Re: Traffic

[laurence@sprintmail.com]

Garrett Wollman <wollman@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:

> The *real* irritating thing (for me at least) is that Shadow has Land
> Boulevard and Memorial Drive confused.

Speaking of traffic confusion, everyone seems to have Route 128 
and I-93 confused.  Route 128 South legally ends at the I-95 split 
near the Amtrak station in Canton, and becomes I-93 North.

I believe this route designation was forced upon us by the US 
government, who wants most of 128 to be known as I-95.   Most of 
128's signs now refer to the Interstate route number, and frequently 
128 is missing from the signs completely.

Of course, good Massachusetts citizens have refused to listen to 
the feds and continue to call 128 by its God-given name.  :)

My question is, at what point will traffic reporters have to bite the 
bullet and report on the real route numbers?  For people who are 
new to Boston, it must be hard to understand why the tieup on 128 
near Braintree is on a non-existent route.  I've sometimes given 
directions to "get on 128 North" only to be told "I can't find it."

On the other hand, most people who have lived here for a while 
couldn't tell you where the junction of I-95 and the Mass Pike is, 
and certainly wouldn't understand "a slowdown on 93 South as you 
approach 95 North in Canton."

I wonder how it will eventually work out.

Mark Laurence
laurence@sprintmail.com