Massachusetts

[hotdogPi]

The legislature is considering a bill that aims to reduce VMT and giving it the Orwellian title of "The Freedom to Move Act"     

It's requiring an email to read. What does the bill contain?

Even looking at other websites, I'm not seeing any article that says anything in the bill is affecting cars.

After 65 years, South Coast Commuter Rail (from New Bedford and Fall River to Boston's South Station) returns today.

For all 12 of the people who live in New Bedford and work in Boston.

What are you talking about here? New Bedford is about as far as some of the other commuter rail lines like Newburyport and Worcester, and they get a lot of use.

[kernals12]

The legislature is considering a bill that aims to reduce VMT and giving it the Orwellian title of "The Freedom to Move Act"     

It's requiring an email to read. What does the bill contain?

Even looking at other websites, I'm not seeing any article that says anything in the bill is affecting cars.

https://www.governing.com/transportation/massachusetts-considers-bill-to-limit-vehicle-miles-driven-statewide

Confusingly, the bill shares its name with another federal bill introduced by 2 Massachusetts Congresspeople. Here's another article

[hotdogPi]

That article says nothing about what's actually in the bill.

[SectorZ]

That article says nothing about what's actually in the bill.

Here is the bill in question, https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2246/

[The Ghostbuster]

Will passing a bill about reducing vehicle miles traveled actually reduce VMTs? From my experience, the answer is no. I believe it would take dictatorial means to reduce VMTs (or a very severe economic recession, like the Great Depression). They have been trying to redesign the urban landscape to higher densities for decades, which hasn't worked very well in my opinion.

[SectorZ]

Will passing a bill about reducing vehicle miles traveled actually reduce VMTs? From my experience, the answer is no. I believe it would take dictatorial means to reduce VMTs (or a very severe economic recession, like the Great Depression). They have been trying to redesign the urban landscape to higher densities for decades, which hasn't worked very well in my opinion.

Massachusetts is psychotic enough to try it. This state has started getting VERY extreme with its ideas.

We are now one of two states in the country (Vermont the other) that mandates all EV sales by 2035. That is everything, including commercial trucks, meaning the state has mandated vehicles that in some cases don't exist yet. Source, https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/07/22/massachusetts-climate-bill-baker-desk

We had big rig dealers ceasing sales this year because a percentage of sales needed to be EVs when no one makes an EV big rig (and the one guy claiming to was making it up, or not given he just got a ridiculous pardon). The state was literally asking dealers to sell non-existent vehicles that have non-existent infrastructure to charge them. Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/massachusetts-truck-dealers-electric-vehicle-requirement/

After the feds nuked the California CAFE regs, Massachusetts decided to delay the staggered implementation of EV only sales over the next few years. Source, https://www.mass.gov/news/massachusetts-announces-flexibilities-for-electric-vehicle-requirements

[shadyjay]

Interstate 190 sign replacement project from Worcester to Leominster is in its final stages.  It looks like most, if not all of the new overheads are up (they're all up SB).  This project also represents the last large block of old signage with the "integrated exit tabs" and button copy interstate numerals.  There are a few spot signs here in there statewide, but never again will they be so numerous as they were in the 90s.

There is one little problem with this new southbound assembly, however....

190SB-Exit04-2 by Jay Hogan, on Flickr

Wonder if someone will catch this before the contract is signed off.

The rest of my photos of the new I-190 Southbound signs are here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shadyjay/albums/72157715337008798/

[kramie13]

The extra-wide median on I-95/Route 128 in Dedham was featured on their show "Chronicle" last night.  Apparently there are now walking/hiking trails in the middle of the highway!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dAx7xxzLxQ

[pderocco]

The extra-wide median on I-95/Route 128 in Dedham was featured on their show "Chronicle" last night.  Apparently there are now walking/hiking trails in the middle of the highway!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dAx7xxzLxQ

That will be handy for the inmates at the Norfolk County Prison.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The VMT legislation has made the papers, so to speak:

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2025/06/10/as-lawmakers-debate-reducing-vehicle-miles-traveled-a-wave-of-criticism-spreads-online/?p1=hp_secondary

[dvferyance]

Looks like Massachusetts will be the next state to modernize their turnpike service plazas. Since the other nearby states have already done so it made them the state with the most dated service plazas in the east. I hope Kansas is next.

[Rothman]

Looks like Massachusetts will be the next state to modernize their turnpike service plazas. Since the other nearby states have already done so it made them the state with the most dated service plazas in the east. I hope Kansas is next.

I'd be happy if the Indiana Toll Road had at-speed toll collection, whatever the state of their service plazas.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Yes, it looks like Applegreen, the same company that did the NY Thruway renovations will be doing the same to the Mass. Pike service plazas. Given the lesser quality of our rest areas in general, this should be an improvement.

