How bad will traffic be on 93N out of Boston Christmas Eve? (Brookline: neighborhoods)

[Regina14]

I have to drive a (usually) short distance from Boston to Medford via Storrow Drive to 93North on Friday December 24; I plan on setting out around 4 or 4:30 pm and need to get to my destination by 6 pm. I've read that traffic is expected to be 155% normal. I have never driven in the actual evening of Christmas Eve (or late afternoon) - how bad do you think it might be? Would it take more than 90 minutes (on a normal day at a time that isn't rush hour, I can make the entire trip in 20 minutes).

It would be very difficult for me to leave before 4 pm; and if I did, my hosts would not be ready and I'd be stuck in my car, in a parking lot somewhere, reading my kindle and using up my battery to keep warm.

[lrfox]

Where in Boston are you coming from? Unless you’re coming from, say. West Rox, JP, or Hyde Park, I’d say it’s almost a certainty that you’ll be fine even if traffic is awful. And I’d say it’s doable even from those three neighborhoods at rush hour. The thing with Boston -> Medford is that even if traffic is absolutely awful on 93, there will be alternate non-highway routes that can get you to where you need to go within 90 minutes fairly easily. Just use an app like Waze which will account for traffic when selecting a route.

[gf2020]

4:00 PM on Christmas Eve? Should be no problem.

[Regina14]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Where in Boston are you coming from? Unless you’re coming from, say. West Rox, JP, or Hyde Park, I’d say it’s almost a certainty that you’ll be fine even if traffic is awful. And I’d say it’s doable even from those three neighborhoods at rush hour. The thing with Boston -> Medford is that even if traffic is absolutely awful on 93, there will be alternate non-highway routes that can get you to where you need to go within 90 minutes fairly easily. Just use an app like Waze which will account for traffic when selecting a route.

At the risk of sounding stupid, I usually don't do apps; because I'm a relative novice with my smartphone and barely know how to use it. I'd be coming from Storrow Drive (catching it via Brookline).

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Regina14

At the risk of sounding stupid, I usually don't do apps; because I'm a relative novice with my smartphone and barely know how to use it. I'd be coming from Storrow Drive (catching it via Brookline).

It doesn't sound stupid, many people are in a similar boat. Waze is great because it gets real-time traffic info and can recalculate your route accordingly (Google maps and Apple maps have similar features) if there's a faster way to go. Many newer cars have similar features built into their stock navigation systems too (though I've yet to see one as responsive as the apps). But even if you don't want stick to your known route and not bother with navigation systems or apps, it's hard to imagine a Brookline to Medford drive at that time taking close to 90 minutes.

[robr2]

I imagine it's going to be a breeze. Since the holiday is on Saturday, most companies will have Friday off so traffic should be extremely light.

[id77]

Originally Posted by gf2020

4:00 PM on Christmas Eve? Should be no problem.

This. The rush was last week. Enough people in Boston have already decamped for the holidays that traffic levels should be fine.

[Regina14]

Thanks, everyone. I am feeling a bit less nervous about my travels on Friday.