Why Boston traffic is so bad, and how to get around it

• Lots of jobs, few ways in. The Boston region had 44% of the state's jobs in 2019 (MassDOT).
• The roads are full, so small problems spread. When a road has no spare room, a single crash or work zone slows traffic for miles. MassDOT says the bigger problem is how unpredictable the trip is, more than the average delay.
• A few choke points carry everyone. The worst are the Tobin Bridge, the Zakim Bridge and the tunnels, the Southeast Expressway, the Leverett Connector, and Alewife Brook Parkway near Route 2. Seven of the state's ten worst spots are on I-93 (MassDOT, 2025 update).
• Rush hour is getting longer. By 5 p.m. on a weekday, almost every major road inside Route 128 has some delay, and nearly half are congested as early as 2 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday is worse than Monday or Friday.

Not by much. On weekday rush-hour trips of 3 to 8 miles in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline and nearby, people using Shift typically went 8.4 mph by car, 8.6 mph by bike and 8.8 mph on the subway. Outside rush hour, drives of that length typically went 10.3 mph.

About these numbers: From 1,078 rush-hour trips of 3 to 8 miles by car, bike and subway recorded by people using Shift, July 18 to October 16, 2026 (weekdays 7 to 9:30 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.). Typical means half the trips were faster and half were slower.

Timing still matters. At 6 a.m., 15% of the roads inside Route 128 are congested. By 8 a.m., it's 45% (MassDOT, 2024 data).

• MetroWest and the Mass Pike. The commuter rail from Framingham reaches Back Bay in 35 to 56 minutes on weekday mornings. Parking at the Framingham station is $4 a day. From Worcester, the fastest morning train takes 70 minutes to South Station (Framingham/Worcester Line schedule).
• The South Shore and the Braintree Split. Park at the Braintree or Quincy Adams garage for $9 and the Red Line reaches Park Street in under half an hour. From farther out, the Kingston and Greenbush trains take about an hour to South Station, and the Hingham ferry reaches Rowes Wharf in 30 to 40 minutes.
• Route 128 and Burlington. Bus 350 runs from Alewife to Burlington Mall Road in about 30 to 40 minutes. Many employers along 128 belong to a transportation management association that runs shuttles and carpool matching for their staff. Find yours through MassCommute.

The trains can run late too, so check T-Alerts before you leave. But they skip the Braintree Split and the Pike, and you can read or rest on the way.

Pick one day next week to make your usual trip a different way: park at a T station and ride in, or plan it by train. Time it door to door and compare it with a normal day.