While you were in COVID isolation, Massachusetts decided to renumber all their highway exits.....

[brooklynite]

Link to tweet

They’re now mile-based from the State Line. As a result, the Mass Pike numbers which used to go up westbound from Boston, now go up eastbound from New York.

[ananda]

1. There was a lot of good roadwork here.

When I drove to the bridge club for the first time in
over a year, I was very surprised that the roads
had been improved so much... and of course happy
about it.

[stillcool]

2. no one told the lady on my GPS

see one thing, hear another. Hope she updates soon.

[sarcasmo]

5. Turn around at the next possible exit. Turn around at the next possible exit.

[stillcool]

6. recalculating...she tells me

sometimes I just don't trust her.

[sarcasmo]

21. I don't trust her in downtown areas with many one way streets.

[keithbvadu2]

3. More logical

[mahina]

4. Oh good fun!

Lol

I’m sure it solved some problems but can you imagine the learning curve for some of us?

Glad to read them thread that there was a lot of repair work done to the roads. I like to visit family there but I would never dare to drive in Massachusetts- you folks drive crazy! Don’t get mad, it’s all love ✨ but you have to know it’s true 🤣

[Blue_Adept]

8. We don't drive like crazy, we just know where we're going

and hate to suffer those that are gawking their way along.

[asiliveandbreathe]

13. True titletownie, no patience for gawkers...

See my comment below...

[mahina]

22. You know what? I feel you because we almost got killed once

When a tourist driving in front of us slammed on their brakes near Blow Hole, after Hanauma bay and right before Sandy’s.

Ok a visitor.

But we were in a VW bug and after the car behind us hit us, the engine was in the backseat and my pregnant mom broke her leg. My Dad managed to not smash our car into the visitor’s car though.

But in Boston they stop traffic to look at …historical buildings? Statues? Assholes anyway.

I was thinking more about the parking on the sidewalk/passing on the right/tailgating/brake checking/pedestrian mowing stuff. But cool cool cool.

[asiliveandbreathe]

12. WHAT?. LOL...oh, okay...I liken crazy to aggressively defensive...my office was 50 miles

From home,always..whether it was Brockton, Cambridge, Hyannis (90 miles), or Prov. RI...120,000 miles in 6 months one year...two foot driver, oh, the horror,..made 1 run to RI in 35minutes....all those years 78 to 94...for me, kinda hard to NOT be a good drver..no accidents, jjust 1 ticket coming off the cape..

Funny story..the trap cop had so many pulled over by the time he waved me over, he then waved me on...I thought it was my car and good looks...nope, Saturday morning, knock knock, local cop..hands me a ticket for Over speeding..I asked local (small town) cop..what is over speeding?...don't remember how fast clocked...I knew local cop, he was great keeping teens out of trouble...

Cut chops on 495, 95, Mass Pike....must have been training for driving in AZ....bad bad bad...I still love driving, still two footed, only difference now..I wear a seat belt....

[A HERETIC I AM]

25. Two footed? Meaning your brake lights are on all the time?

I understand what you mean (or at least I think I do) but I’m curious if your left foot is resting on the brake pedal all the time?

If it is, then your brake lights are on a lot, which makes it difficult for those behind you to tell when you are actually applying the brakes.

[asiliveandbreathe]

31. Nope!...very conscious of where my left foot is..simply ready...been doing it

more than 50 years..would you believe I have an 04 Avalanche, took off the showroom floor..just turned 100,000 miles..and have same break shoes..very well maintained - gorgeous black beauty,

The only problem I have in AZ, my Pats stickers, and Red Sox trailer hitch..always get comments in the grocery store parking lot..here is my baby..from all sides...

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=2004+black+chevy+avalanche&qpvt=2004+black+chev+avalanche&form=IGRE&first=1&tsc=ImageBasicHover

[Mariana]

15. Massachusetts is among the safest states in which to drive.

Comparing the safest and most dangerous states for driving in 2021

The ten safest states for driving:

10) Connecticut (0.93 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -56% change since 1975)
9) Wisconsin (0.89 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -73% change since 1975)
8) Washington (0.88 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -72% change since 1975)
7) Maryland (0.84 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -68% change since 1975)
6) Utah (0.81 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -76% change since 1975)
5) New York (0.76 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -79% change since 1975)
4) Rhode Island (0.74 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -62% change since 1975)
3) New Jersey (0.73 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -66% change since 1975)
2) Minnesota (0.63 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -79% change since 1975)
1) Massachusetts (0.54 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -80% change since 1975)

The ten most dangerous states for driving:

10) Montana (1.43 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -72% change since 1975)
9) New Mexico (1.43 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -74% change since 1975)
8) Oklahoma (1.44 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -57% change since 1975)
7) Alaska (1.46 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -67% change since 1975)
6) Kentucky (1.46 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -58% change since 1975)
5) West Virginia (1.51 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -65% change since 1975)
4) Arizona (1.53 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -63% change since 1975)
3) Louisiana (1.53 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -67% change since 1975)
2) Mississippi (1.63 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -57% change since 1975)
1) South Carolina (1.83 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles, -54% change since 1975)

https://www.reviews.com/insurance/car/most-dangerous-states-for-driving/

[mahina]

