Massachusetts

[Jim]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

Well, yes, I know New York 90 exists and have driven parts of it.  But this was at a Mass Pike service area, making it along I-90 and in Massachusetts.

[Roadgeekteen]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

My Massachusetts brain cannot comprehending having a NY 90 right next to I-90. We just don't do that in our state.

[Rothman]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

My Massachusetts brain cannot comprehending having a NY 90 right next to I-90. We just don't do that in our state.

Please see US 3/MA 3...

[Ted$8roadFan]

Well...the saga of the proposed renovations to the Commonwealth's rest areas continues.  Applegreen (the winning bidder) is pulling out.

https://www.cstoredive.com/news/applegreen-terminates-750m-travel-plaza-deal-massdot-global-partners/760955/

[Roadgeekteen]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

My Massachusetts brain cannot comprehending having a NY 90 right next to I-90. We just don't do that in our state.

Please see US 3/MA 3...

That's one road, just signed with different shields, and the whole thing is just called "Route 3". The only true duplication in the Commonwealth is I-295/MA 295 in the Berkshires (a continuation of NY 295).

[Rothman]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

My Massachusetts brain cannot comprehending having a NY 90 right next to I-90. We just don't do that in our state.

Please see US 3/MA 3...

That's one road, just signed with different shields, and the whole thing is just called "Route 3". The only true duplication in the Commonwealth is I-295/MA 295 in the Berkshires (a continuation of NY 295).

Read what you typed again slowly.

[vdeane]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

My Massachusetts brain cannot comprehending having a NY 90 right next to I-90. We just don't do that in our state.

Please see US 3/MA 3...

Isn't that more like I-690 and NY 690?

[Roadgeekteen]

I stopped at the WB Lee Service Plaza on Saturday and had two observations.  1) The men's room was disgusting.  2) There was a window covering facing east in the seating area with a big picture of a New York 90 shield.  If you're going to confuse interstate shields with state shields, maybe at least get the state right?

Psst: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Route_90

My Massachusetts brain cannot comprehending having a NY 90 right next to I-90. We just don't do that in our state.

Please see US 3/MA 3...

That's one road, just signed with different shields, and the whole thing is just called "Route 3". The only true duplication in the Commonwealth is I-295/MA 295 in the Berkshires (a continuation of NY 295).

Read what you typed again slowly.

I don't get it. This is chat gpt's correction ""That's one road, just signed with different shields, and the whole thing is just called "Route 3". The only true duplication in the Commonwealth is I-295/MA 295 in the Berkshires (a continuation of NY 295).""

[shadyjay]

Looks like Applegreen isn't doing the service plaza rehabs/operations on the MassPike and elsewhere in Mass...

https://www.wcvb.com/article/applegreen-terminates-discussions-with-massdot-for-service-plaza-contract/68023909

[RobbieL2415]

I visited the Connie Chung Service Plaza on the GSP, which is an Applegreen plaza.

It had a very sterile feeling.

Bathrooms were clean, which was all that mattered to me.

[kramie13]

MassDOT spent more money than necessary when they converted the exit numbers to match the mile markers back in 2021.

On MA 3 in Plymouth, they renumbered the MA 3A exit from 2 to 3, and on I-395 in Webster, they also renumbered the MA 16 exit from 2 to 3.  In both cases, the exits could have retained exit number "2", as both interchanges are in between mile markers 2 and 3.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The saga over the botched service area renovation contract in the Commonwealth continues:

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/massachusetts-plans-new-bidding-process-service-plaza-contract/DOILLAIRRBBJTMNXUPDKKTI6TA/

[The Ghostbuster]

How long might it be before another company offers a bid? Hopefully, the service areas get the work done they need before too much time elapses.

[shadyjay]

Honestly, are the buildings that bad that a simple gutting can't cure?  Do y'all remember they were all rebuilt not THAT long ago... 2001/2002.

**NOTE FOR THESE LINKS, COPY THE ENTIRE LINK - JUST CLICKING ON THE HYPERLINK WON'T WORK**

https://web.archive.org/web/20010307072118/http://www.masspike.com:80/t_traveler/service.html

And in the old plazas, here's the facilities map:
https://web.archive.org/web/20001013080356/http://www.masspike.com/t_traveler/service.html#char

I know one article in the latest round of plaza rehabs from when Applegreen was awarded the contract said that the plazas haven't been rehabbed since the 1950s.  Definitely not true.  Lee-WB and Blandford-EB were constructed where there weren't any food service buildings at all and that happened during the 2001/02 rehab.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I suspect the company that raised the biggest stink over Applegreen getting the contact, Waltham-based Global Partners, LP, will be front and center. They were the company that lost the bid and waged a public war against Applegreen and MassDOT that apparently was successful. I'm not sure what other company either has or wants to get in the game knowing the hazards involved. If another company wins, are they going to want to be attacked by the losing bidder, especially a local company, and subjected to negative news headlines and potential state investigation?  Then again, this is Massachusetts. 

The Mass. Pike service plazas were indeed renovated relatively recently, in 2001-02. In spite of that, they leave much to be desired. But they are still better than the multitude of rest areas across the state that have the dreaded "no facilities" sign indicating that the next bathroom is at a Dunkin Domuts or Cumberland Farms. Those are actually better than most of the non-Pike rest areas that do have restrooms, which I suspect are older.  Having nice rest areas has not really been a priority of the state until recently.

[fwydriver405]

MassDOT secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt is stepping down and MBTA chief Phil Eng was announced as an interim replacement:

Governor Healey Appoints MBTA General Manager Phil Eng as Interim Transportation Secretary (mbta.com)

Governor Healey Appoints MBTA General Manager Phil Eng as Interim Transportation Secretary (mass.gov - full press release)

[Rothman]

MassDOT secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt is stepping down and MBTA chief Phil Eng was announced as an interim replacement:

Governor Healey Appoints MBTA General Manager Phil Eng as Interim Transportation Secretary (mbta.com)

Governor Healey Appoints MBTA General Manager Phil Eng as Interim Transportation Secretary (mass.gov - full press release)

And Phil Eng used to work for NYSDOT...

[Roadgeekteen]

Eng has done a fantastic job with the MBTA so I trust him here.

[Rothman]

Eng has done a fantastic job with the MBTA so I trust him here.

I'm not so sure that's a widely held position given persistent complaints about intermittent service quality.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Eng is the best GM for the T in decades. Yes, the T still has major issues, but it's so much better than it used to be.

[Roadgeekteen]

Eng has done a fantastic job with the MBTA so I trust him here.

I'm not so sure that's a widely held position given persistent complaints about intermittent service quality.

Most of the slow zones are fixed. The T is doing a lot better than a few years ago. It's not perfect but Eng is widely loved by the MBTA community.

[Rothman]

Eng has done a fantastic job with the MBTA so I trust him here.

I'm not so sure that's a widely held position given persistent complaints about intermittent service quality.

Most of the slow zones are fixed. The T is doing a lot better than a few years ago. It's not perfect but Eng is widely loved by the MBTA community.

"MBTA community" is an interesting term...

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMPgtsoF/

[Roadgeekteen]

Eng has done a fantastic job with the MBTA so I trust him here.

I'm not so sure that's a widely held position given persistent complaints about intermittent service quality.

Most of the slow zones are fixed. The T is doing a lot better than a few years ago. It's not perfect but Eng is widely loved by the MBTA community.

"MBTA community" is an interesting term...

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMPgtsoF/

I said "better" not "perfect".