Re “Investors sought for a new Cape Cod bridge”: Building more roads to the Cape would only bring more cars. The true recipe for solving endemic summer traffic is to invest in infrastructure that promotes fast, affordable, efficient mass transit.
The reintroduction of the CapeFlyer train service from South Station to Hyannis in 2013 has taken thousands of cars off the road, all while turning a profit. The Commonwealth should double down on this early success by subsidizing CapeFlyer fares and installing a dedicated bus lane on the Cape crossings.
This isn’t just smart transportation policy — it is an environmental imperative. The Cape and the Islands are under assault from rising sea levels and stronger storms that have accompanied climate change. Bay Staters cannot reverse this trend alone. But neither should we exacerbate it by promoting driving over mass transit.
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Let’s lead by example and protect our cherished waterfront for the next generation.
I am disappointed to read that the state Department of Transportation is asking for private investors to fund a new bridge to Cape Cod built for car traffic.
A better way to go would be to fund an expansion of CapeFlyer services. Right now, the train travels between Boston and the Cape only three days a week, and the service only runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This is far from enough, because it makes a car all but necessary to get to the Cape.
Adding a new daily, year-round train service would give vacationers a faster alternative route to the Cape, and one that would be more environmentally friendly. It would open up the Cape to those without cars and help reduce the traffic jams that so many experience now by converting car trips to train tickets.
Providing quality transit to the Cape is a worthy long-term goal that deserves consideration before we think about adding additional car capacity.