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Boston is one of the top 23 largest cities in the United States. With that many people comes traffic. So, what is it like to drive in Boston? Boston grew quickly and has made several significant efforts to manage the growing traffic problem. The biggest of these efforts is “The Big Dig.” The Big Dig is a 1.5-mile tunnel designed to move the biggest interstate under the city rather than above it.

The city of Boston also has a great network of buses, commuter rail, subways, and even commuter boats. They have an extensive, although at times unreliable, public transportation network. There are plenty of times that you need to drive to your destination. So, is driving in Boston difficult?

Is Driving in Boston Difficult?

I’ll start by saying that I lived in Boston and drove to and from work nearly every day. In addition, my work required me to drive all over Boston at all times of day and night. So, I have spent plenty of time sitting in Boston traffic to get a good sense of what it is like. Driving in Boston traffic can be rough, especially during rush hour.

Traffic accidents are minimal, but that’s because the traffic is moving too slowly actually to get into accidents. Boston drivers can also drive pretty aggressively, trying to squeeze into places and driving on the shoulders. They really like to use their horns. Just try sitting at a green light for more than a second. Boston traffic requires a lot of patience and planning, as well as some extra time for the trip.

If you want to get out of the city of Boston and explore nearby, here are our best road trip ideas from Boston.

Why is there so much traffic in Boston?

As mentioned above, Boston’s population grew faster than the road network could manage. Boston has expanded as much as it has space, so there isn’t room to add more roads. Beyond the obvious traffic of delivery drivers, taxis, and business trucks, there is the general population. Due to the unreliability or expense of public transportation and the fact that many people work in Boston but live outside of the city, many people rely on driving in Boston.

Boston is also popular with tourists, with a significant convention center, stadium, and arena. Unfortunately, the convention center and stadium are not located within easy reach of the public transportation center. This requires many visitors to rent a car and adds to the traffic problem. Finally, keep in mind that Massachusetts is ranked as the third most stressful state in the United States.

Is Boston a car-friendly city?

In short, no. Traffic aside, parking in Boston is expensive and challenging. There are parking garages where you can expect to spend over $100 for a day of parking. Even living in Boston doesn’t mean you have parking, as many apartments have “street parking.” Additionally, street parking often isn’t plowed in the winter so you may lose parking after a big winter storm. It’s also not assigned to you, so when you come home every day, you have to search for a new parking space. This is one of the challenges to driving in Boston.

In some neighborhoods, you need a specific parking pass for that neighborhood. This doesn’t allow you street parking in other neighborhoods, making driving to visit others in the city more difficult. Rules about where you can park vary by day of the week, week of the year, or if the Red Sox are playing in town. I’ve gotten more than my fair share of parking tickets because I didn’t understand the restrictions and the numerous signs trying to explain them.

If you still want to drive in Boston, you can head here to get a good deal on a car rental.

Is it better to drive in Boston or walk?

Boston is a very walkable city. Between walking and public transportation, you can get to most of the city pretty easily. As mentioned above, parking in Boston can be very challenging. So, even if you drive, you may end up parking blocks away from where you actually intend to go and have to walk anyway.

There are also plenty of places that are difficult to get to by car. It’s sometimes not worth the drive between one-way streets, roundabouts, cobblestone streets, and traffic jams.

If you’re going to be walking around Boston, you might want to check out the best places to eat in the city.

Is downtown Boston walkable?

Boston is very walkable. At only 28 square miles, it’s actually the second smallest major US city, only slightly behind San Fransisco. If you stick to the downtown areas, it’s even smaller. We can easily cover all of the best sites in Boston by walking. In many ways, it’s easier to walk than drive in Boston.

The biggest caveat to this statement comes with East Boston. East Boston is connected to Downtown Boston by tunnels with no pedestrian walkway. You’ll need to take a train or a vehicle to get to or from East Boston (including the airport). Otherwise, you can often find that walking may even be faster than driving or public transit in some cases.

Is Boston hard to navigate?

Boston can be challenging to navigate, making driving difficult. There are a number of roundabouts, one-way streets, and dead-ends. But that’s actually not the hardest thing about navigating in Boston. That tunnel we discussed earlier is the hardest to navigate.

The 1.5-mile Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Tunnel has several exits within it. But your GPS will likely not work in the tunnel. This means that if you don’t know your exit number when you enter the tunnel, you might not know you missed it until you come out the other side again.

I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve done this, and sometimes more than once on the same day. The O’Neill Tunnel is just one of several tunnels in Boston. It’s just the one with that people most commonly make this mistake. So, as you head into the tunnel, skip forward in your turn-by-turn directions to see which exit you need.

What time is Boston rush hour?

As a Boston Local, I feel rush hour happens 24 hours a day. I could literally be driving around at 2 AM and get into a traffic jam and stop-and-go traffic. I have no idea why. The Peak Period of the AWDT (Average Weekday Daily Traffic) is the fancy official term for rush hour. The AWDT Peak Periods for Boston is between 6 AM and 10 AM and 3 PM to 7 PM. The area affected by the Boston Rush Hour is large. It affects both the City of Boston and most of the suburbs. This can make driving in Boston even more difficult for these 8 hours a day.

Is parking in Boston free after 6 PM?

Metered parking in nearly all of Boston Metro is free after 8 PM Monday through Saturday. It goes back into effect at 8 AM the next morning. Sunday is the exception, as parking at a meter is free all day. The same goes for federal holidays. Most meters will let you purchase up to 2 hours at a time, including time that extends beyond 8 PM. If you’re close to the free parking period, purchase parking up to that 8 PM time.

If you’re not sure if parking is free and want to confirm, download the Passport Parking App. You’ll need to pay for parking anyway, and it will confirm if parking is free in that zone. The same goes for finding a meter on the street; it’ll advise you that parking is free. Ensure you’re parking in metered parking, not a residential parking space. Residential parking has different restrictions that often require having a neighborhood parking permit.

Can you turn right on red in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, you can turn right on red in certain circumstances. Officially, you still need to come to a full stop. Then, yield to other traffic before turning right at a red light. There are places where permanent or light-up signs indicate you cannot make a right-hand turn. Keep an eye out for those before turning because Boston is liberal with its fines and tickets. There are many rules about driving in Boston, but many are pretty consistent with most other big cities in the US.

Final Thoughts about Driving in Boston

While driving in Boston can feel very overwhelming, it is doable. This is definitely something that people who feel comfortable driving. People in Massachusetts, in general, tend to get a bad rap when it comes to driving aggression. Mostly, there is so much traffic in Boston that you’ll want to bring extra patience!