Commute from Bedford to Jamaica Plain (Boston, Cambridge: how much, live, buses)

[tlc1108]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to get some commuting help. We are moving to Bedford and I work in Jamaica Plain. I have considered commuting routes almost every way possible, and was hoping for some feedback on what would be best (I haven't lived in Massachusetts in years and am thus unsure of which routes to avoid).

Googlemaps suggested going 128S to route 9; however, when we tried this out yesterday at 3pm, Route 9 was bumper-to-bumper and the commute took 45min. I can only imagine how much worse it will be during rush hour.

I could also take 128S to I-90 to the Huntington Ave exit (and follow Huntington down to JP); or the Allston exit (and take Harvard street to Beacon Street thru Brookline to JP); or the Newton exit and cut across.

I've also considered taking 128S to Route 2 to Fresh Pond, Soliders Field, and then cutting thru Brookline. I suppose I could always take 93S in as well. I just have no idea as to what the traffic patterns will be.

Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

[goyguy]

If you haven't ruled out public transportation, you could "park and ride" from Burlington or Woburn. There are express buses downtown from there, whence you'd catch the Orange Line to JP. Alternatively, there's bus service from Bedford to the Alewife Red Line terminal via Lexington. But it's pretty sporadic even at peak times.
128 is teeming with traffic at practically any hour, and is a parking lot much of the time. There's no avoiding that other than to take Mass. Ave into Lexington, then access Route 2 via any number of routes (Marrett Rd, Pleasant St, etc) and stay on that road as it transitions from expressway to "parkway." Then when 2 bears east at the river in Cambridge, cross the bridge and link with Soldiers Field Rd instead. Exit at North Harvard St, go south on that street to its end and then west on Cambridge St to Harvard Ave. Harvard Ave bisects Allston and then Brookline, feeding into Washington St in Brookline Village. Washington makes a 90-degree turn east just past the bridge over the Riverside Green Line tracks and brings you to the Boston line, where it becomes Huntington Ave. At the city limits, you could go south on either the Jamaicaway ("J-Way") or South Huntington.
Whether by T or by car, you'd realistically have to allow well over an hour each way for a rush-hour commute. Yet another alternative would be to bike along the Minuteman Trail all the way from Bedford to Alewife and then catch the subway. People actually do this - LOL - at least in nice weather.

[jad79]

You may want to try 128 to VFW Parkway to the Jamaica Way.