Jamaica Plain to Kenmore (BU) - car vs T? (Boston: neighborhoods, live)

[DCAtoBOS]

Moving to Boston this summer and although JP was not on my original list of neighborhoods, the more I read, the more it sounds like a good place to consider. I have a dog and would like to have a small yard, but still be in a walkable village type environment for outside-work fun and easy access to other parts of the city (South End, Back Bay, etc).

Question: What would it be like to commute from JP to BU? I'm thinking car most days, but if I don't feel like clearing my car of snow, use the T, and when the weather is decent (April - October), bike on some days.

Car option: I have parking at BU and will work 1 block from Kenmore T stop. The Jamaicaway/Riverway looks like a direct shot, but is that a traffic nightmare during typical rush hours?

T option: I know there's not a direct route, but according to MBTA approximate times, the trip from Stony Brook to Back Bay on orange is 10 minutes and the trip from Copley to Kenmore on green is 8. With 5-10 minutes of walk time between Back Bay and Copley, this seems doable. Or, am I being optimistic?

[AbrasaxEos]

From JP to BU isn't too bad. I go from Roslindale (about mile past the Forest Hills stop) to BU most days on the T (same way you have above) and it takes me about 40-50 minutes. That is with an extra bus trip from Rozzie Square to Forest Hills, and two extra stops on the orange line. So, I would guess that the time frame you have above might be slightly optimistic, but not drastically so. I would think it wouldn't take more than 30 min, and less on some days. I have driven with friends on the 'ways' and the traffic isn't awful, but because there are a number of traffic circles, some of which have a lot of entrances and exits, things can slow down sometimes. Also, once you get over by BU, there are a number of very large, somewhat complicated intersections of roads (Beacon/Commonwealth/Riverway) that can be a bit crammed in the mornings. I would actually say that it would take a similar amount of time driving and T wise from where you are. The bike paths from JP to BU are actually quite nice, and in all honesty might be the quickest if weather permits.

[HenryAlan]

Originally Posted by DCAtoBOS

Moving to Boston this summer and although JP was not on my original list of neighborhoods, the more I read, the more it sounds like a good place to consider. I have a dog and would like to have a small yard, but still be in a walkable village type environment for outside-work fun and easy access to other parts of the city (South End, Back Bay, etc).

Question: What would it be like to commute from JP to BU? I'm thinking car most days, but if I don't feel like clearing my car of snow, use the T, and when the weather is decent (April - October), bike on some days.

Car option: I have parking at BU and will work 1 block from Kenmore T stop. The Jamaicaway/Riverway looks like a direct shot, but is that a traffic nightmare during typical rush hours?

T option: I know there's not a direct route, but according to MBTA approximate times, the trip from Stony Brook to Back Bay on orange is 10 minutes and the trip from Copley to Kenmore on green is 8. With 5-10 minutes of walk time between Back Bay and Copley, this seems doable. Or, am I being optimistic?

You have the right idea for the 'T. For driving, it will depend somewhat on where exactly you live, but the best route in my opinion, would be taking Perkins St. to Chestnut St. to Cypress St. in Brookline Village, then St. Paul to Comm. Ave. You will come out right at the BU campus, just a few blocks west of Kenmore Sq. and will hit significantly less traffic.