In the run-up to the closure of the Sumner Tunnel, which began on July 5 and is slated to last through August 31, officials warned the ensuing traffic delays would be massive, and that drivers should give themselves an abundance of extra time when commuting and traveling to Logan Airport.
Now, two weeks into the Sumner shutdown, drivers are certainly feeling some pain, but the delays haven't been quite as apocalyptic as many expected. That, in turn, may be due to the scores of commuters who've opted to take some of the expanded, reduced-fare, or entirely free public-transit options implemented prior to the closure. For example, the use of MBTA parking garages has radically increased, and ridership is up on the (currently) free Blue Line, discounted Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail.
In light of all that, might the 2023 Sumner Tunnel Closure go down in the annals of Massachusetts history as a rare transportation victory? And what lessons might the Sumner project and the messaging around it hold for the future? Adam Reilly discusses with Abdallah Fayyad, an opinion writer at the Boston Globe who authors its transportation newsletter, and Chris Dempsey, a former state assistant secretary of transportation and former head of Transportation for Massachusetts.
Has the reality of the Sumner closure been better or worse than you anticipated?? Email us your thoughts at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org, or share them via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch this discussion right now or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get updates on future segments and episodes.
