Monitor Cambridge Traffic in Real-Time
Access 200+ live traffic cameras across Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our interactive map provides real-time access to live street feeds and intersection cameras throughout Kendall Square, Harvard Square, and the MIT campus. Check conditions on I-93, Route 2, Memorial Drive, all Charles River bridges, and key corridors near Harvard, MIT, and Kendall Square. Real-time road monitoring powered by MassDOT.
View Cambridge Cameras →Cambridge's 120,000 residents and two world-renowned universities create traffic patterns unlike any other Boston suburb. According to 2024 Census estimates, Cambridge commuters have an average travel time to work of 25.8 minutes, a figure that reflects the city's position as a high-density urban hub. Only seven bridges connect Cambridge to Boston, and every one creates a chokepoint. Memorial Drive floods during spring thaws. Mass Ave backs up during Red Line delays. Bridge closures ripple across the entire metro area. Users can also monitor live street feeds along Massachusetts Avenue and Broadway to check for road-level gridlock near the biotech hubs or university events. These cameras give you the real-time intelligence to navigate one of America's most congested urban cores.
Why Cambridge Traffic Cameras Matter
The Charles River Bottleneck: Only seven bridges connect Cambridge to Boston. The Longfellow Bridge carries the Red Line plus two lanes of traffic. Mass Ave Bridge funnels I-93 traffic into Cambridge. When one bridge closes for construction or weather, the entire system backs up for miles.
Academic Traffic Surges: Harvard and MIT bring 45,000+ students and staff into a 6.4 square mile city. September move-in weeks turn side streets into parking lots. Commencement ceremonies in May shut down entire neighborhoods. Move-in weekends at MIT and Harvard see Memorial Drive, Massachusetts Avenue, and side streets hit 3-4x normal volumes.
Kendall Square Tech Hub: What was once industrial wasteland is now the densest biotech cluster in the world. Google, Microsoft, Novartis, and Moderna employ tens of thousands, adding 15,000+ daily commuters since 2015. Morning rush on Binney Street and Main Street rivals downtown Boston.
Limited Street Capacity: Cambridge's colonial-era street grid wasn't designed for cars. Many arterials are two lanes with parking on both sides. No street parking during snow emergencies. Delivery trucks block entire blocks.
Memorial Drive Flooding: The Charles River floods every spring. Memorial Drive closes regularly between March and May. When Memorial closes, traffic diverts to Cambridge Street and Mass Ave—adding 20+ minutes to cross-city trips.
Start Monitoring Cambridge Roads
Check live cameras on I-93, Route 2, Mass Ave, Memorial Drive, and all Charles River bridges before your next commute. See current conditions in Kendall Square, Harvard Square, and all major corridors.
View Live Cameras →Interstate & Highway Coverage
I-93 Corridor (18+ Cameras)
Primary north-south interstate along Cambridge's eastern edge. Cameras cover exits 26 (Storrow Drive), 25 (Route 28/Monsignor O'Brien Highway), and 24 (Route 38/Mystic Ave). Critical for accessing Cambridge from the North Shore, New Hampshire, and downtown Boston.
Route 2 Terminus (15+ Cameras)
Route 2 ends at Alewife, Cambridge's northwestern gateway. Cameras monitor the rotary, Fresh Pond Parkway junction, and connections to Route 16 (Alewife Brook Parkway). Primary access from western suburbs like Lexington, Concord, and Acton.
Mass Pike (I-90) Connections
While the Mass Pike doesn't directly serve Cambridge, cameras at the Allston tolls and Cambridge Street exits show conditions for drivers entering via the BU Bridge and River Street Bridge.
Key Traffic Corridors
I-93 Cambridge Section
Coverage: McGrath Highway to Somerville line, express lanes, local lanes, Cambridge Street interchange
Peak Patterns: Southbound morning crush from northern suburbs, northbound evening surge to Medford/Reading areas
Critical Points: Sullivan Square interchange, Cambridge Street exit (Exit 26), Mystic River crossing
Alternative Routes: When I-93 backs up, Washington Street and McGrath Highway provide parallel surface options. Exit I-93 at Medford, take Route 16 west to Route 2, approach Cambridge from the northwest via Alewife—adds 10 miles but saves 30 minutes during accidents.
US-3 / MA-2 Corridor
Coverage: Alewife Brook Parkway, Fresh Pond Parkway, Route 2 approaches from Lexington/Concord
Peak Patterns: Morning eastbound surge into Cambridge, evening westbound backup at Alewife rotary
Critical Points: Alewife MBTA station area (park-and-ride overflow), Fresh Pond shopping center exits, Route 16 split
Alternative Routes: Concord Avenue and Huron Avenue provide slower but predictable parallel routes through residential areas. 25 mph limit but avoids Alewife rotary backups entirely.
