commute to Cambridge from Soutborough? (Harvard: moving, bill, vehicles)

[olacda]

Got it, thanks for explaining it. I looked up the commuter rail from Southborough and from a few houses on the market I got that the best option is to leave early to catch the 7:26am train and the total trip will be about 72minutes. Not great but doable occasionally.

I'll need to think about which commute is more important to prioritize.

Originally Posted by Shrewsburried

The biggest advantage to a town like Acton or even Littleton is the ability to drive 5-10 minutes to a commuter rail station and transfer to the redline with zero fuss. Per-Covid the Acton station had an express train which would get you into Porter Square in short order, you're then only 2-3 stops via the redline train to Kendall Square. Hopefully that returns if/when ridership elevates again.

Or you can abandon the car at Alewife and spare yourself the torturous drive through the city core.

With Southborough your effectively committed to driving the full A to B, or you have a more torturous path via public transit.

[dcb175]

Originally Posted by olacda

Yep, I've heard people recommending Rt 2 towns and like you said, the Worcester commute will suffer and I don't see much difference in commute time compared to from Southborough to Cambridge. Is Rt2 much better? I've heard there typically congestions around Alewife.

I'd assume the towns along route 2 would be a much better commute to Cambridge in real life. Southborough is actually a sneaky good commuter town for Boston/Back Bay (faster in real life driving than some "closer in" places like Sudbury) based on it's location at the intersection of 495/9/90. But Cambridge is a terrible place to commute to from in general, and Kendall in particular.

I'd probably be OK adding another 15-20 minutes to a Worcester commute from a place like Littleton or Harvard if it meant I had access to the Fitchburg branch of the commuter rail and needed to get to Cambridge. As you've probably read, the Framingham-Worcester line is not going to be helpful going where you need to go.

To your prior question about Western Ave vs. Storrow, I'm actually not sure. It's been a while since I lived there and never had to do that commute myself. I may be off on the Storrow part, I just know that the exit is close to there (which it looks like Western is).

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by dcb175

I'd assume the towns along route 2 would be a much better commute to Cambridge in real life. Southborough is actually a sneaky good commuter town for Boston/Back Bay (faster in real life driving than some "closer in" places like Sudbury) based on it's location at the intersection of 495/9/90. But Cambridge is a terrible place to commute to from in general, and Kendall in particular.

I'd probably be OK adding another 15-20 minutes to a Worcester commute from a place like Littleton or Harvard if it meant I had access to the Fitchburg branch of the commuter rail and needed to get to Cambridge. As you've probably read, the Framingham-Worcester line is not going to be helpful going where you need to go.

To your prior question about Western Ave vs. Storrow, I'm actually not sure. It's been a while since I lived there and never had to do that commute myself. I may be off on the Storrow part, I just know that the exit is close to there (which it looks like Western is).

This is my commute now. The fastest way to 90 from Kendall is Western Ave, briefly on Soldier's Field Rd and then right on to 90. The whole way in and out of Cambridge seems to have been designed to maximize traffic and so the idea that you could spend as long getting out of Cambridge as you do on 90 isn't farfetched.

[olacda]

Got it, I tried it out the commute from Cambridge today actually. I happen to be around Cambridge this afternoon and decided to drive from Kendall Square station to Southborough at around 4:40pm. Driving in Cambridge was easy and not much traffic at all but there was 25 minutes added time on I-90.. there was no car accident and it's just lots of cars going west... so I think the commute on a day like this is going to be about 1 hour from door to door.

Originally Posted by dcb175

I'd assume the towns along route 2 would be a much better commute to Cambridge in real life. Southborough is actually a sneaky good commuter town for Boston/Back Bay (faster in real life driving than some "closer in" places like Sudbury) based on it's location at the intersection of 495/9/90. But Cambridge is a terrible place to commute to from in general, and Kendall in particular.

I'd probably be OK adding another 15-20 minutes to a Worcester commute from a place like Littleton or Harvard if it meant I had access to the Fitchburg branch of the commuter rail and needed to get to Cambridge. As you've probably read, the Framingham-Worcester line is not going to be helpful going where you need to go.

