Toll hike critics call for Pike boycott

Dangerous? What a joke. Annoying maybe.

Speaking of the Speaker of the House, DiMasi, what's happening with his stonewalling of the ethics Commission?

Give me a break. You drive on this road, you pay for it.

We need politicians with the courage to raise gas taxes. Anyone with a brain knows that this is the right answer.

Everyone in the state benefits from our highways. For example, unless we grow your own food, we are using the roads by having trucks ship our food to our grocery store. If we enjoy our modern civilization, we need to pay our dues.

Toll roads are stupid. They cause traffic congestion, pollution (cars idling in line to get to the toll booth), and wasteful expense manning and managing the toll system.

Oh NO! The officials are actually afraid of a little public rebellion! Haha! BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT!!! Spencer Kimball, I think your idea is awesome and a GREAT way to get the message across! Don't back down!

Where are the 60,000 commuters going to drive and how are they going to get to work if they don't use the Turnpike? Most people who can use a train are doing so already. Is it feasable to use a state road through the center of crowded towns and at a much slower speed than using the Turnpike? There may be some viable alternatives if they decide a longer drive - time and miles - is more important than tolls. The people north of Boston may just stop going into Boston altogether. No shopping, restaurants, theaters, sports, etc.

Raise the tolls!!! Do not raise the gas tax and make people who will never drive in the 'Big Dig' pay for it. I've been paying to fund the 'Big Dig' and have never driven a car through the Central Artery Tunnels. For that matter, put tolls on 93. Why are the people who benefit from the Big Dig not paying anything to use it? If you use the tunnels, you should pay for them. As far as I'm concerned, they should have left the central artery elevated as it was and not wasted 14 Billion dollars (and climbing). If you don't want to pay to use the tunnels or travel into Boston, then don't use them. Why should the people of the central and western part of the state fund tunnels we never use?

The Feds should stop wasting their time with piddly little 1,000 bribes and go after the big corrupt politicians of the state that are connected with the Mass Pike. It wouldn't surprise me if 20% of the toll money was being diverted right into the pockets of these sleazy, scumbag politicians you liberal Boston Globe reading citizens of the Commonwealth blindly elect every November.

There's an easy way to stop the boycott - TAKE DOWN THE TOLLS - the way they were supposed to be taken down when the Pike's original bonds were paid off many years ago.

Enough is enough!! Toll hike!! There shouldn't even be tolls!! Government must of forgot what tolls were originally set up for. Someone please, please, tell me why I have to pay because the state hired companies and contractors for the big dig that screwed up and screwed the public over. The big dig is a disgrace. Look at the Sumner and Callahan tunnels over 50 years old and they don't need half the work that the Big Dig does . Get the people who screwed this all up the politicians, contractorsand anyone that was involved to pay for this, not the hard working people of the commonwealth that are just getting by in this economy.

I plan on boycotting this Tuesday if told. I am tired of the lack of responsibility exibited by the turbpike authority and frankly, I don't trust our politicians. Wake up people, if you live in Eastie, Winthrop or Revere, your property values (investments) will be GONE. Do something........

"Not well thought out" ?
If this temporary traffic flow will endanger your constituents for one day - how about the next 25 years.

We are watching Petruccelli, Basile, and Menino to show some leadership and stop this madness. If not - they can kiss their positions goodbye (that's how serious this is). Who works for whom?

As a frequent visitor of Boston from Eastern Connecticut, I can choose between equi-distant routes - I-395 to I-90 or straight up I-95 . . . despite the toll I often go I-395 to I-90 because traffic is somewhat more predictable.

With the outrageous price hikes being discussed here, I can assure you that people from this region will undoubtedly bypass I-90 altogether and take the route through Providence rather than through Worcester.

Something to think about when attempting to extort revenue from drivers who don't have the choice I and other drivers from Eastern Connecticut have.

Long overdue

This boycott of the Pike and use of alternate routes is only a taste of what would happen if the tolls were to increase as proposed. As a resident of Winthrop, I would personally boycott the tunnel not specifically to save money, but in defense of all the businesses and non-profit organizations in East Boston and the surrounding communities that will fail if this toll increase goes into effect. Many non-profit organizations utilize commercial vehicles to travel from East Boston to Boston proper, to provide services such as health care to individuals and families in need. Many businesses and individuals will have no choice but to avoid the tens of thousands of dollars a year that these tolls would commannd.

so "the increased traffic could threaten public safety and quality of life in neighborhoods"...hmmm. Officials say that is a perfectly good reason against a boycott but not against the toll hikes?

Yeah, I'm off the pike next Tuesday.

Great idea! Will give them a taste of whats to come in February :)

Here's a better idea: don't pay. Just drive through. It would be an administrative impossibilty to fine everyone.

Blame House of Rep leader sal Dimasi for this outrageous toll hike. If he was not leading the fight againist slots at the race tracks in Mass we would have a lot more money. Dimasi is the cause not the cure of Mass money woes. He should be thrown out of office, especially with all his moves being under scrunity by various law enforcement agencies. We Mass voters need a recall system to get rid of Dimasi.

Great idea. This should be done on MORE than just one occasion.

why isn't the south shore, NH, west residents, and southeast residents paying for these roads? The tolls are outrageous and unfair! With 78% of the current tolls going to overhead, we don't need them. If only 22% of the toll is paying for the upkeep and repairs, then get rid of them. The Zakim Bridge, Sagamore, Bourne, and O'Neil tunnels don't have tolls/fees, so why does the Williams, Summer, and Tobin Bridge have a toll?

The government has no right to tell you you have to use road X instead of road Y if they're both public roads and neither is shut down for construction.

You have every right to take Storrow to Exit 17, get on the Pike to Exit 16 and then get off, and that takes only an extra 10 minutes.

You have every right no matter how you got there to avoid the Pike westbound and cut through West Newton to get to Wellesley and Natick - which depending on the time of day can actually be shorter.

Last I checked, Storrow Drive, route 16 and route 135 were public roads. You have a right to drive on them!

Oh and by the way you also have the right, when you do take the Pike, to pay your toll in pennies.

why should i pay to leave my own town? to go to work? please no more hikes...

there will be no Christmas at my house because i have to pay a higher toll. thansk i am sure my kids love that!