<p>I just returned from a trip to the East and wanted to let those who are planning college visits in the Boston area to know that the street traffic into, out of, and in Boston is awful right now–it took us I think over an hour in the taxi from Logan–because of the Big Dig catastrophe and what sounds like will be a long, long aftermath of repairs. </p>
<p>Take the subway from the airport (shuttle buses from every terminal, takes you to the blue line, then you can ride the blue line into Boston and switch to any other line to get to your destination.)</p>
<p>I even did it yesterday in 90 degree heat with a backpack, a tote bag, and a wheeled duffle, including a “side” trip to the MFA and it was very easy and quick. Of course, it goes without saying that I’d try to avoid rush hour.</p>
<p>Glad you made it back safely, Patient! The news on the Big Dig sounds worse all the time. I predict a six month-shutdown of the Ted Williams tunnel.</p>
<p>Actually, the Ted Williams is still open, and doesn’t seem to have any problems. The tunnel that’s shut down is the connector from I-90 (the Mass Pike) to the Ted Williams; there’s also the ramp from the Williams to the Expressway (I-93). Today’s Boston Globe had a column about the differences in construction between the Williams and the connector and the Attorney General’s investigation as to why the two were designed so differently. (Don’t mean to be a nit-picker, but those who listen to the traffic reports or the news reports while in Boston might get confused about what’s open and what’s not.)</p>
<p>Plans as of yesterday were for the ramp to the Ted Williams to re-open late Sunday night (yes, and I’ll believe it when I see it). The connector is shut down indefinitely, and I wouldn’t doubt marite’s prediction. Of course, I also wouldn’t doubt double her prediction!</p>
<p>No way will that tunnel be open again on Sunday! Ha! I have never seen such a traffic nightmare, but people are not going to want to be traveling back in those tunnels anytime soon, anyway, what with gushing water and substandard building materials…even if it was the most expensive, overbudget, overtime, public works project in history…I avoided the tunnels BEFORE the ceiling fell!</p>
<p>DD is flying into Boston in a couple of weeks for college visits. Would you recommend the subway to get to BU and the schools on the Fenway? What about going out to Wheaton? Should they use the rental car for that?</p>
<p>Yes, I would recommend the subway to get to BU (blue line to Government Center, Green line “B” train to get to BU or any Green Line train except “E” to get to Kenmore Square, short walk to BU and Fenway). It may be possible to rent the car out in the BU area, and then get to Wheaton, returning to the airport the same way. The only thing I would stress is to pack light. The T is not suitcase friendly.</p>
<p>I re-checked MapQuest, which of course doesn’t include the latest closings. Logan to BC includes a line that directs drivers toward I90/Ted Wms. Is that the actual tunnel or the connector?</p>
<p>We’ll be bringing S to school next month. If the connector is still closed (and MapQuest still hasn’t updated directions), is there a 2-step set of directions we should use to arrive at BC (i.e., Logan to XYZ; XYZ to BC)? Or should be just follow the detour signs with the rest of the crabby sheep?</p>
<p>I think that the I-90 is the faulty connector.
