'Driving Us Crazy'

A 2016 series on how congestion affects Greater Boston's commute. We often cover the MBTA, or biking in Boston, but for this series we're focusing on the impact of car commuting -- and how car commuting is changing.

While the Boston region is a center for robotics and artificial intelligence research, none of the Northeast states allows self-driving cars to be driven or tested on public roads. Massachusetts officials are looking in 2016 at turning part of the former Devens military base into a self-driving testing ground. (Tony Avelar, File/AP)

Why Society Must Prepare For The Self-Driving Car Revolution

We talk to three experts about the promises and pitfalls of the transportation revolution underway throughout the nation.

Radio Boston

30:30Apr 29, 2016

A morning scene at the rotary at the intersection of Routes 99 and 16 in Everett (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

How Would You Describe Your Emotional State When Stuck In Boston Traffic? Here's What You Said

From road rage to Zen mastery, Boston drivers have different takes on traffic jams.

Local Coverage

Apr 29, 2016

Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack enters the turnstiles at the Government Center MBTA station on the Green Line during her commute to Newton. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A Ride On The MBTA With Transportation Secretary Pollack

We ride the Green Line from Government Center to Newton with the transportation secretary.

Local Coverage

08:17Apr 29, 2016

Bryan Reimer, right, of the New England Transportation Center at MIT and the MIT AgeLab, confers with Thomas McWilliams about upgrading a Volkswagen Beetle driving simulator with new equipment. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Autonomous Vehicles Could 'Change Everything,' But 'Growing Pains' Are Likely

The formula for a congestion-free future is intelligent intersections and smart, driverless vehicles. But there are also societal and ethical questions to consider.

Local Coverage

10:40Apr 29, 2016

A Cambridge-based company developed an app to grade drivers. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

New App Will Grade You On Your Driving

Once you active EverDrive on your smartphone, it monitors how well you're driving and once you reach your destination, it will give you a grade. The goal is to make...

Local Coverage

06:37Apr 28, 2016

Traffic on the Sullivan Square off-ramp from Interstate 93 on to Cambridge Street in Charlestown at a standstill at 10:45 A.M. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Sitting In Traffic? What You Should Know About Your Health

Sitting in the car when you're stuck in traffic is never fun. It's frustrating and boring. But how does your long commute affect your body?

Radio Boston

11:00Apr 28, 2016

Bicyclist riding down Mass. Ave at the intersection where a bicyclist died in a crash earlier this week. (Hadley Green/WBUR)

Vision Zero Boston: The Plan To Eliminate Car Crash Fatalities

The philosophy behind the initiative, originally from Sweden, is that while people might fail, the road systems never should.

Radio Boston

25:30Apr 28, 2016

The worsening traffic in Boston -- or any metropolitan area -- does not just cost drivers time. It may also cost them health. Here's early afternoon bumper-to-bumper traffic on 93 in Milton (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Weight Gain, Heart Disease, Back Pain: Longer Car Commutes May Harm Your Health

After she started a job with an hour-plus commute, a Boston-area woman gained 40 pounds and got back pain and high blood pressure. She's a textbook case of the growing...

Local Coverage

07:08Apr 28, 2016

Early morning traffic passes through the intersection of Seaport Boulevard at Atlantic Avenue in South Boston. The city used Waze data to re-time traffic signals there. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Technology Is Changing How We Move — And Traffic Too

Apps like Waze and Uber and services like Bridj are changing how we get around. And they're changing traffic patterns.

Local Coverage

07:38Apr 28, 2016

The average car commuter in the region spends 64 hours a year stuck in traffic, a recent report found. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

As U.S. Population Grows, Federal Highway Head Says To Expect More Highway Traffic

And one of the main solutions to these traffic troubles, says Gregory Nadeau, is high tech.

Local Coverage

05:27Apr 27, 2016

Seventeen million square feet of development in underway or planned for the South Boston "Innovation District" over the next two decades. (Hadley Green for WBUR)

What Effect Did The Big Dig Have On Seaport Traffic?

With convention and hospitality space set to double over the next two decades, what strategies should the city use to mitigate road congestion?

Radio Boston

14:30Apr 27, 2016

Without Traffic Solutions, People Will 'Turn Away' From Seaport District, Jim Rooney Says

Jim Rooney, CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, told us that he sees increasing diverse forms of public transit as key to tackling congestion around the Seaport District.

Local Coverage

04:58Apr 27, 2016

Seaport Boulevard, in the heart of South Boston’s Innovation District (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

How Boston's Traffic Complicates Development

From the Seaport District to Dudley Square in Roxbury, traffic is both a blessing and a curse.

Local Coverage

08:06Apr 27, 2016

Mid-day traffic moving through Dudley Sq in Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Why You Can't Catch The 'Green Wave' In Boston

Better traffic light programming has the potential to cut through gridlock, so why aren't we using it?

Radio Boston

20:14Apr 26, 2016

State Sen. Tom McGee, chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, drives from his home in Lynn to the State House. Here, northbound traffic on the Lynnway comes off the Point of Pines Bridge in Lynn. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

To Beat Traffic, Legislator Calls For Expanding Transportation Options

We hop into state Sen. Tom McGee's Ford Focus for a closer look at the gridlock facing North Shore commuters and to hear his thoughts on what can be done...

Local Coverage

06:17Apr 26, 2016

If you drive to work, you probably know exactly where the bottlenecks are. Here's one for a lot of people: the Sullivan Square traffic circle. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

How Traffic Forms, And How Changing Driver Habits Could Help

Traffic comes from many sources -- not just too many cars on the road. But better driving and targeted reductions in the number of cars could yield major benefits.

Local Coverage

08:01Apr 26, 2016

Traffic on Storrow Drive. (Joe Difazio for WBUR)

Rosabeth Moss Kanter On Fixing Our Commutes

In a WBUR traffic poll, one in eight Greater Bostonians considered changing their job to improve their commute.

Radio Boston

17:32Apr 25, 2016

Traffic is a big problem in the area, and is getting worse, our poll finds. Here is a familiar sight for anyone who drives on the Southeast Expressway. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

WBUR Poll: Boston-Area Residents Say Traffic Is Getting Worse, But MBTA May Be A Solution

"You would expect since most people in the area drive that you'd hear a lot about roads," said pollster Steve Koczela, "but the number one thing people said could be...

Local Coverage

06:31Apr 25, 2016

Why Greater Boston Keeps Getting Stuck In Traffic

Take a drive through Boston-area transportation history. Again and again lawmakers' solution to congestion has been construction.

Local Coverage

12:57Apr 25, 2016