According to the Cambridge Department of Transportation, the city's unique mix of transit, cycling, and vehicle traffic requires a sophisticated monitoring network to manage the high-density morning peak, where nearly half of trips into the city utilize non-automotive modes.
Memorial Drive Riverside
Coverage: Western Avenue to Harvard Bridge, DCR-managed roadway, seasonal closure zone. As a primary riverside arterial, segments of Memorial Drive handle approximately 40,000 vehicles daily.
Peak Patterns: Westbound morning MIT/Harvard commuters, variable during special events (Head of the Charles, concerts)
Seasonal Changes: Closed to vehicles Sundays April-November. Flood risk: Check cameras before heading out March-May—closures happen without warning when the Charles crests.
Watch For: Joggers, cyclists, and recreational users during off-peak hours. Crashes often require full lane closures due to narrow shoulders.
Massachusetts Avenue (North-South Arterial)
Coverage: Porter Square to MIT and the Mass Ave Bridge, heavy bus traffic (MBTA Routes 1, CT1)
Peak Patterns: 7:30-9:30 AM and 4:30-7 PM. Harvard Square, Central Square, and MIT/Kendall cameras show conditions.
Critical Points: Harvard Square intersection handles 40,000+ daily vehicle crossings. Porter Square bottleneck at Massachusetts Avenue and Somerville Avenue funnels traffic from Somerville, Arlington, and northern Cambridge.
Alternative Routes: Harvard Street parallels Mass Ave from Coolidge Corner through Harvard Square. Less direct but often faster during Red Line delays.
Bridge Closure Alerts
Cambridge's seven bridges to Boston are critical infrastructure—when one closes, the entire metro area feels it. Check cameras at the Longfellow Bridge (ongoing repairs), Mass Ave Bridge (nightly lane closures), and BU Bridge (weekend work schedules). A single closed bridge can add 30-45 minutes to your commute.
Charles River Bridge Crossings
Every bridge between Cambridge and Boston deserves individual attention—they're that critical to regional traffic flow.
Longfellow Bridge (Red Line + Traffic): Known as the "Salt and Pepper Bridge." Carries the Red Line plus two narrow traffic lanes. Cameras at both Cambridge (Kendall Square) and Boston (Charles/MGH) ends. If Longfellow is backed up, check the Mass Ave Bridge cameras—it's often faster to detour.
Mass Ave Bridge (I-93 to MIT): Primary route from I-93 southbound into Cambridge. Connects Back Bay to MIT and Kendall Square. Heavy pedestrian traffic from MIT students. Winter hazard: Bridge deck ices before surface streets—check cameras for black ice November-March.
BU Bridge (Route 2 to Boston University): Connects Cambridge Street to Commonwealth Avenue. Critical for western suburb commuters using Route 2. Frequent weekend closures for maintenance.
Anderson Bridge (Harvard to Allston): Historic bridge connecting Harvard Square to North Harvard Street. Allston I-90 realignment project affects traffic patterns on the Boston side through 2028.
Eliot Bridge / Weeks Footbridge: Residential bridge and pedestrian/bike bridge in Harvard area. Useful for checking Charles River water levels—if flooding shows here, Memorial Drive is likely closed.
Kendall Square Tech District
Kendall Square has evolved from industrial wasteland to the "most innovative square mile on the planet." Cameras cover Main Street, Binney Street, and Broadway at Third Street.
Morning surge from I-93 and MA-2 concentrates at Main Street and Broadway. Google, Microsoft, Moderna, and dozens of biotech firms start core hours 8-10 AM, creating sustained demand rather than a single peak. Third Street and Binney Street experience bumper-to-bumper conditions.
Lunch chaos: Food trucks on Binney Street create parking pandemonium 11:30 AM-1:30 PM. Workers travel to Harvard Square, Central Square restaurants, or CambridgeSide Galleria.
Cambridge Crossing development adds 2,500 residential units and 1 million square feet of office space. First Street and Lechmere connector roads will see continued construction impacts through 2027.
Evening: Surprisingly light after 6 PM—most tech workers gone by then.
Check Kendall Square Conditions
View live cameras at Main Street, Broadway, Third Street, and all Kendall Square intersections. Monitor parking lot access and MBTA connections in real-time.
