Since the democratic national convention is in town the Secret Service decided they had to shut down all the roads that pass next to the Fleet Center in order to ensure that no van laden with explosives can get near the event. This is ok for places like “Causeway St” and things like that, but unfortunately the primary north/south artery that runs right through the city happens to be adjacent to the Fleet Center. So Interstate 93 is being shutdown miles away from the city. Commuters will simply have to find another way to get in.

We’re a grown up city and we have all the modern conveniences. Like commuter trains! All the Boston-bound commuter lines that service the northeastern part of the state all arrive at a single location. Predictably, its called “North Station”. Can you guess where the terminal is located?

Yup.

Right underneath the Fleet Center! So the Secret Service said we had to shut that down, too. So, no highway access from north-of-the city and no commuter rail access.

Instead the commuter trains will be stopped outside of the city where passengers will transfer to buses, which will move the passengers in to and out of the city.

All the local TV shows have been doing pieces on what to expect from the closures. Everyone has a pretty good idea of what to expect. Those people who could schedule vacations for this week have done so. Anyone who can work at home, is doing that.

My house is seven miles north of Boston on a track that many thousands of people will use as a shortcut to get to the last stop on the subway. My house is about a mile north of that stop. I think that tomorrow traffic will be unbearable for much of the city.

I commute AWAY from the city and early in the morning so I don’t expect too much trouble from the DNC hoopla. But a neighbor of mine who also works here just called to warn me that there was a terrible back up on the highway already.

“What?! That can’t be! They’re not supposed to shut down the highway until 4pm!”

He reiterated that the highway was HORRIBLY backed up and that if I could get away now, I should head for home right away!

Chicken little.

Turned out there was a roll-over accident that had backed things up.

See? Everyone’s got the traffic jitters.

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