To your prior question about Western Ave vs. Storrow, I'm actually not sure. It's been a while since I lived there and never had to do that commute myself. I may be off on the Storrow part, I just know that the exit is close to there (which it looks like Western is).

[olacda]

Got it, not today probably. I happen to be around Cambridge this afternoon and decided to drive from Kendall Square station to Southborough at around 4:40pm. Driving in Cambridge was easy and not much traffic at all but there was 25 minutes added time on I-90.. there was no car accident and it's just lots of cars going west...

Originally Posted by jayrandom

This is my commute now. The fastest way to 90 from Kendall is Western Ave, briefly on Soldier's Field Rd and then right on to 90. The whole way in and out of Cambridge seems to have been designed to maximize traffic and so the idea that you could spend as long getting out of Cambridge as you do on 90 isn't farfetched.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by olacda

Got it, not today probably. I happen to be around Cambridge this afternoon and decided to drive from Kendall Square station to Southborough at around 4:40pm. Driving in Cambridge was easy and not much traffic at all but there was 25 minutes added time on I-90.. there was no car accident and it's just lots of cars going west...

Things have been weird for a year. I think as traffic gets bad you'll see backups in Cambridge more frequently and as it gets even worse you'll see backups on the pike, too. Cambridge traffic is already slow and the distances in Cambridge are pretty small, so the backups on the longer route will probably be more impactful. If you have flexibility with your working hours, you can avoid traffic almost entirely.

I'm only driving until reliable after school care can allow me to stay past 2PM and then it's back to the train for me.

[olacda]

i can see that happen when people get back to office like pre-pandemic, well..

Originally Posted by jayrandom

Things have been weird for a year. I think as traffic gets bad you'll see backups in Cambridge more frequently and as it gets even worse you'll see backups on the pike, too. Cambridge traffic is already slow and the distances in Cambridge are pretty small, so the backups on the longer route will probably be more impactful. If you have flexibility with your working hours, you can avoid traffic almost entirely.

I'm only driving until reliable after school care can allow me to stay past 2PM and then it's back to the train for me.

[MrLinderman]

Originally Posted by olacda

Got it, not today probably. I happen to be around Cambridge this afternoon and decided to drive from Kendall Square station to Southborough at around 4:40pm. Driving in Cambridge was easy and not much traffic at all but there was 25 minutes added time on I-90.. there was no car accident and it's just lots of cars going west...

What time were you on the Pike? I was on it yesterday and it was the longest trip I've taken on it since the pandemic. 3:40-5 from Longwood to Shrewsbury for me.

I actually think there may have been an accident on the Pike. I remember a few cop cars and what looked to be an abandoned car somewhere past the 95 exchange.

I also think the 95/90 exchange was backed up on 95, which added to the frustration.

[olacda]

I think I got on the pike at around 5pm out of Cambridge through Western Ave.

Good to know that!! With so many cars, accidents seem to be common on the pike though.. anyway, hope companies will allow more flexible work schedule post-COVID. That will help with the congestion.

Originally Posted by MrLinderman

What time were you on the Pike? I was on it yesterday and it was the longest trip I've taken on it since the pandemic. 3:40-5 from Longwood to Shrewsbury for me.

I actually think there may have been an accident on the Pike. I remember a few cop cars and what looked to be an abandoned car somewhere past the 95 exchange.

I also think the 95/90 exchange was backed up on 95, which added to the frustration.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by dcb175

:
But Cambridge is a terrible place to commute to from in general, and Kendall in particular.
:

Having commuted to Kendall Square for 20 years, I can agree. It's a great place to work but a bad place to commute to. Hopefully there will be some indefinite traffic reduction due to the pandemic - whether it's companies moving elsewhere, going virtual, allowing hybrid work hours more, etc. Even if there is a 10-20% reduction in vehicles from pre-March-2020, it will help noticeably.