The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently released a report on road congestion in the state along with recommendations for making road and transit more accessible, reliable and predictable while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The report identifies the five most severe areas of weekday congestion as well as other corridors with segments that are congested for more than 10 hours per day. Local congestion is responsible for slowing down buses, which are needed to address the congestion problem.
Several recommendations are highlighted in the report. They include increasing Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority capacity and ridership; creating infrastructure to support shared travel modes; increasing remote work and telecommuting; producing more affordable housing near transit; and working with employers to give commuters more options.
The report also explored the feasibility of congestion pricing mechanisms such as managed lanes on one or more highways in Greater Boston.
Managed lanes are a system of parallel lanes. One or more lanes are free to use while one or more lanes require drivers to pay a fee. Fees can be constant or vary depending on congestion levels. Managed lanes can be used by buses, carpools and vans, allowing more people to avoid congestion and travel faster.