Comments
OccidentallySlain t1_j5vnxmu wrote
The people I actually feel for are the ones that can only use 44/3/195/495 within 30 miles of the Cape. Most don't have great transit either, aren't on the cape, and not going to the cape. They have to deal with an extra 30+ minutes of traffic to live a middle/lower class life every summer while the cape continues to be composed of beaches, money, wasps, and political power.
Except Duxbury and Marshfield. Just enough money for they to get uppity about it and think they're better than everyone else and enough money to forget what normal is, respectively.
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If those bridges came down and the only access was by boat or train the cape could be like the vineyard lite while maintaining the same flow of people and everyone in the lower half of Plymouth county would be more than happy to forget about it.
PLS-Surveyor-US t1_j5vpdy7 wrote
Plenty of good solutions available. The bridges are needed. We rebuild them better than the old ones. Ideally it would be done with a steel box girder design instead or a truss because its cheaper. All the pie in the sky parts should be forgotten about. Pay for it with tolls to be placed charging people 2 bucks a day each way. Done, paid for and everyone is happy.
A_Man_Who_Writes t1_j5vqo0e wrote
Trains, tunnels, get it done.
5teerPike t1_j5vr9t5 wrote
No good solution?
There are solutions, they're just not easy solutions.
Why do we keep waiting for the pain of the unchanged to be worse than just changing?
stpetesouza t1_j5vsdk0 wrote
Doesn't work that way. The Mass pike was paid for eons ago but the temporary tolls still remain in place. It's neither done, paid for, or made anyone happy
ManWithTheCats t1_j5vtoc0 wrote
I don’t understand why more people don’t use the tunnel 🫤
PLS-Surveyor-US t1_j5vwpj2 wrote
BS. I love the pike. Take it every day. Happy to pay the tolls to cover the O&M costs of the road. I would remove the gas tax and put tolls on all the divided highways.
lucidguppy t1_j5vzjuy wrote
We build canals to get boats to move faster - and then build bridges over the canals we built...
downwardspiralstairs t1_j5w0kqa wrote
No solution is coming until it is in dire need and they haven't implemented the short term solution yet.
SheeEttin t1_j5w2qfv wrote
Unfortunately for that, the main railway that used to run all the way to Provincetown, the Old Colony Railway, was torn up part Hyannis decades ago, and a lot of the rail bed has been turned into bike path or just paved over and turned into streets. Heck, the branch that used to run to Chatham is now crossed by the airport runway.
ReporterOther2179 t1_j5w3g49 wrote
What was dug can be filled.
Macasumba t1_j5w410t wrote
Ive been going over those bridges since 1959 and have never had an issue.
Macasumba t1_j5w48jm wrote
Someone took the sign down.
NewspaperEconomy5473 t1_j5w5s5u wrote
You are advocating for replacement bridges without the iconic and visually impactful features of the bridge. Then you go on to say “everyone is happy”. What a bunch of BS.
You must underestimate how many people love the look of those bridges. Maybe you would be happy with the replacements, but saying that everyone would be happy is laughably incorrect, and even that is an understatement.
pab_guy t1_j5w6fd3 wrote
Anything is possible with money. There's plenty of money.
pab_guy t1_j5w6t7y wrote
>while the cape continues to be composed of beaches, money, wasps, and political power.
No that's the islands (aside from the beaches anyway). Cape is kinda trashy in comparison. (Sorry)
pab_guy t1_j5w6yog wrote
Let's just put a toll on the boats that use the canal. They can pay for the fucking bridges, it's their fault anyways.
Moist_Doughnut_311 t1_j5w91hm wrote
This is the real solution. Just remove the tidal protection structures and the canal would revert back to a tidal river over time.
hikerjukebox t1_j5w9tcu wrote
Imagine: a train from south station to the cape
have some courage and we can do it. the only way to get rid of traffic is give people another option besides driving
XoeDanger t1_j5wf2bd wrote
This is a problem only for the tourists. Locals can use the tunnel after applying for the permit.
FTHomes t1_j5wfm2g wrote
Yes the tunnel is the best way to go to and from the cape.
madtho t1_j5wfry9 wrote
There’s always a way.
somegridplayer t1_j5whaqg wrote
The trebuchet is quicker.
madtho t1_j5whpg4 wrote
There is a train from South Station to the Cape.
In the summer. hrm.
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It’s VERY popular. They first ran a trial, it was so popular they added tons more cars and departures, then made it permanent. It runs behind my folks’ house.
PLS-Surveyor-US t1_j5wjx0r wrote
It's a bridge. Most people going over them are pissed they are stuck in traffic not admiring the style of the bridge. Ask people if they want to pay $2 for a steel box beam or $4 for a truss what answer will you get? Form follows function and cost trumps all. We paid $100MM extra for the "glory" of a grand bridge for the artery project to cross an 80' river. Now everyone on here complains daily about the poor condition of the MBTA. $100 million fixes a lot of track problems. Spend wisely and you will find things working better.
