the pattern repeats almost every day: https://monosnap.com/file/jHAuLrr1JqOxM6lSNN8H0DGFSoCcJb
1st wave starts at 5am and at the top of it at 8am then it's getting better. there's a spot between 10:30 and noon when you can drive within 40 to 50 minutes, then it's getting worse (2nd wave). if you would decide to drive at 5pm it would take almost 1.5 hours to drive to Sunnyvale
the best time to drive from SF to the Valley is after 8pm, there is a small increase in between 10pm and midnight - roadworks while traffic is still present.
it's interesting that the pattern is accurate up to the minute, it's 10:30, not 10:15 or 10:45 when there's a spot to drive, almost every day
I don't know what it is for Boston to Providence
I rarely take it but MBTA commuter rail has really gotten pricey. There are passes but I'm almost $30/day to commute into Boston by train between parking, the ticket, and the subway on the other end.
Day trips are more interesting because of the South Shore Line.
http://www.mysouthshoreline.com/tickets/maps-stations
It's a electric rail that runs from South Bend, IN to Millennium Station in Chicago. Take something like a Cubs game. I drive 2 hours to the Dune Park station
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Marshall,+Michigan+49068/Dun...
From there I park for free and ride the train to Chicago and then hop the Red Line to Wrigley. Even if it's a night game I can still make it back to Millennium Station for the last train out at 12:45AM.
The South Shore Line is also great for conventions on the weekend because it stops right at McCormick Place.
This is a city that just replaced the Sellwood Bridge, an aging bridge that was a huge bottle-neck because it was only a single lane both directions. They spent $324M to build a brand new Sellwood bridge that is still only a single lane both directions.
And worse, eventually PDX is going to wake up and realize they need to widen key surface streets to address their traffic hell. That will be expensive enough on it's own. But after you already blew $300M on a bridge to ensure it will always be the bottle-neck, it will be far more expensive.
Regarding Sellwood, I have heard that the new bike lanes on the bridge are an improvement. That is just second hand information though -- I don't ride on it.
Edit to add photo...
You can see the old span alongside the new bridge here:
More photos here:
One stopped car on the shoulder, a cop handing out tickets, or worse a 'standard' accident or stopped car...
There are many ways to double the commute time.
"Using billions of anonymous measurements from cell phones and vehicle sensors, Here Technologies, a location platform company, calculates how traffic conditions change throughout the day"
Emphasis on the word "billions". I find my own can be quite variable too. Large sample sizes should make that number more predictable.
Also, of course, the article has neglected other modes than cars. If you leave on a rush hour Acela train from Boston you'll be in Providence in 33 minutes, well outside even their 10pm driving radius for Boston.