Free Republic

The announcement will blame the intense traffic tie-ups over Easter weekend on the decision by turnpike chief Alan LeBovidge to avoid calling in overtime workers to replace sick workers, a cost-cutting measure. ... Despite some calls for LeBovidge's resignation, he will not be quitting or be forced out, according to the administration official and LeBovidge's chief of staff, Jennifer Flagg.

Some Mass Pike commuters smell a rat, accusing toll road bosses of purposely creating nightmare holiday traffic jams to sell Fast Lane transponders and pump up a proposed 19-cent gas tax hike. Thousands of motorists were left to stew in traffic Friday, Saturday and especially Sunday after toll takers called in sick, leaving limited cash lanes open. One driver told the Herald even a rattled toll collector was cooking up conspiracy theories while dealing with the mess. “ ‘Do you have a cell phone?’ ” a toll taker asked the driver, according to his e-mail to the Herald.“He told me...

Massive Easter traffic backups caused by no-show Turnpike toll takers have hatched new levels of driver rage - and Pike managers are promising Memorial Day could be just as bad. Traffic was snarled for hours and backed up for miles on the Massachusetts Turnpike Friday and Saturday. But the worst was Sunday, when it backed up from Allston as far as Sturbridge. It was all because an untold number of toll takers called in sick, and managers were forbidden to call more in on overtime. At one point, the Allston-Brighton tolls were left with just one lane inching past a...