Firms see traffic-plan headaches

Businesses were jolted into reality yesterday by a briefing on the impact of road and mass-transit shutdowns in downtown Boston during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter.

For the first time many businesses heard firsthand about details of city and police traffic plans in a presentation sponsored by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Boston 2004, the convention's official host. Employers whose plans were still up in the air are now feeling pressured to decide soon on how to minimize commuting and confusion for their employees during convention week, which begins July 25.

''It's going to be interesting -- I don't know how else to say it," Jeff Lockwood, spokesman for Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, said after attending the briefing.

''It's a big deal," said Barry White, a senior partner at Foley Hoag, which has about 750 employees in offices near the Seaport Hotel. ''There's going to be a lot of impact on people in terms of the various hours they're going to be restricted from using the roads. If people don't take vacation or flex hours, there are going to be a lot of traffic jams."

White said the management committee at his law firm will sit down soon to make plans for their employees.

Public officials did not sugarcoat what is expected to be an unprecedented rerouting of traffic to address heightened concerns about security in a post-Sept. 11 world. Traffic on major arteries and large sections of thoroughfares into the city, from Memorial Drive and Storrow Drive to Route 1A and bridges and tunnels, will be rerouted.

''No one will get into the inner perimeter once we close it," said Major Michael Mucci, head of convention traffic for the Massachusetts State Police. ''Our best guess is we are going to severely impact traffic on the interstate highway system."

It was more difficult to predict the impact beyond the inner city, along Route 128, which intersects Interstate 93, or in the suburbs. J. Abra Degbor, spokesperson for Verizon Wireless New England, said the company expects some spillover from convention-traffic delays. Verizon Wireless salespeople based in Woburn, who travel into Boston frequently, ''will probably telecommute as much as possible" during convention week, Degbor said.

One executive at the briefing was concerned that commuters as far away as Interstate 495 might be affected by tie-ups downtown. ''We're hoping that's not going to be dramatically impacted," Mucci responded.

With concrete information in hand, Novartis will soon begin making decisions about how to manage convention week. Novartis has 550 employees working in Kendall Square, just across the Charles River from Boston. Those employees are expected to face delays, Lockwood said.

City and safety officials at the briefing ''pulled no punches and the information was clear, and they're right on the beam when they're trying to get it out early," he said. ''I think that's helpful to employees and employers and hopefully there won't be any surprises."

At Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, spokeswoman Melodie Jackson said the company has assembled a team to explore its options during convention week, including flex time and remote work sites for its 800-plus employees in Boston, primarily in the Financial District. A plan will be released to employees ''in the next couple of weeks," she said.

In the most dramatic move, Interstate 93 will close in ''late afternoon" each day, starting Monday, July 26, through the early morning on July 30, police said. Southbound drivers on I-93 will be diverted at Exit 32, with access to Route 60, while northbound drivers will be diverted at Exit 20, with access to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Police and transit authorities also mapped out in dizzying detail the routes for thousands of North Shore commuters who usually take trains or subways into North Station. With North Station closed that week, many will be shuttled by special buses into the city from various stations along their routes.

''Are you kidding me?" was the reaction to the briefing by one executive, who refused to be quoted by name.

''A lot of this is new to" businesses, said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004. Yesterday's briefing begins a campaign, announced yesterday by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, to provide comprehensive maps of rerouted traffic and other information in a new program, ''Let's Work Around It." Other briefings will be scheduled for businesses in the weeks prior to the convention, officials said.

Menino urged Boston employers do their part to minimize commuting into the downtown business district. He suggested they provide employees with flex time; set up telecommuting or remote office locations; organize car pools; or reschedule shift times to, say, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. so commuters can return home before Interstate 93 closes.

''Law enforcement and transportation officials tell us we need to reduce the number of commuters coming into the city," Menino said. ''I am asking you to give employees the flexibility they need."

Some establishments were forced to make early, concrete contingency plans. Xerox Corp., which will provide office equipment and handle document production for the convention, said it has clearance to bring trucks in that week to continually supply the event. Massachusetts General Hospital said it will reschedule some surgeries and appointments, if possible, so patients and visitors can leave early to beat afternoon road closings. Officials said restaurants should stock up on nonperishable food.

Despite employers' best efforts, city and police officials left no doubt that rush hour will be an enormous challenge for the city's employers and commuters. At yesterday's briefing, Mucci said the plan presented was ''revision 421" and he expects more revisions before the convention.

''The one thing I took most comfort from," said Foley Hoag's White, ''is they all had a sense of humor." During convention week, he said, ''you'll certainly need it."

Kimberly Blanton can be reached at blanton@globe.com.