Chicago to have worse traffic congestion than LA by 2015 (Atlanta: to buy, live in)

[ChiMack]

When the economy recovers elsewhere, expect congestion trends of the last decade to persist--unless local governments are able to increase infrastructure capacity through road expansion or getting more citizens to use public transit.
"Based upon this data, if the traffic congestion rates since 2000 should continue, San Francisco and Chicago will have worse traffic congestion than Los Angeles by 2015," says Wendell Cox, principal of Demographia, a St. Louis-based public policy consultancy, and a member of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission from 1977 to 1985

America's Most Congested Cities - Forbes.com

[KevK]

Originally Posted by ChiMack

When the economy recovers elsewhere, expect congestion trends of the last decade to persist--unless local governments are able to increase infrastructure capacity through road expansion or getting more citizens to use public transit.
"Based upon this data, if the traffic congestion rates since 2000 should continue, San Francisco and Chicago will have worse traffic congestion than Los Angeles by 2015," says Wendell Cox, principal of Demographia, a St. Louis-based public policy consultancy, and a member of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission from 1977 to 1985

America's Most Congested Cities - Forbes.com

That is OK. Just thank God you are not in Atlanta. It makes the Ryan or Kennedy look like a breeze at rush hour.

[chet everett]

The real concern ought to be upon leaders at the Toll Authority who stupidly agreed to bully boy Rod Blago insistence that they ADD HOV lanes to the tollways EVEN THOUGH this will DECREASE capacity. Rod wanted it his cap for his insane "run for 2012" or whatever so he could claim some "green crediblity". That crap is still on the Toll AUthority plans despite the fact that it makes no sense...

[New2SouthernIL]

"That is OK. Just thank God you are not in Atlanta. It makes the Ryan or Kennedy look like a breeze at rush hour."

Really? I didn't know that was possible! It seems that travel almost anywhere in Chicago, at any time, is always an inconvenience...I mean really...going to Jewel to buy a gallon of milk shouldn't have to take 45 mins. if it's only 1 mile away.

[edsg25]

"Chicago to have worse traffic congestion than LA by 2015"

a couple of random thoughts:

• you mean it couldn't hold off two years until the Olympics were over?

• Wouldn't LA have to extend the red line to Santa Monica and build a whole bunch more like it to become less congested than Chicago? How in the world can a city have the rapid transit and computer rail system like Chicago and become worse in traffic than LA??????

[KevK]

Originally Posted by New2SouthernIL

"That is OK. Just thank God you are not in Atlanta. It makes the Ryan or Kennedy look like a breeze at rush hour."

Really? I didn't know that was possible! It seems that travel almost anywhere in Chicago, at any time, is always an inconvenience...I mean really...going to Jewel to buy a gallon of milk shouldn't have to take 45 mins. if it's only 1 mile away.

I will tell you how bad it is here in Atlanta. If you work in Midtown or Buckhead and you get a one hour lunch, you don't dare leave the office unless you can walk somewhere to eat because the traffic is so horrible that it will take all your hour just to get 3 or 4 blocks and back.
We live in the west suburbs and I have a nieghbour who actually QUIT her job which is 22 miles away because she got tired of the 2 hour commutes each way. The city and the freeways are virtually in gridlock from 7 to 9 and from 5 to 7 everyday. The rest of the time things are just merely bad.
In Chicago you can ride the CTA or METRA. We have a subway too but it does not go as many places.

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by KevK

I will tell you how bad it is here in Atlanta. If you work in Midtown or Buckhead and you get a one hour lunch, you don't dare leave the office unless you can walk somewhere to eat because the traffic is so horrible that it will take all your hour just to get 3 or 4 blocks and back.
We live in the west suburbs and I have a nieghbour who actually QUIT her job which is 22 miles away because she got tired of the 2 hour commutes each way. The city and the freeways are virtually in gridlock from 7 to 9 and from 5 to 7 everyday. The rest of the time things are just merely bad.
In Chicago you can ride the CTA or METRA. We have a subway too but it does not go as many places.

I'm with Kev on this one. Driving through Atlanta and its suburbs can be terrifying. when you're not on the expressway, you're waiting 10 minutes to make a right turn out of a business because NO ONE WILL LET YOU IN. then once you get on the expressway you're on there with thousands of NASCAR wannabes.

Are they ever going to expand MARTA further into the suburbs, or does everyone in whatever county it is (i can't remember! ) that thinks that only "the bad ones from the city" will ride it out there to rob their McMansions still have influence over the decision?

[coldwine]

On a purely personal note, the people of Philadelphia will forever be the biggest *******s on the road when it comes to congested traffic. Don't ever put your turn signal on, they just immediately refuse to let you over.

You have to wonder just why they have to be such insufferable pricks.

Other than that, here in Los Angeles congestion is worse than anything Chicago will ever face. Take Marina del Rey, for example, which is served by two lane roads. It's directly across the bay from Malibu. It's sort of "away" from LA proper but again. Imagine Chicago rush hour traffic when your only option is a two lane street on either side with multiple stop signs, traffic lights and *******s on bicycles.

Also, and maybe this is just me, but the LA freeway system is terrifying. There are cloverleafs (cloverleaves?) that look to completely defy gravity. If you look at them long enough, they're absolutely horrifying.

If you don't know how to use Chicago's freeways, then yes, I suppose you would consider them congested. But Chicago has multi-level freeways, public transit and a tight grid system. If you can't avoid traffic in that, you're either a tourist or a suburbanite.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

I'm with Kev on this one. Driving through Atlanta and its suburbs can be terrifying. when you're not on the expressway, you're waiting 10 minutes to make a right turn out of a business because NO ONE WILL LET YOU IN. then once you get on the expressway you're on there with thousands of NASCAR wannabes.

Are they ever going to expand MARTA further into the suburbs, or does everyone in whatever county it is (i can't remember! ) that thinks that only "the bad ones from the city" will ride it out there to rob their McMansions still have influence over the decision?

Many of the businesses here hire off duty cops to stop the traffic so people can get in and out of the driveways. It is just ridicules here.

[Avengerfire]

Slow news day ChiMack?