Commute advice: Oak Grove area to halfway between Central/Kendall

Submitted by MattD t3_10eokdd in CambridgeMA

Driving can be 30–60 minutes (during peak commuting times) and parking is $40/day. I wouldn't be commuting every day so monthly parking doesn't make sense unless it's significantly less expensive. What is going on with the Green Street Garage? How about the Central Square Parking Lot? Do nearby residents with driveways tend to rent spots during the work day? If so, is there a particular website that folks tend to use or is it still Craigslist?

T is about an hour any way you slice it, either Orange to Red and walk from Central or Orange to bus from either North Station or Community College. Obviously this is way less expensive but will always be at least an hour. I could replace the bus with an electric scooter, but not sure how safe that route is from the other side of Rt. 28.

Are there other options?

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PapaJack2008 t1_j4s78ft wrote

Did you consider, T from Oak to Sullivan and then the Crosstown 2 (CT2) to your office?

Assumed you are working at or near Garment District.. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Oak+Grove,+Malden,+MA/The+Garment+District,+200+Broadway,+Cambridge,+MA+02139/@42.389127,-71.1120907,13z/am=t/data=!3m1!5s0x89e370adb7be16c3:0x11dd98550c7a82e7!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e373e0bc598547:0x79043a69d8e6face!2m2!1d-71.0744966!2d42.4348184!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e370adc7ddcac9:0x1519277f10a2b146!2m2!1d-71.0928589!2d42.3659144!3e3?hl=en

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MattD OP t1_j4t095x wrote

Funnily enough Google suggested the 91 from Sullivan. I wonder if it's the specific time I told it to arrive.

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velocoati t1_j51y8v7 wrote

91 only runs every 30 minutes or so but if you time it right it could work! the stop is right in front of the T station I believe

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MattD OP t1_j4sy70p wrote

Close enough - on Main at the other end of Portland.

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prekiUSA t1_j4ssrbu wrote

🚲

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MattD OP t1_j4sy1k8 wrote

I considered it. It'd be 45 mins each way. I'm not sure what the shower situation is or I'd need an e bike so I don't sweat. The main reason why not is that 28 scares the crap out of me and the northern strand path goes too far east. If 28 had a separated bike lane, I'd be all for trying.

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safetyguys t1_j4t37un wrote

I ride from oak grove to Kendall in the warmer months. I take the bike path from Malden to 99 into Sullivan sq. Then main st Charlestown, go under the zakim and come out around museum of science. Not a bad ride and far less scary than 28. Takes me about 30 mins. I ride pretty fast though.

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nattarbox t1_j4vhp5g wrote

Leave yourself 20 minutes to cool down with an iced coffee before heading into the office, practice slow biking on the way in, and get a pannier or other bag attached to the frame instead of your back. you can usually get away with just a change of shirt.

or yeah an electric bike / scooter.

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Opposite_Match5303 t1_j4t22la wrote

Broadway to alford street bridge is bike lanes all the way - if there's a good way to get there (is the Malden River Greenway a thing?) it could be an alternate bike route.

Might be a good way to save some parking money even if you don't do it every time.

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MattD OP t1_j4t69lh wrote

Are there bike lanes on Cambridge Street to Washington Street? I remember that there are through Union Square but not sure about the roads leading up to it.

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Opposite_Match5303 t1_j4tlg0e wrote

Yup, the whole route Cambridge side has bike lanes (but about 50-50 paint vs separated)

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andr_wr t1_j501bt2 wrote

Could split the difference and to OL + Blue Bike.

Transit only is OL to Sullivan + 91 or CT2 depending on how close one is to Vassar Street or Prospect Street in the Ken-Cen area.

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MattD OP t1_j50zmx0 wrote

Interesting idea! It looks like there are bike lanes the whole way (or bikes can take the lane). That prevents me from having to ride the entire distance. I also don't need to worry about ownership and I could easily take the bus if the weather is lousy. I wonder about vehicle availability, but a quick glance says there are multiple stations within a few blocks of both start and end points.

I wonder how that would compare to an electric kick scooter. The benefit of the scooter is that I can use it to get to/from Oak Grove and less chance of getting sweaty.

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andr_wr t1_j5159e4 wrote

I am a bus or Blue biker so i don't know much about scooters. i do see some folks taking a scooter on Washington St in Somerville. Not sure how far they are going.

Personal assessment: I would be concerned about pavement conditions, there's a lot of construction going on along Washington Street. Not sure how comfortable i would be on a scooter.

On Blue Bike, Washington Street, to me, is a moderately comfortable street. Not totally comfortable but generally okay with very little door zone biking.

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