driving in boston - I-95

[nancy thereader]

How about Route 16 to Everett? Does that have stoplights or is it a real expressway? Is it hard to merge going to and from Costco and Target from Medford?

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

How about Route 16 to Everett? Does that have stoplights or is it a real expressway? Is it hard to merge going to and from Costco and Target from Medford?

That areas is one of the more nervewracking areas of all of Boston for me. It has stoplights - but there are 3-4 lanes, quite a few roundabouts, and it's easy to get turned around. I recommend going a few times at "off" times during the day. That is an area where a GPS will help you, because nothing comes up so fast that your GPS can't guide (unlike parts of Boston where it's very unclear).

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

How about Route 16 to Everett? Does that have stoplights or is it a real expressway? Is it hard to merge going to and from Costco and Target from Medford?

OK, you have asked this for months in several different threads. You seem like a very anxious driver. The only answer that will satisfy you is to just drive it yourself and make the decision.

But, yet again - It is NOT an expressway. It is a multi-lane major road. Cars drive on it. Cars merge in and out. There are stoplights. Cars stop. Cars go. Cars change lanes. The speed limit is around 40 mph.

[charolastra00]

nancy thereader - I know you have mentioned before that you are afraid of controlled access highways. Those, in my opinion, are a lot easier to drive on than major roads with stoplights in Boston. You have to be a smart driver in regards to merging (ie - don't just go down to the end and expect people to let you in - find your spot and time yourself to go down). Bumper to bumper traffic is stressful because it takes so long, but that actually makes it a LOT easier to merge on, too. It's about every other car in those situations.

Lights in Boston can pose a problem due to the volume and the penchant for running red lights. For instance - coming off of Rt 2 onto 16 in Cambridge is bad because the intersection is poorly designed, traffic backs up, and the intersection ends up getting blocked by drivers who gun it when they see a yellow light. The same thing happens up the length of 16. I will NOT speed up when I see a yellow light, so I often get honked at by the car behind me (or the car behind him) because they think they still have a shot at making the light. You just get used to it.

If you're a nervous driver, sign up for a driving course meant for teenagers and ask specifically to go on expressways (we don't use that term here), on 16, etc etc so you can learn how to do it. You need to learn to drive differently or you just won't ever make it out of your driveway. Luckily, most areas of Boston are very pedestrian friendly but the Target, Costco area is not one of them.

[nancy thereader]

Thanks. I know I have asked the question before, but the Costco Center @ Gateway is the one that looks scary to me when I Google it and it has most of the stores that I probably would be going to.

We do not have round-abouts here at all so I have never been in one outside of England. I guess I am just used to driving in rural areas where there are mostly two-lane roads & four-way stop signs and green light arrows for left turns . I have never driven in an urban area before so I know that I am at a disadvantage . I had hoped that the Green Line near my new house would be extended, but it doesn't look as though that will happen.

As soon as I move, I will ask my son to show me the right lanes to get into for the Everett location. Probably I can just take the T-line for Boston and Cambridge.