[Rothman]

Yes, it looks like Applegreen, the same company that did the NY Thruway renovations will be doing the same to the Mass. Pike service plazas. Given the lesser quality of our rest areas in general, this should be an improvement.

Oof.  The modernization of the Thruway plazas had numerous issues, including work coming to a screeching halt due to the contractor holding NYSTA hostage for more money...

[Ted$8roadFan]

Yes, it looks like Applegreen, the same company that did the NY Thruway renovations will be doing the same to the Mass. Pike service plazas. Given the lesser quality of our rest areas in general, this should be an improvement.

Oof.  The modernization of the Thruway plazas had numerous issues, including work coming to a screeching halt due to the contractor holding NYSTA hostage for more money...


Interesting,  since one of the reasons cited for their selection was that they were uniquely qualified to get the new plazas up and running quickly.

[Jim]

I know my view is pretty narrow on the whole thing but after seeing how the process played out and the underwhelming results Applegreen produced in New York, it's shocking that Massachusetts would be willing to work with them.

[Rothman]

Yes, it looks like Applegreen, the same company that did the NY Thruway renovations will be doing the same to the Mass. Pike service plazas. Given the lesser quality of our rest areas in general, this should be an improvement.

Oof.  The modernization of the Thruway plazas had numerous issues, including work coming to a screeching halt due to the contractor holding NYSTA hostage for more money...


Interesting,  since one of the reasons cited for their selection was that they were uniquely qualified to get the new plazas up and running quickly.

I would not think that Applegreen would be up front with its tactics in NY when competing for business in MA.  They probably just said, "We did the Thruway plazas and can do yours."  And then they'll take MassDOT for the same ride. 

Wonder if MassDOT checked references at NYSTA.  NYSTA hasn't impressed me lately with their management...

(personal opinion emphasized)

[vdeane]

Yes, it looks like Applegreen, the same company that did the NY Thruway renovations will be doing the same to the Mass. Pike service plazas. Given the lesser quality of our rest areas in general, this should be an improvement.

Oof.  The modernization of the Thruway plazas had numerous issues, including work coming to a screeching halt due to the contractor holding NYSTA hostage for more money...


Interesting,  since one of the reasons cited for their selection was that they were uniquely qualified to get the new plazas up and running quickly.

I would not think that Applegreen would be up front with its tactics in NY when competing for business in MA.  They probably just said, "We did the Thruway plazas and can do yours."  And then they'll take MassDOT for the same ride. 

Wonder if MassDOT checked references at NYSTA.  NYSTA hasn't impressed me lately with their management...

(personal opinion emphasized)

They also run the Ohio Turnpike and Indiana Toll Road service plazas, which are actually good.  Maybe they emphasized those over the Thruway ones.  Makes one wonder why the Thruway got the short end of the stick.  There doesn't seem to have been much thought put into the Thruway ones beyond "Cuomo wants Chic-fil-a, so we're putting Chic-fil-a on the Thruway".  IIRC he was talking about it before they even bothered to get any public input, and the survey they invited people to take was so generic they could draw any conclusions they wanted from it.

(personal opinion)

[pderocco]

"Cuomo wants Chic-fil-a, so we're putting Chic-fil-a on the Thruway".

Isn't that the trendy new chicken place in France?

[SectorZ]

The rendering of the new rest area in Barnstable is cartoonish. The MassDOT facebook page is a daily sludge of crap about climate change and the inside of this building has 30+' ceilings. They look nicer, but will be a bitch to properly heat and cool, and makes me wonder why they pretend to care about this stuff and then pull stunts like this.

Of course they'll mention it has some loftier standard for efficiency but forgot to mention it could have been much more efficient.

[vdeane]

The rendering of the new rest area in Barnstable is cartoonish. The MassDOT facebook page is a daily sludge of crap about climate change and the inside of this building has 30+' ceilings. They look nicer, but will be a bitch to properly heat and cool, and makes me wonder why they pretend to care about this stuff and then pull stunts like this.

Of course they'll mention it has some loftier standard for efficiency but forgot to mention it could have been much more efficient.

Those designs look a bit too close to the Thruway ones for comfort.

[Rothman]

The rendering of the new rest area in Barnstable is cartoonish. The MassDOT facebook page is a daily sludge of crap about climate change and the inside of this building has 30+' ceilings. They look nicer, but will be a bitch to properly heat and cool, and makes me wonder why they pretend to care about this stuff and then pull stunts like this.

Of course they'll mention it has some loftier standard for efficiency but forgot to mention it could have been much more efficient.

Those designs look a bit too close to the Thruway ones for comfort.

Soon, cries of "They're too small" will ring out over Massachusetts and New Yorkers will shake their heads in sympathy.

[dvferyance]

Yes, it looks like Applegreen, the same company that did the NY Thruway renovations will be doing the same to the Mass. Pike service plazas. Given the lesser quality of our rest areas in general, this should be an improvement.

I believe they also did New Jersey.