Best route to Mass Pike at rush hour?

[fenicedautun.livejournal.com]

So I just got a job offer for a job that would require me to take the pike out to Framingham area every morning. I've never actually tried to get to the pike (I'm in Ball Square area) in the morning, and wondered if anybody had favored routes?

Comments

[ron_newman]

I wonder if getting on the Pike at Newton Corner (after going through Belmont and Watertown) might be better?

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

My guess is no. Newton Corner gets INCREDIBLY backed up as well, even if this is a reverse commute. I would second koshmom's route. (And you save slightly on the tolls if you enter at 128 rather than Newton.)

Also, FYI, you can deduct daily toll payments as an employment expense ONLY if you have a FastLane pass and the ensuing paperwork statement to document them. Sucky, but true.

Also, though, maybe explore going out Rte. 30 instead of the Pike? Traffic patterns might make it worthwhile. Or will you be working *right* off the highway?

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

Not that sucky - Fastlane passes are 100% free. You can pull over on the Pike to pick one up. You save money at some tolls, you can get all your statements online. And worth more than that, you don't have to wait in line or keep change in your car. I only commute on the Pike twice a week, but it boggles my mind that anyone who drives more than once a year would NOT get a Fastlane.

/rant off :)

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

I am opposed to it on political grounds, which is a rant I do not intend to start here. >:-)

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

That's fine :) In these situations, my politics tend to get boiled down to "Hmmm...am I willing to wait 25 minutes in line so that nobody has a record of what tolls I used? Nope, not today!" But I can understand how that kind of thing would make someone uneasy.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

"you can deduct daily toll payments as an employment expense ONLY if you have a FastLane pass" -- to clarify, it's only a deduction on *state* income taxes, so you're only saving 5.3% of the toll. And there's no deduction for the first $150.

While it's called the "commuter deduction", the tolls don't have to be employment-related -- any tolls paid via a FastLane are deductible.

The same applies to monthly and weekly T passes.

The bigger benefit to FastLane is the 25 cent discount at the two tolls inside 128, and the 50 cent discount at the harbour tunnels.