TO END THE STATE OF GRIDLOCK PLAGUING MASSACHUSETTS. >> 5 INVESTIGATES’ MIKE BEAUDET GIVES US AN INSIDE LOOK. IT IS AT WHAT THE CITY IS DOING AS BOSTON FACES A GROWING TRAFFIC CONGESTION PROBLEM. >> THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CONGESTION PROBLEM IS CRYSTAL CLEAR HERE. IF TRAFFIC IS BAD ANYWHERE, IT IS LIKELY ESPECIALLY ANNOYING IN BOSTON. 5 INVESTIGATES WITH AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CITY OF BOSTON’S TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER. THIS IS A POWERFUL TOOL IN THE WAR ON CONGESTION, TUCKED AWAY ON THE 7TH FLOOR OF CITY HAL >> WHEN WE SEE AN UNUSUAL TRAFFIC CONDITION, IT ALLOWS US TO GO INTO THE COMPUTER AND MAKE REAL-TIME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SIGNAL. >> SENIOR TRAFFIC ENGINEER KEITH BYNUM FIGURES OUT THOSE DECISIONS BY MONITORING MORE THAN 300 CAMERAS ACROSS BOSTON. >> IT ACTUALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YOU CAN ACTUALLY GIVE ONE APPROACH FOUR OR FIVE SECONDS AND YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE IN TEN MINUTES HOW MUCH A DIFFERENCE THAT CAN MAKE. >> BUT THE STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE CONGESTION IS REAL. CHRIS OSGOOD IS THE CITY’S CHIE OF THE STREETS TRANSPORTATION AND SANITATION. >> FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, HOW BAD IS IT? >> IT’S A HUGE FOCUS FOR US TO ADDRESS CONGESTION FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. >> THE DATA REVEALS WHY CONGESTION IS WORSE, MASSACHUSETTS ADDED 350,000 PEOPLE AND 435,000 JOBS SINCE 2010, MOSTLY IN THE BOSTON AREA. OUR POPULATION IS GROWING. >> OUR OVERALL NUMBER OF JOBS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON IS GROWING. >> WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS SOME INCREASED DELAY IN HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR SOMEONE TO GET TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION. >> THOSE ISSUES UNDERSCORED IN THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S CONGESTION IN THE COMMONWEALTH REPORT RELEASED IN AUGUST. IT POINTED TO A LACK OF RELIABILITY AND CALLED ON EVERYONE TO WORK TOGETHER TO TRY AND RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. >> A RANGE OF FACTORS CREATED TODAY’S GROWING CONGESTION PROBLEM. ONLY AN EQUALLY WIDE-RANGE OF ACTIONS BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLAYERS CAN FIX IT. >> THE CITY OF BOSTON IS ALREADY TAKING INNOVATIVE STEPS TO RELIEVE CONGESTION. IT’S ADDED DEDICATED BUS AND BIKE LANES LIKE THIS ONE AND PLANS TO ADD EVEN MORE. THE GOAL, MAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION A BETTER OPTION. >> WHILE TONS OF PEOPLE ARE TAKING THAT SERVICE MORE WOULD , TAKE IT IF IT WERE MORE RELIABLE. >> AND THEN THERE ARE THE UBERS AND LYFTS CLOGGING CITY STREETS. ABOUT 42 MILLION RIDESHARE TRIPS STARTED IN BOSTON LAST YEAR, SO THE CITY IS LOOKING AT WAYS TO GIVE PEOPLE ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR SHARING THOSE RIDES WITH OTHERS. IT’S ALSO PLANNING TO CREATE MORE DEDICATED PICK UP AND DROP OFF ZONES FOR RIDESHARE COMPANIES. THE CITY SAYS HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN LESS CONGESTION. >> IF WE CAN ADDRESS CONGESTION, WE WILL LIKELY BE ABLE TO LOWER EMISSIONS AND BETTER CONNECT PEOPLE TO JOBS AND SCHOOLS. >> A WORTHY GOAL, BUT GETTING THERE MAY BE AS DIFFICULT AS GETTING ANYWHERE RIGHT NOW IN AND AROUND BOSTON. >> IS CONGESTION EVER GOING TO GO AWAY? >> I THINK THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE EVERYBODY’S TRIP TO AND FROM THEIR DESTINATION MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE, MUCH MORE RELIABLE AND MUCH MORE SAFE. >> 5 INVESTIGATES AIRED A HALF-HOUR SPECIAL REPORT EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT DELVED INTO THE MANY ANGLES SURROUDING OUR STATE OF GRIDLOCK, INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE REGION. YOU CAN WATCH IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND APP.