The Sumner tunnel is still open, but people have gotten accustomed to having the Ted Williams tunnel as well. I suppose that by next month, people will have gotten used to the status quo ante.</p>
<p>Yes, the I-90 connector to the Ted Williams is closed. Can’t get there from here.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as a “2 step” set of directions in Boston unless you’re taking the T. Then it’s Logan to the Blue Line. Blue Line to Government Center. Green Line “B” train all the way to Boston College. (Be careful there; the B train also stops at Boston University, but that’s much closer to the center of Boston.) If you take the T, get the exact name of the stop you need.</p>
<p>To get to BC, though, you might be able to avoid the whole mess by using the Sumner tunnel from the airport, and taking Storrow Drive west. The school should be able to give you directions from Storrow - that’s how we used to get to BU before the Big Dig.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rely on Mapquest at all. If you want Internet directions, <a href=“http://www.aaamaps.com%5B/url%5D”>www.aaamaps.com</a> is a much better bet (especially if you’re a AAA member). It routinely has much more updated information than Mapquest.</p>
<p>The major problem is that this situation is fluid, with detours changing all the time. Best bet - call the school when you land - they should know.</p>
<p>BUT don’t drive or take the bus from Providence to Boston: take the train or the MBTA and then the subway to get where you want to go. Yesterday I was going from Providence back to Boston and I called the Bonanza Bus. She told me that they are advising people to add AT LEAST one hour to the normal bus time (which is really long anyway). So I would have had to take an 11:30 a.m. bus and hope to get to the airport by 2:00 (because the next bus wouldn’t assure me of getting there an hour ahead of my plane). So instead I took an 11:50 Amtrak, got to Boston about 12:30, and had time to go to the museum before heading out to the airport. It’s true the T isn’t suitcase-friendly, but in off hours it can be managed–I was traveling with a rolling duffel, tote bag and backpack and survived with only one very dirty look…</p>
<p>The T isn’t suitcase-friendly? Huh. My son routinely takes his two enormous duffles between the airport and MIT and has never complained about anything other than the weight. He could just be oblivious, however.</p>
<p>Oh, and to get to BC from the airport without using the Ted Williams tunnel, I would concur with those who suggest the Sumner/Callahan (it’s the same tunnel, just has a different name in each direction) to Storrow Drive. It’s a prettier drive that way, too.</p>
<p>And I notice the Google Maps doesn’t seem to have heard of the Sumner or Callahan Tunnels, calling them the William F McClennan HIghway! But I did get good directions to BC from the airport by taking using Google maps (maps.google.com) to map from the airport to Storrow Drive and Storrow Drive to BC.</p>
<p>Oh, lord, my boyfriend and I were going to drive down and eat dinner with his family two nights ago (normally, 40 mins south of Boston), and we bailed after sitting in traffic on Storrow Drive for an hour. The tunnel to I-93 would have taken us at least another hour.</p>
<p>The traffic’s absurd and the humidity’s absurd and all the Bostonians are a little grouchy.</p>
<p>Don’t drive from Providence? You’re kidding right? The whole point is to get away from the traffic mess. Just stay away from the city proper when you drive up.</p>
<p>Since BC is in Newton, west of Boston, Providence is a great airport to consider. You never hit the city, and you never come close to the mess of the Big Dig. Here are the directions from BC’s website:</p>
<p>“Take Interstate 95 (Route 128) to Exit 24 (Route 30). Proceed east on Route 30, also known as Commonwealth Avenue, and follow for about five miles to Boston College.”</p>
<p>As long as you’re not traveling between 7 & 9:30 AM or so, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Well…um…no. I do lots of work in Newton and my commute time has doubled. There is just a ton more traffic in general on 128, so the typical commute time traffic snarls have pretty much extended throughout the day.</p>
<p>I flew into Logan last Friday, arriving at the gate at 3:30pm.</p>
<p>The traffic out through the Ted Williams tunnel was manageable, although the detour signs ended before the key indicator – which way to turn for the Mass Pike?? (I finally asked someone on the street.)</p>
<p>I’m not sure, but from my one data point, taking the Ted Williams tunnel, even with the detour, may well be faster than taking the Sumner/Callahan route.</p>
<p>I wanted to mention that the detours now in place are the same ones used when the tunnels were under construction, so local traffic is at least somewhat familiar with how to deal with the whole mess.</p>
<p>-Allmusic-, you obviously have had different experiences than I. I drove that route for 7 years, then stopped. However, for the past 3 weeks, I’ve been driving from Newton down 128 at 4:30 in the afternoon and the time of the commute has not changed drastically. Do I want to do it at 5 or 6? No, but I didn’t want to 7 years ago either.</p>
<p>Anyway, by the time the students are dropped off, locals will have gotten well used to the new/old traffic patterns. (Although I still vote for flying into Providence. Not only for traffic, but it’s a much nicer, much more manageable airport than Logan.)</p>