The_eldritch_bitch t1_j5wknak wrote
The permit waitlist is really long
The_eldritch_bitch t1_j5wkylv wrote
A toll would be a nightmare since so many of the working class / blue collar jobs on cape are held by off cape residents because of the high CoL
ConwayPuder t1_j5wnhoa wrote
Cape Flyer. Never taken it but I heard there's a bar on board. They should have one on all trains. Fantastic substitute for drunk driving.
Edit: website confirms beer, wine and cocktails for sale on board.
Rattlingjoint t1_j5wr8w8 wrote
Just in time for our housing crisis.
We spent years pushing our workforce off cape, only to let the best means to get on Cape crumble. I get the feeling most of the old population is perfectly fine in becoming the next Nantucket.
[deleted] t1_j5wu5em wrote
They look cheap, as expected with WPA projects. The nicest thing about them are the lampposts which, incidently you can best see while sitting in traffic.
[deleted] t1_j5wv6ny wrote
PLS-Surveyor-US t1_j5wwl0r wrote
So then they get to decide whether its worth it and then their wages magically go up when the supply of labor tightens. I can see why nothing ever gets fixed around this state. Too many people see every last negative possibility and then nothing happens. Nothing except KB warriors downvoting actual solutions to problems....DV away.
gellinmagellin t1_j5x2qpd wrote
Hear me out....... Light Sport Aircraft
AboyNamedBort t1_j5yfp3v wrote
Drivers love spending other peoples money. Put up tolls to pay for this.
pab_guy t1_j5yg0ii wrote
The tolls should be on the boats using the canal IMO. They are the reason we have this mess in the first place.
PakkyT t1_j5yu2u1 wrote
Separate train bridge already exists and is in use.
IDockWithMyBroskis t1_j5z9ubh wrote
Well that settles it then. No further analysis needed
Macasumba t1_j5zh8dp wrote
Right? Plus save BILLIONS!
paganlobster t1_j5zi8ph wrote
Sure, but after getting there you still need a car to go anywhere or do anything.
paganlobster t1_j5ziphy wrote
I grew up on the cape and this is exactly right. There’s a reason kids there leave asap if they can.
JoshuaACNewman t1_j5zln7e wrote
Not usually. The bike path is great (and getting better). And even if that weren’t the case, public transport that came every few minutes would cost less and remove almost every car from the roads. It’s mind-blowing how inefficient cars are.
BlaineTog t1_j601vya wrote
Honestly I wouldn't mind the tunnel so much but the Lovecraftian-looking giant squids that like to hang out near the transparent section are just so unsettling. Not the best way to start a trip that likely involves swimming.
warlocc_ t1_j609emi wrote
I'd like to see motorcycle and e-bike laws in Massachusetts improved.
massahoochie t1_j60eijn wrote
They use it for trash (seriously, they fill the train cars with rubbish) It aparently “can’t support a commuter rail” so it needs to be overhauled. There’s no reason that we shouldn’t have a regular commuter rail form Boston to Hyannis. The infrastructure is there. It just is old as fuck, and they don’t want to maintain or modernize
massahoochie t1_j60f1c7 wrote
The cape flyer runs Friday, sat and Sun from Hyannis to Boston for 3 months of the year. only 2x per day. It’s basically useless unless you live in Boston and want to pay $60 for a round trip to Hyannis. The schedule leaves from Boston at 7am and then the train leaves from Hyannis at 8pm. There is no conceivable way anybody would use it coming FROM the cape, unless you want to arrive in Boston at 9pm and then catch a 7am train the next day. It’s basically useless
DoodMonkey t1_j60ii6m wrote
Money. Are the people of Holyoke willing to spend additional money on taxes to fix a bridge to Cape Cod? Probably won't be happy about it.
[deleted] t1_j60j3ko wrote
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DoodMonkey t1_j60l7rq wrote
I'm just saying this is what happens year in and year out and it's the reason nothing has been done to resolve the issues at the Cape Cod bridges.
[deleted] t1_j60lfbo wrote
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PakkyT t1_j60luxp wrote
>There’s no reason that we shouldn’t have a regular commuter rail form Boston to Hyannis.
While only seasonal the CapeFLYER runs from Boston to Hyannis and back over that bridge, so it isn't just "trash". But the argument could be made to increase the number of trains and extend to all year service. Unfortunately the MBTA can barely keep the Orange and Red lines running, so...
joshualori1 t1_j639xev wrote
Take the apatuatuxet tunnel
EzualRegor t1_j63essp wrote
Unfortunately the dylithiam chrystals are unreliable so expect delays when using the tunnel.
JoshuaACNewman t1_j5vl5fy wrote
Really, the problem is the volume of cars.
There are still rails on much of the Cape. Let’s gets them working again.