Commute from Framingham to Woburn/Winchester area (Boston, Cambridge: apartments, rentals)

[LocalType]

I'm moving soon for a job in Winchester, so I may be posting a few more questions later. But for right now, I'm looking at a few towns to consider renting after I arrive, and Framingham is on the list.

What's the commute in the morning and evening like, between these two areas (Framingham, and Winchester)?

Google Maps says around 40 minutes. The route is about 90% interstate, on I-90 and I-95 (do you guys call these something else besides 90 and 95?), and I might could be convinced to get up an hour early if I end up liking Framingham and getting a place there. I'm just curious to get a local's perspective on what kind of traffic jams I might have to contend with if I did end up heading to Framingham.

Thanks!

[ogre]

If you'd be commuting during the usual rush hours it would likely be a longer drive than the estimates at the mapping websites. In the morning, I-90 (known locally as the Mass. Pike) backs up in the lanes inbound toward Boston. That section of I-95 that runs along the innermost outer belt highway is known locally as 128, which is the old state route number from before 95 was routed along that road. The Mass. Pike will back up badly many mornings as you approach the interchange with 128. Once you're northbound on 128, traffic usually is not as bad, but traffic on any major road in the Boston area is likely to be somewhat slow during commuting hours, and 128 will often slow down a bit more as you approach the interchanges with other major roads.

Durng the afternoon commuting hours, the southbound lanes of 128 approaching the Mass. Pike can be slow. Westbound traffic on the Pike itself often won't be quite as slow as you find going eastbound in the morning, since the traffic is not all converging on Boston but is spreading out as you go west, but it can still be slow.

Add in local street traffic in Winchester as you move to and from 128, and you're looking at a considerably longer commute than you'd have during times of light traffic. I've commuted along sections of that route, but have never done anything close to a commute along the entirety of that particular route, so I can't tell you from experience how long the total commute would likely be. Unfortunately, though, it's likely to be longer than Google's time estimate.

[kmann-sherborn]

Ouch, the Pike to 128 is not a fun commute. Just sitting at the toll booth trying to get through to 128 you see a lot of road rage.

[LocalType]

Sounds like it's a trade off between commute convenience, and rental prices. I'm still looking around at likely areas to look in for an apartment when I arrive, but I'm bumping Framingham down the list a little. Thanks!

[TheWereRabbit]

Depending on where in Winchester you are working google maps may recommend Pike-128-93. This is theoretically the fastest way to the east side of Winchester (areas near the hospital) however, during rush hour you are probably better off getting off the highway in Lexington or Burlington and taking backroads. There are tons of options so you'll have to try them out and get a feel for it. Any exit on 128 between Route 2 and 93 could be considered a legitimate way into Winchester. I don't want to totally steer you away from 93 either because sometimes the traffic on backroads is just as bad. That being said:

If, and only If, you are working on the east side of Winchester my personal favorite way to avoid most traffic is this:
-Get off in Burlington and go south on Cambridge St. (There will be miserable traffic here but it is brief)
-Take a left on Bedford Rd.
-Right on South Bedford Rd.
-Stay straight (there is a sketchy intersection where 2 sts come from basically your 5 o'clock and your 7 o'clock so be careful)
-Stay straight on Burlington St (windy road)
-Left of Pleasant
-Quick right on woburn pkwy
-Left on sturgis (by the pond)
-right on Arlington st.
-left on lake
-right on Main st (rt 38)
-You are now in Winchester (stay straight to downtown or a quick left on Cross St. will take you to the hospital

It's complicated but you'll miss a lot of traffic that would be on 128->93 or Cambridge St. (route 3)
Most people don't know about this route, so shhhhhhhhh keep a secret. ....I probably shouldn't put this online.

There are also some outstanding shortcuts for the Framingham-Winchester commute in Weston/Lincoln but only to be used if 128 is an absolute hell-hole.

[holden125]

Originally Posted by LocalType

What's the commute in the morning and evening like, between these two areas (Framingham, and Winchester)?

I would characterize that commute as miserable, especially in the morning. The Mass Pike (90) is backed up a long way from the Weston tolls (near Exit 14, where you'd get off).

There are plenty of towns with a better commute to Winchester. If you let us know where in Winchester the job is, and what you're looking for in an apt/town (including rent range), people will have suggestions. But I would not put myself through that commute to live in Framingham, which simply is not worth it.

Originally Posted by LocalType

Google Maps says around 40 minutes. The route is about 90% interstate, on I-90 and I-95 (do you guys call these something else besides 90 and 95?).

It will never be 40 minutes on a weekday morning.

90 is the Mass. Pike or just the Pike. 95, in the loop around Boston, is commonly called "128" because it was Mass. 128 before the feds slapped the 95 label on it. Originally 95 was going to ram through the SW part of the city of Boston, but when that didn't happen they decided to make 95 overlay the existing 128 beltway. To the north, as 95 peels off toward New Hampshire and Maine, 128 continues as a separate road to Gloucester.

[hartford_renter]

There are a few other towns closer to Winchester - that are still cheap to rent.

Consider the surrounding towns to Winchester like Wakefield, Woburn, Stoneham.

Much closer then Framingham - someone correct me if i'm wrong but rents comparable too.

I havent done the commute from Framingham but I would estimate about 1 hr 20 minutes

[Sikaranista]

Keep in mind, the quality of properties in Framingham is all over the map.

There are some decent rental properties right in Woburn that you may enjoy. That will offer you the benefit of having a reasonably short drive to work, plus living right near the interchange of 128/93 so you can easily get to...wherever it is you want to go, when you aren't working.

I lived at Pheasant Ridge right off Cambridge Road (Route 3A) for a short amount of time, before my then-husband and I got our townhouse. He had lived there for 4 years and liked it a lot.

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