(Editor’s note: In the midst of the Sumner Tunnel shutdown, which began July 5 and will end Aug. 31, the MBTA has advised commuters to “ditch the drive” and use the Commuter Rail, Blue Line, or ferry instead.
Using these forms of public transportation, as well as a car, four Item reporters participated in a race from Lynn to Boston. The reporters left Lynn at approximately 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning with the goal of reaching North Station by 9 a.m. Although Lynn is only 13 miles from Boston, it took our reporters an hour, on average, to get there during rush hour.)
As someone who absolutely cannot stand being stuck in traffic, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to drive into North Station for this exercise. Leaving the office parking lot just after 7:30 a.m., it took me one hour on the dot to get to North Station, making me good for second place. That wasn’t really a surprise though, as Route 1A entering the Williams Tunnel was basically a parking lot.
I had previously done the drive to North Station on Monday, albeit an hour-and-a-half later, as I left the office at 9 a.m. It still took me 40 minutes to get to North Station with some traffic, but my GPS saved me the hassle of getting stuck on Route 1 by sending me through side streets in Chelsea before having me hop back onto Route 1 just before the Tobin Bridge. It then had me exit to Charlestown before the Route 1 and I-93 merger.
If, like me, you really can’t stand traffic and would rather be moving your entire trip, that would be a route I’d suggest as a time-saver, though it may vary depending on the time you leave Lynn.
For this drive, my GPS tried to get creative to help me shave off some time, but that didn’t really work. After shooting down the Lynnway, it had me take a left after entering Revere to hop onto Revere Beach Boulevard. It then had me take Ocean Avenue, and then the Revere Beach Parkway. Unsurprisingly, up until this point the drive was easy, and I was curious about my computer-friend’s decision to take me this way, as I didn’t think that specific section of 1A would be backed up.
Then, as I was merging onto 1A from the parkway, I saw hundreds of red tail lights glowing — the dreaded sign that you are going to be stuck for a while. Even the light at the intersection before merging onto 1A was so congested that there was a group of police officers helping to direct traffic.
Living in New Hampshire and working in Lynn, I’m used to a pretty long commute every day. As a result, this drive didn’t bother me much, even though being stuck in traffic is one of the things I truly hate the most in life. This ride, however, was more “enjoyable” because I knew that I didn’t have to stress about being anywhere at a specific time. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to catch up on my favorite college-basketball podcast.
From the time that I got onto 1A, which was just before the Sumner Tunnel exit, to the entrance of the Williams Tunnel, I didn’t see my speedometer go higher than 8 mph. It took me roughly 15 minutes to get to the tunnel, and maybe a half-mile into it was when the traffic finally began to break up, as cars were split fairly evenly between taking exits to I-93 North and I-90 West.
After getting onto I-93 from I-90, it was smooth sailing — though I was just minutes from reaching my destination at that point. I took Exit 17 toward Government Center, waited a few more unnecessary minutes at green lights while cars blocked the intersection, and then finally arrived at North Station.
In terms of parking in the city, ideally you would have a company lot to park in, or a parking permit that allows you to park in designated spots around the city. If you don’t, parking at North Station or other lots nearby will cost you $48 for a 10-hour day… yikes.
All in all, it was a lengthy drive, but nothing I’m not used to. However, the Sumner closure did seem noticeable. If you are heading to work in the city, you should allow yourself more than an hour to travel if you have to be in by 9 a.m., as I can definitely see some long commutes ahead in the next eight weeks.