View Kendall Cameras →Harvard Square & Porter Square
Harvard Square operates as Cambridge's commercial heart. The Mass Ave/JFK Street intersection, Brattle Street, and the T station headhouse all have camera coverage. Peak congestion: weekdays 8-9 AM, 12-1 PM, 4-5 PM. Avoid entirely during Harvard football home games (fall Saturdays).
MBTA bus hub concentrates 15+ bus routes at Harvard Square. Buses occupy curb space and compete with taxis, ride-share, and delivery trucks. Peak periods see 200+ bus movements per hour.
Harvard events close streets frequently. Commencement (late May) shuts down streets around Harvard Yard for 3-4 days. Freshman move-in (late August) and football games generate pedestrian crowds forcing traffic diversions.
Porter Square bottleneck at Massachusetts Avenue and Somerville Avenue funnels traffic from Somerville, Arlington, and northern Cambridge. Limited turn lane capacity and commuter parking overflow compound the issue.
MIT Campus Area
Massachusetts Avenue corridor bisects campus, creating conflicts between through traffic and campus users. Crosswalks at 77 Massachusetts Avenue see constant pedestrian activity during academic terms. Expect jaywalking students between 10-minute class intervals (MIT classes end at :55 past the hour). Summer traffic drops 60% June-August.
Kendall Square adjacency blurs campus boundaries with the biotech district. Students, employees, and visitors mix on Main Street and Broadway, with peak foot traffic 11 AM-2 PM.
Building-specific events cause unpredictable surges. Kresge Auditorium concerts, Stata Center conferences, and athletic events generate parking demand that spills into surrounding neighborhoods.
MBTA Red Line Integration
Cambridge traffic cameras complement Red Line monitoring:
- Alewife Station: 2,600-space garage, frequent capacity issues, MA-2 backup indicator
- Porter Square: Cambridge/Somerville border, surface bus connections, parking overflow
- Harvard Square: Central hub, bus-train transfers, pedestrian-heavy zone
- Central Square: MIT corridor, growing restaurant district, construction impacts
- Kendall/MIT: Tech district gateway, capacity constraints during peaks
When Red Line delays occur, surface traffic increases 15-25% as riders switch to cars or ride-share. Monitor both traffic cameras and MBTA alerts for complete situational awareness.
Seasonal Traffic Patterns
Academic Calendar Traffic
Cambridge traffic follows academic calendars more than weather patterns:
- September Move-In Week: The single worst traffic week of the year. Harvard, MIT, Lesley University all start around Labor Day. U-Haul trucks triple-park. Avoid Cambridge September 1-7 if possible.
- January: Spring semester starts bring another 2-3 weeks of elevated congestion
- May: Graduation week sees family visitors, moving trucks, and ceremonial street closures
- July-August: Lightest traffic — student population drops 70%, volumes 20-30% lower
- October: Head of the Charles Regatta weekend closes Memorial Drive, diverts 10,000+ visitors
Winter (December-March): Snow emergencies ban street parking, forcing cars into garages and reducing effective street capacity. Memorial Drive often closes due to Charles River ice concerns. Black ice on bridges—they freeze first. Post-storm, side streets remain impassable 2-3 days after plows clear main roads.
Spring (April-May): Charles River crests 1-2 feet above normal every March-April. Memorial Drive floods when river reaches 10 feet at the dam. Cameras at Harvard Bridge, BU Bridge, and Western Ave show water levels on the roadway.
Summer (June-August): Memorial Drive closes to cars Sundays 11 AM-7 PM for recreation. Tourists increase around Harvard Yard but nowhere near academic-year levels.
Fall Foliage Tourism: October weekends bring leaf-peepers to Harvard Yard and Mount Auburn Cemetery. Adds 15-20% traffic volume on Saturdays.
Winter Storm Preparations
Cambridge streets become treacherous during snow and ice events. Middlesex County recorded 43 traffic fatalities in 2023; using real-time cameras to monitor for accidents and winter hazards is a vital safety habit for local residents and university commuters.
- Snow emergency routes: Massachusetts Avenue, Memorial Drive, and main corridors prioritized for plowing
- Parking bans: City declares snow emergencies 2-6 hours before major storms, requiring street parking removal
- MBTA disruptions: Red Line delays or suspensions force 20,000+ daily riders to drive, overwhelming street capacity
- Freezing rain: Bridge decks on Harvard Bridge and BU Bridge freeze before surface streets
Check cameras before departing during winter weather. Black ice often forms on shaded sections of Memorial Drive and under highway overpasses.