23. That's astonishing.

I wonder if those figures include pedestrians. Anyway it looks like really helpful information and a great starting point. I’m still definitely never driving there

[Mariana]

29. Pedestrian fatality rates in Massachusetts are below the US average.

Massachusetts: 1.12 per 100,000 population
USA: 1.89 per 100,000 population

All the states are ranked here:

https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/states/statespedestrians.aspx

[mahina]

33. Thank you for that.

That is really fascinating to me actually. Maybe I’m just lucky - Keep nearly getting picked off.
And I follow the rules of the road, don’t cross without a light, stay on the sidewalk etc.
Anyway I really appreciate your perspective and facts.

[Klaralven]

28. Long commutes in heavy traffic at relatively low speed in the Northeast

Heavily traveled routes have center dividers, preventing head-ons.

Weekday commuter traffic is relatively safe. But beware on weekends when people who rarely drive on highways are out and about.

[Mariana]

30. Those center dividers greatly improve the flow of traffic, too.

You don't have a bunch of people slowing down/stopping to turn left everywhere on the road and backing up everyone behind them. Instead they drive to the next light and make a U-turn. One wonders why relatively few other states have adopted that kind of setup, since as you pointed out, it also reduces fatalities.

[Blue_Adept]

7. Yeah, it wrapped up a few months ago overall.

While there are always detractors, a lot of folks have waited for us to get onto the right page with this for an age. Everytime I drove out of state I was reminded that we were one of those that hadn't changed it.

[madinmaryland]

9. I didn't realize there were any states left with the old format. I thought everyone had changed

Over by the 1990’s.

[Croney]

10. I'm at Old Exit 45 right now.

As a passenger. I never really knew the old exit numbers, I just went with memory or Siri. I wonder if they'll leave the old & new signage up forever. Probably.

[Raftergirl]

11. Noticed this last week when we went to Lenox

for the day. It was exit 2. It now is exit 10 or something like that.

It was changed sometime between mid May when we went to Boston and last week.

My GPS hasn’t gotten the memo, either.

[CentralMass]

16. I need to make a trip back to the homeland. Your mention of Lenox brings back some fond memories of

the Berkshires,
Ever time I drove out that far west the James Taylor song Sweet Baby James would play in head.

With the lyric."Now the first of December was covered with snow
Yes, and so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Now the Berkshires, they seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
With ten miles behind me, and ten thousand more to go, you know
There's a song that they sing when they take to the highway
A song that they sing when they take to the sea
A song that they sing of their home in the sky
Maybe you can believe it if it helps you to sleep
But singing seemed to work fine for me ..."

[Raftergirl]

18. Going to see JT with

Jackson Browne in August, but at SPAC not Tanglewood.


We were in Lenox to see a sculpture exhibit at Edith Wharton’s estate.

[CentralMass]

20. Wow I bet that is going to be awesome concert

[sanatanadharma]

14. I think I am confused

Old Boston to New York border: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Exit numbers
New Border to Boston: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. Mile markers

How does the old 2nd exit west of Boston become five miles from the New York Border?
Did they close the Springfield exits?

Two exits to Connecticut or to Vermont/ New Hampshire too?

[Treefrog]

17. Holy crap!

I’m planning on a long road trip from the south. Will my AAA trip tic lead me astray? Will google keep up?

[Raftergirl]

19. Here are the new I90 exit numbers.

Seems like a bizarre system to me.

https://www.newmassexits.com/i-90-corridor

[Blue_Adept]

24. It's the system that the majority of states use

Those not using it are the outliers.

The idea is simple in that if you know your exit number, you can see how many miles you have to go by checking the mile marker where you are.

Heading to exit 145 and and your mile marker says 45? You've got 100 miles to go.

[Raftergirl]

32. Still not a fan.

I like the old system. It seems dumb to me that the next exit after 45 would be something like 83. I also think people will have a hard time remembering the numbers. Like, for instance, telling someone that even though GPS will tell you Exit 115 take Exit? instead.

I do that a lot on 87, telling people the exit before what GPS says to get to my house as it’s the back way and quicker.

I hope we don’t change to that in NY.

[Vinca]

26. That's good to know. I haven't been down that way since Covid started, but

I'll keep that in mind.

[DFW]

27. We noticed this when we drove from Boston to the tip of Cape Cod

All the exits had completely new numbers. Luckily, on the Cape, the new exit numbers were accompanied by small signs saying „old exit 7,“ etc. To those who have lived here all their lives, it was a disaster. We knew where we were only because we knew the towns by heart after coming here nearly 40 years in a row. This was important, as my wife had to go to Cape Cod Hospital for an emergency last Friday, and I knew it was in Hyannis off of exit 7, not exit 72. The opinions of the people who live here don‘t matter, of course, but they hate it. An old Massachusetts tradition dating back to 1620, if I remember correctly.