Relocating to Dedham/Milton/Quincy or the surrounding towns - where is the least amount of traffic? (Boston: for rent)

[massgirl223]

I started a new job in Raynham, MA and my current commute from Shrewsbury, MA is too long so I will be relocating soon. I was hoping to get some suggestions for areas that would be most appropriate for my situation.

My boyfriend live is Somerville and my goal is to find a place in the middle of Raynham and Somerville where I can hopefully drive to work in less than 40 min and drive to him in less than 45 min.

I am trying to stay out of the rough zones of South Boston or Brockton and Randolph. So we have been looking at Dedham, Milton and Quincy and for the most part (with exceptions to some Quincy neighborhoods) all three towns are nice and safe (Quincy also having more of a city feel to it than the others, which is desirable).

Does anyone have any feedback on how the traffic is on the highways nearby?

- All three towns use route 24 to get to Raynham.
- To get from Dedham to Somerville I would be driving through 95 and then 2A.
- From Quincy and Milton to Somerville I would use route 3 and 93.

Does anyone have any feedback? Which of these highways has the least amount of traffic?
Are there any other towns/areas I should consider other than Milton, Dedham and Quincy? Any specific areas in these towns you would recommend? Is $700 reasonable for rent/month?

I am trying to plan this a little bit so I don't spend my life stuck in traffic.

Thank you in advance.

[massnative71]

It of course depends on when you would be going to and from work and to your boyfriend's. Generally though, I would look south of 128 as that's what you really want to avoid. Maybe give Canton or Stoughton a look (Canton nicer). Going to Somerville, from Rte. 24 (or Milton or Quincy) your best bet will be I 93 N. From Dedham, I would take the Providence Hwy/VFW Pkwy/Jamaicaway/Riverway/Fenway/Storrow Dr. (avoiding all highways).

Another place to consider might be Braintree (less urban than Quincy but more to it than Canton or Milton for instance). If traffic is bad on 128, from there you can easily cut through Randolph via North St./139 to Rte. 24. Expect rents to be high there though. In fact, $700/mo. will be tight in any of these places. For that cheap, you will probably have to go to Brockton or further south.