Massachusetts Department of Transportation study finds old Rush Hour patterns not returning soon

The morning rush hour on Massachusetts highways is unlikely to return to pre-COVID crowds until at least 2024 according to new Department of Transportation projections.  Image via Boston 25

— News covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.

An Alewife-bound Red Line train at Quincy Center at 8 am on a recent Wednesday
A Quincy News exclusive photo

A Massachusetts Department of Transportation study finds old rush hour travel patterns not returning anytime soon.

In fact, more likely not until sometime in 2024 or thereabouts per the findings of the study.

While one can fairly suggest that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (“MassDOT”) and especially its MBTA division are not exactly aces at forecasting.

After all, many major Boston employers are hoping to see their employees back in the office least more often than of late sooner rather than later, it would be safe to suggest that commute time vehicular traffic and public transportation ridership are likely to be slow to rebound to merely but their pre-COVID-19 pandemic-caused drops.

A typical pre-pandemic not socially distant commute
Image from indosurflife.com;

In turn, the looking likely to be a slow recovery in driving will reduce fuel tax revenue and fewer public transit fares will continue to make things as tough on the Department of Transportation’s budget as the MBTA makes things on straphangers, if not even more so.

Plus, so-called ridesharing services have already resulted in an arguably unexpected dings to public transportation ridership as lower-income riders without cars opt to rely on less expensive than taxicab rides riding share rides for trips that would not be a day at the beach on public transit.

We be Q’ed no matter what
Image via Statco Communications

And on a local front, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch’s already stumbling along with a development plan for Quincy that is primarily predicated upon developing thousands of units of Transit Oriented Development housing near primarily MBTA Red Line stations and thereby greatly making the planning efforts undertaken by MassDOT and the MBTA planning almost not look so bad on a relative basis.

Source: Study finds old rush hour patterns not returning soon

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