Emergency Routes & Alternate Corridors
When primary corridors are congested:
Memorial Drive Closed? Use Cambridge Street / Broadway. These parallel routes run 6-8 blocks north. Add 5-10 minutes but remain passable during floods.
Mass Ave Gridlock? Try Harvard Street, which parallels Mass Ave from Coolidge Corner through Harvard Square. Less direct but often faster during Red Line delays.
I-93 Backup? Exit at Medford, take Route 16 west to Route 2, approach via Alewife. Adds 10 miles but saves 30 minutes during accidents.
Bridge Closure Detour: The next bridge is typically 0.8-1.2 miles away. Mass Ave Bridge closed → check Longfellow (east) or BU Bridge (west). Check cameras at both alternates before committing—they may also be congested.
Vassar Street MIT bypass: Avoids Massachusetts Avenue by cutting through MIT campus. Limited hours but useful during peak Mass Ave congestion.
Broadway to Somerville: Escape valve when Kendall Square is gridlocked. Connects to I-93 via McGrath Highway without navigating Cambridge Street interchange.
Future Cambridge Transportation
Major projects reshaping Cambridge traffic:
Grand Junction rail corridor: Plans to activate passenger rail from North Station to Kendall Square. Could reduce 5,000+ daily vehicle trips.
Volpe Center redevelopment: 1.4 million square feet of mixed-use development near Kendall Square. First phases open 2025-2027, with new traffic patterns on Broadway and Third Street.
Cambridge Street reconstruction: Multi-year project to rebuild Cambridge Street from Inman Square to Lechmere, with new bike lanes, bus priority, and signal timing. Expect rolling lane closures through 2027.
MA-2 interchange redesign: MassDOT studying reconfiguration of Alewife rotary. Any changes affect 60,000+ daily vehicles entering from western suburbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic cameras cover Cambridge, MA?
Over 200 live cameras monitor Cambridge and Metro Boston, including I-93, Route 2, Memorial Drive, Massachusetts Avenue, all Charles River bridges, and Harvard/MIT campus zones. Coverage extends to connecting routes in Somerville, Watertown, Allston, and downtown Boston.
Which Cambridge bridges have traffic cameras?
All major Charles River crossings: Longfellow Bridge (Red Line), Mass Ave Bridge, BU Bridge, Anderson Bridge (Harvard), and Western Ave Bridge. Cameras at both Cambridge and Boston ends show approach conditions and backup lengths.
What are the worst traffic times in Cambridge?
Peak congestion occurs 7:30-9:30 AM inbound and 4:30-6:30 PM outbound on weekdays. Cambridge traffic is heavily influenced by academic schedules—avoid Massachusetts Avenue during MIT/Harvard class changes, and expect severe congestion during move-in weekends (late August), graduation week (late May), and Head of the Charles weekend (mid-October).
Can I check if Memorial Drive is flooded before driving?
Yes—check cameras at Harvard Bridge, BU Bridge, River Street Bridge, and Western Ave Bridge. If you see water over the roadway at any location, Memorial Drive is likely closed. This is one of the most important camera uses in Cambridge during March-May.
How do Harvard and MIT events impact traffic?
Major events close streets and generate significant congestion. Harvard Commencement (late May) closes streets around Harvard Yard for 3-4 days. MIT graduation (early June) affects Massachusetts Avenue. Head of the Charles Regatta (mid-October) closes Memorial Drive for the entire weekend. Football games at Harvard Stadium create 3-hour traffic surges on fall Saturdays.
How often do Cambridge traffic cameras update?
Every 10-30 seconds depending on source. MassDOT highway cameras (I-93, Route 2) update fastest. City street cameras refresh every 30 seconds. Memorial Drive flood monitoring cameras update every 15 seconds during spring high-water events.
Where can I find Cambridge street feeds?
You can find live Cambridge street feeds and intersection cameras by using our interactive map, which aggregates MassDOT and city data for major surface routes like Main Street and Binney Street.
Related Resources
- Boston Traffic Cameras - Complete Boston metro area coverage
- Massachusetts Traffic Cameras - Statewide MassDOT camera network
- Getting Started with Traffic Cameras - Beginner's guide to traffic monitoring
Never Sit in a Cambridge Traffic Jam Again
Access 200+ live traffic cameras and city street feeds across Cambridge, Harvard, MIT, Kendall Square, and every Charles River bridge. Monitor conditions in real-time, avoid Memorial Drive floods, and skip bridge backups. Free access to 135,000+ cameras worldwide.
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