, worse or the same as it would have been if I’d walked out on the street and waved.

But I like the concept.

Reader Aaron Reid has a suggestion to alleviate traffic problems in Brookline on Beacon Street.   I'm not familiar enough with the area to make a judgement as to whether this is a good idea or not.  I'll let the rest of you judge.

His suggestions are shown below.

The elimination of the eastbound-to-westbound turnaround on Beacon Street at Marion is causing pretty hefty backups at Centre St. as cars wait ages for a very short left-turn arrow that allows perhaps 3 or 4 cars through at a time.

I have a suggestion to alleviate the backups in a cheap & simple manner: make the Wincester Street intersection into the new (temporary) turnaround. See these two images for graphics that illustrate the concept:

http://www.friedbagels.com/brooklinetraffic1.jpg
http://www.friedbagels.com/br ooklinetraffic2.jpg

Step 1 - Depicted in "brooklinetraffic1" where #1 marks: Change the Wincester Street intersection, so that cars coming off of Winchester can only make a right turn; they can't go across Beacon anymore. You'd need to put up a "right turn only" and "do not enter" signs, as well as a "detour" (with a right arrow) sign and possibly change the traffic lights so they are green arrows instead of green circles. I'd also suggest even adding some semi-permanent cones to guide cars into a right turn.

Step 2 - Add another "Detour" (with a left arrow) to guide cars into the remaining westbound-to-eastbound turnaround at Marion Street. You could probably hang the detour sign from the installed (but not activated) traffic light poles over the street there.

Step 3 - Depiceted in "brooklinetraffic2" where #3 marks: add signage indicating a turnaround (yield to trolleys, etc etc) and eliminate the traffic light.

With this setup, traffic can still flow off of Winchester Street relatively easily since it's a short drive to the remaining turnaround. And the congestion at Centre St. will be eliminated since people can make the turnaround at Wincester instead.

I'm no traffic engineer, but logically this should make for a cheap and simple temporary solution while the construction on Beacon Street continues this summer.

Here's another story, this one from the Baltimore Sun regarding the dangers of sending text messages while driving.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.texting30mar30,0,1865054.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

The story says that 1 in 5 drivers send text messages while driving.   37% of people between 18 and 37 do it.

Just add water! That’s the recipe for a slow ride. Monday morning's commute got off to a bad start, thanks to the weather. Wet roads, rain and drizzle meant for slower speeds and longer drive times on every major road. In fact, the morning ride has yet to ease!

Route 93 South backed up early this morning. Delays stretched back nearly 22 miles to Route 495, and it was jammed all the way to the Leverett Connector. Travel times on all major routes were about double the norm.

Most of the traffic troubles this morning related to volume, not accidents or breakdowns. We had a few crashes and disabled vehicles, but thankfully, nothing significant.

JC Monahan says that this week will likely be rainy, so expect long rides to and from work this week.