Community Corner

Your Take: Rutherford Ave Change to Reduce AM Drivers?

Give us your take in the comments.

Readers reacted strongly to our —with opinions ranging from optimism to resignation.

The Boston Cyclists Union concluded that adding traffic lights near the intersection of Rutherford Avenue and Austin Street would significantly reduce morning traffic generated by suburban commuters who take Rutherford Avenue to avoid the $3 one-way toll on the Tobin Bridge.

Reader (and frequent commenter) Garry Waldeck told us over twitter that he agreed with those conclusions, but the story kicked up more of a dialogue on our Facebook page.

Find out what's happening in Charlestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Reader Julia Gaynor thumb-nailed the annual cost of crossing the bridge in the morning at around $780 for a five-day work week commute.

“My guess is that people will still sit in traffic rather than spend almost $1,000 per year to cross a bridge,” she said.

Find out what's happening in Charlestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But reader Jay Konieczka said that the small daily fee may not be much of a deterrent.

”Not everyone will be doing the math on how much it costs annually—they just need to get where they're going,” he said. “The reduced speed, which is guaranteed by the light, should reduce traffic.”

Reader Karen Goggin Scanlan agreed that the lights may divert traffic away from Rutherford, but still offered a pessimistic outlook on what the change would mean for Charlestown.

“They're just going to come down Main St,” she said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Charlestown