Mansfield Center
Mansfield Center, MA · Traffic & Transit
Cape Cod Times
Steamship Authority eyes higher fares as fuel costs surge
Rising global fuel prices are affecting the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority , prompting staff to recommend ferry service rate increases to generate an additional $9.2 million in its 2027 operating budget. Authority Treasurer-Comptroller Mark Rozum described proposals at an Authority governing board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20, that would increase fares for all passengers and vehicles, as well as parking fees, to reach the needed revenue. Management is forecasting that passenger and freight traffic and parking use will be similar to levels for September 2025 through August 2026. It is proposing allocating next year’s rate increase of about $5.6 million to the Martha’s Vineyard rates and $3.6 million to the Nantucket route. That split places about 57.7% of the increase on the Martha’s Vineyard routes and about 42.3% for Nantucket, almost equal to the cost of service, the Steamship Authority said. The Authority’s fuel expense is expected to be approximately $16.4 million in 2027, or a 43% increase, compared to the 2026 budget, Rozum said. The Authority’s fuel hedging program safeguarded the ratepayers from $4.1 million in price spikes this year. However, the cost of these hedges has increased for 2027 due to the market volatility, he
unearththevoyage.com
Climb Aboard This Carver, Massachusetts Train That Rolls Through Glowing Cranberry Bogs All Holiday Season
Some holiday traditions in Massachusetts hide in plain sight, tucked behind quiet roads and cranberry country that most drivers pass without a second look. This one starts with a train whistle and ends with families planning next year before they even reach the parking lot. Generations of locals have ridden...
myfmtoday.com
I-495/Mass Pike Interchange Traffic Shift
HOPKINTON – There’s a new wrinkle coming to the I-495/Mass Pike interchange rebuild. Starting tonight, the ramp from I-495 northbound to I-90 will be shifted about 1,000 feet north of its current location. It will remain there through December, when I-495 traffic is scheduled to be shifted out of the median.
nbcboston.com
Imagining the future of the MBTA
There's a bold new idea to extend train services in several communities around Boston. The goal is to connect high-population areas to major economic and medical hubs. The advocacy group TransitMatters is asking the MBTA to study new routes for Chelsea, Everett and Lynn, and add new connections to Kendall Square and Longwood. They say this would be designed to improve service by making it faster and more frequent.
Dianna Carney
Construction to Begin on Old Wharf Road in Dennis Port
The Dennis Police Department of Dennis, Massachusetts, has announced that construction is scheduled to begin October 19th on Old Wharf Road in Dennis Port, between Glendon Road and Sea Street. The project will include drainage work and reconstruction of the road and sidewalks, and is expected to last three to four weeks.
hoodline.com
Boston Eyes NYC-Style Congestion Pricing as MBTA Faces Growing Budget Gap
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu told the MBTA Advisory Board on Tuesday that her administration has reached out to New York City officials to learn how congestion pricing has worked there, as the city weighs the controversial traffic-and-transit funding tool for its own streets. The policy, which charges drivers tolls to bring their cars into a downtown core during busy times, has never been implemented in Boston.
Eyewitness News
Dianna Carney
Fall River Drivers: Columbia Street Is Back to Two-Way Traffic
Columbia Street has officially returned to two-way traffic, according to an announcement from the Fall River Government of Fall River, Massachusetts. The city said the change took effect Tuesday morning, October 20th.
Streetsblog Capitol Hill
This Sunday: ‘Ride For Your Life’ Event Brings Safety Demands to Beacon Hill
This Sunday, the Massachusetts chapter of Families for Safe Streets and various other transportation advocacy groups are bringing hundreds of people to Beacon Hill for Boston’s fourth “Ride for Your Life” event. The day will feature a slow-paced, 6-mile bike ride, a one-mile walk, and a rally...
waghostwriter.com
Face to face with a headlight: distracted driving
It’s late at night and I have passed my curfew. My directions are not loading. I reach for my phone to try and find a way home but the stop-light switches to red. I watch as another car accelerates towards me, and I swerve immediately moments away from hitting a tree.
Dianna Carney
One Lane Off-Cape: What Drivers Need to Know About Upcoming Bourne Bridge Work
Drivers heading off Cape Cod on the Bourne Bridge will be limited to one northbound lane Tuesday, October 20th, from 9 AM to 2 PM while crews perform inspection and maintenance work, according to an announcement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
WBUR
Boston has plans to launch 5 free non-MBTA bus routes
Boston is preparing to launch a pilot bus program that will bring five fare-free routes to a handful of communities. The Link Bus program routes will offer service in Allston-Brighton, Mattapan, Roxbury and the South Boston Waterfront, along with a route in Charlestown and cities and towns that abut the Mystic River north of Boston.
thereminder.com
WWLP
Boston has been in touch with NYC about congestion pricing
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu informed the MBTA Advisory Board that her administration has consulted with New York City officials regarding their congestion pricing system while discussing local efforts to expand free bus services.
Martha's Vineyard Times
Soaring fuel costs prompt a call for hikes in ferry tickets
Record-breaking prices for diesel fuel are driving increases in the cost of shipping and trucking around the world, and that economic pain is hitting home here on the Island as the Steamship Authority (SSA) looks to increase fares to offset the rising costs. For Islanders, that means an uptick in...