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Boston Road Trip 2016

Started by JMoses24, November 02, 2016, 02:11:04 AM

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JMoses24

I just got home this morning from a weekend road trip to Boston, MA via greyhound.

Route out: I-71 North to OH 315 north, go to Ohio State University, then to downtown Columbus via High Street. We then got back on I-71 north to US 30 east to Wooster (this knowledge comes into play on the return), to OH 3 north to OH 585 to OH 21 north to I-76 east to Akron, to I-80 east to Youngstown, continuing on I-80 east to I-79 north to Erie, then I-90 east to I-190 north in Buffalo, then NY 33 east back to I-90. We used I-490 to serve Rochester; I-81 for Syracuse; I-790 for a stop in Utica; I-787 for Albany; and I-290 and MA 146 for Worcester on the way to Boston.

Return: Basically the same as above in reverse until Buffalo. There were two differences:

1) We used I-890 to go to Schenectady.
2) I FINALLY got all of I-90 in Massachusetts. If you remember, when I made this road trip back in 2014, I was missing the piece from I-290 to MA 146. I got that on the return trip Monday afternoon because, instead of just taking I-290 back to I-90, the bus backtracked on MA 146. I'm still missing the piece of I-90 from I-87 to I-787, but I otherwise have all of I-90 east of Cleveland.

From Buffalo, I-90 direct to Cleveland. I-71 from I-90 to downtown Columbus. That got me my second full 2DI clinch (the first being I-16).

From downtown Columbus, I-70 to OH 49 south to the Dayton Greyhound terminal, then continue down OH 49 south to US 35 east to I-75 south to OH 562 east to I-71 south, to the Gilbert Avenue exit to the Greyhound terminal.

Trip Notes:

-- As with the 2014 trip, the first leg of the trip out was via the Barons Bus Lines/Greyhound partnership, but it wasn't initially slated to fully be. In fact, the initial plan had me going from Cincinnati to Columbus via regular Greyhound bus, but THEN transferring to the Barons bus for the rest of the trip to Buffalo. Well, when I arrived at the downtown Cincinnati terminal, the agents took a look at my itinerary and said (paraphrasing), "That makes no sense, the bus you're transferring to in Columbus starts here in Cincy, why not just put you on that one for the whole trip to Buffalo?" So they did, and I got a trip voucher for the inconvenience that I can use anytime until October 2017 (and I plan on using it to make a trip to Atlanta in April).

-- As noted on the Ohio Valley board, the Morrow bridge replacement on I-71 looks to be closing in on completion. I think they'll have it fully open by May.

-- I-79 from north of exit 141 to south of exit 154 in Pennsylvania is being resurfaced as is I-90 near Erie.

-- There was a lighting replacement project happening on I-90 near downtown Cleveland.

-- I-71 construction north of Columbus continues. Still seems to be a snail's pace to me.

-- Of course, the Mass Pike all electronic tolling conversion is occurring. Several toll booths were being dismantled as I was leaving Boston on Monday, but the anticipated major traffic snarls weren't happening that morning as people had adjusted their routes.


roadman

Quote-- Of course, the Mass Pike all electronic tolling conversion is occurring. Several toll booths were being dismantled as I was leaving Boston on Monday, but the anticipated major traffic snarls weren't happening that morning as people had adjusted their routes.

Actually, during a typical Boston rush hour, the major backups on the Pike were NEVER at the toll booths.  Rather, they have been on the mainline beyond the toll plazas - the classic recurring one being eastbound "from the Weston Tolls to the Supermarket Overpass (Star Market/Shaws building over the Pike).  For all its stated benefits, AET will do nothing to alleviate those problems.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

epzik8

I don't think I could ever take a long-distance bus trip like this. It has to be car, train or plane for me. But it sounds like you enjoyed your experience. My mom lived in Lexington during part of her childhood in the 1960s and I've road-tripped to Boston with her three times and also I went around Boston with my dad heading back to Maryland from northern New England and Atlantic Canada.
From the land of red, white, yellow and black.
____________________________

My clinched highways: http://tm.teresco.org/user/?u=epzik8
My clinched counties: http://mob-rule.com/user-gifs/USA/epzik8.gif

JMoses24

#3
Quote from: roadman on November 02, 2016, 12:11:50 PM
Quote-- Of course, the Mass Pike all electronic tolling conversion is occurring. Several toll booths were being dismantled as I was leaving Boston on Monday, but the anticipated major traffic snarls weren't happening that morning as people had adjusted their routes.

Actually, during a typical Boston rush hour, the major backups on the Pike were NEVER at the toll booths.  Rather, they have been on the mainline beyond the toll plazas - the classic recurring one being eastbound "from the Weston Tolls to the Supermarket Overpass (Star Market/Shaws building over the Pike).  For all its stated benefits, AET will do nothing to alleviate those problems.
It wasn't that the tolls caused problems. Rather, the expectation was that the construction to remove some of the booths (which began on Saturday following the start of AET) would be the problem on Monday, as everyone is forced to the outside lanes through the former toll plazas. Speed limits are 15 mph through the plaza areas.

CapeCodder

Quote from: epzik8 on November 02, 2016, 01:48:23 PM
I don't think I could ever take a long-distance bus trip like this. It has to be car, train or plane for me. But it sounds like you enjoyed your experience. My mom lived in Lexington during part of her childhood in the 1960s and I've road-tripped to Boston with her three times and also I went around Boston with my dad heading back to Maryland from northern New England and Atlantic Canada.

I took a Greyhound in 2012 from STL to Boston. Did it again last Christmas and plan to do it again this Christmas. It's not for everyone, but for this roadgeek it's the best gift I could give myself.



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