Traffic in Boston is world-class awful. But what about traffic in New England as a whole? How do drivers in the region cope?
I’m almost embarrassed to say that I’ve become ROCK 92.9’s de facto “expert” on all things traffic related. Earlier this year, I wrote this piece about how bad road rage is in Boston. I followed that up with this bit on the most dangerous times to drive in Massachusetts. And I even went so far as to report on the new Massachusetts traffic laws that effect drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Of course, this new found “expertise” comes on the heels of decades of suffering through traffic in Boston and beyond. I went to Northeastern in the late ’90s…as a commuter. Brutal. For years, I negotiated both the cloverleaf and the Zakim bridge to go to and from work. And I once spent 6 hours in the car on 93N in New Hampshire with my kids during a Friday night snowstorm.
Traffic in New England: From Annoying to Aggravating
All of that to say, when this report on Traffic Habits Across America landed in my inbox, I had to dive into it. The team at Assurance “surveyed drivers from every state. Do they leave early to beat traffic conditions? Does traffic frustration get the best of them? Are they constantly trying to move around it or staying patient? As such, we learned how Americans navigate their daily driving challenges.”
Naturally, I’m interested in the New England angle here. So I’m diving into the data for the six New England states (five, actually; Vermont didn’t factor into this study) and sharing the findings below. Again, the full report is here if you want to see data from all 50 states. And really cool graphics, too. I wish I could make cool graphics. And that I didn’t have to sit in traffic ever again.
