FOUND.
>> WE ARE PACKED IN LIKE A BUNC OF SARDINES.
CROWDED, STICKY, HOT.
>> THIS IS THE 111 BU IT IS THE TRANSPORTATION LIFELINE FOR 12,000 COMMUTERS INTO AND OUT OF BOSTON EACH DAY.
WE RODE WITH MIGUEL FROM BOSTON, HOME TO CHELSEA DURING RUSH HOUR.
>> IT REALLY DOES NOT ALLOW FOR PEOPLE TO GET ANYWHERE EFFICIENTLY.
>> A TWO MILE TRIP TOOK 45 MINUTES.
YOU COULD WALK OVER THE TOBIN BRIDGE FASTER THAN TAKING THIS BUS.
THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE GRIDLOCK PARALYZING T REGION, SAYS CHRIS DEMPSEY, WHO HEADS TH NONPROFIT GROUP TRANSPORTATION FOR MASSACHUSETTS.
>> WE HAVE THE WORST TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND A TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT IS FAILING PEOPLE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
BUT HE SAYS THAT CAN CHANGE QUICKLY IF LEADERS ON BEAC HILL WILL OPEN THEIR MINDS TO CUTTING-EDGE SOLUTIONS ALREADY SUCCEEDING IN OTHER STATES.
STARTING WITH SOLUTION NUMBER ONE, SOMETHING CALLED SMARTER TOLLING THE, CHARGING PEOPLE MORE TO CHARGE ON RUSH HO THAN LESS BUSY TIMES OF DAY.
>> IF WE TAKE A SMALL NUMBER OF CARS OFF THE ROAD, WE CAN GET A BIG IMPACT.
SOLUTION NUMBER TWO, DEDICATED BUS LANES.
THEY ARE WORKING IN EVERETT.
BY CREATING SPECIAL LANES THAT ALLOW THE BUSES TO HAVE HEAVY TRAFFIC.
IF BUS TRANSPORTATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED, EXPERTS SAY THAT MORE WILL USE IT WHICH MEANS THAT FEWER CARS ARE ON THE ROAD.
MODERNIZING THE MBTA.
GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER SAYS THAT IS FULLY UNDERWAY WITH MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS BUDGETED FOR NEXT YEAR.
>> IF PEOPLE WANT TO SOLVE THIS, THEY SHOULD FOLLOW OUR CAPITAL PLAN AND SUPPORTED WITH 100,000 NEW SEATS ON THE RAPID TRANS SYSTEM AND THOUSANDS OF NEW SEATS ON THE COMMUTER RAIL
SYSTEM.
>> PLANS ALSO CALL FOR STATE-OF-THE-ART SWITCHES, ADDING DOUBLE-DECKER TRAINS TO THE COMMUTER RAIL.
>> THE ISSUE IS FIGURING OUT A WAY TO MAKE TH INVESTMENT TO IMPROVE HE -- IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND PREDICTABILITY.
SOLUTION NUMBER FOUR, NEW HOUSING NEAR RAILS TOPS.
>> WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT BUILDING HOUSING AND NEW JOBS NEAR ALL OF OUR RAPID TRANSIT TIMES NEAR ALL OF OUR COMMUTER RAIL TOPS.
>> A NEW BLOCK OF WHOLE HOUSING UNITS IS GOING UP RIGHT ACROSS THE COMMUTER RAIL STOP.
IF WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE THE OPTION OF LEAVING THEIR CARS AT HOME, INSTEAD OF GETTING ON THE BUS OR WALKING TOUR, WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT WILL WORK MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY.
>> THERE IS A LOT AT STAKE AT LOOKING TOWARDS THE SOLUTIONS AND NOBODY KNOWS THAT BETTER THAN THE ENTREPRENEURS IN KENDALL SQUARE WHO CREATED ONE OF THE ENGINES FUELING THE STATE
TO ECONOMIC BOOM.
KENDALL SQUARE IS THE EPICENTER OF THE GLOBAL INNOVATION COMMUNITY.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE CURE FOR CANCER BUT TOO MANY OF US, INSTEAD OF BEING AT OUR DESKS SEARCHING FOR THE CURE ARE SITTING IN TRAFFIC.
>> CA WEBB SAYS CEOS ARE CONCERNED THAT CONGESTION AND PROBLEMS WITH THE T WIL DRIVE COMPANIES AND EMPLOYEES OUT OF MASSACHUSETTS.
THAT IS WHY THEY ARE NOW WORKING ON THEIR OWN SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS TO GET WORKERS IN AND OUT MORE EFFICIENTLY.
THEY ARE ALSO PUSHING FOR BIG CHANGES, TO CREATE THIS RAIL LINE ACROSS THE CHARLES TO A NEW HUB, PLANNED FOR VACANT LAND.
>> IF WE DO NOT CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND INTENTIONALLY STAY ON THE CUTTING EDGE, WE WILL BECOME A HAS-BEEN.
>> AND ANOTHER POSSIBLE SOLUTION, ADDING SOMETHING CALLED A LUXURY LANE TO A MAJOR HIGHWAY.
GOVERNOR BAKER SAYS HE IS OPEN TO LOOKING TO THE IDEA.
SO WHAT IS THE LANE LIKE THAT COST THE DRIVERS?
>> IT IS BASED ON SUPPLY AND DEMAND SO THE PRICE IS THE HIGHEST WHEN TRAFFIC IS HEAVIEST.
FOR EXAMPLE WASHINGTON DC, THE AVERAGE MORNING COMMUTE, THE