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Which freeway systems do you think are the best? Phoenix, KC, Houston, Dallas are all great in my mind. However I do think Phoenix is a step ahead of the others. The freeways are all smooth, congestion is low (ranked 55/63 on tomtoms traffic index!), and the signage makes it easy to get around. The freeways all have HOV lanes (except the 143 and downtown I-17) and the on and off ramps have plenty of space to accelerate and decelerate. Also, they have new automated signs all over the valley that show travel times during on peak hours.The freeways are aesthetically pleasing and there is plenty of shoulder space on both sides of all the freeways. We all have on-ramp metering that breaks up platoons of cars and overall I think Phoenix has gone leaps and bounds from 20-30 years ago. All this and we only have 6 freeways (plus the 143) serving 4.3 million people. Thats pretty good
Last edited by ajchambers13; 07-08-2014 at 12:35 PM..
Reason: incomplete
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Phoenix has the best I've seen. For a metro area of over 4 million the congestion seems minimal compared to other peer metros of that size. Its freeways are wide and modern with several flyover interchanges and they are illuminated nicely at night.
Phoenix has the best I've seen. For a metro area of over 4 million the congestion seems minimal compared to other peer metros of that size. Its freeways are wide and modern with several flyover interchanges and they are illuminated nicely at night.
Well, the 'peer metros of that size' are all attached to other metro areas in combined statistcal areas.
Boston, SF and Riverside all have millions of people right next to them. Detroit even has a million more people right next to it.
Something else to consider about the Seattle CSA and SF MSA is the geographic and topographical constraints that are condusive of bottlenecks.
So Phoenix may have a more modern highway system than other similiarly sized geographic areas, the others all have other things that add to their congestion apart from the quality of the highway systems.
Not on the list, but LA's in the most innovative I've seen in terms of:
- widespread metering
- HOT lanes (tolled express lanes)
- HOT/HOV flyover ramps
- integrated rapid busways and bus stations
- integrated light rail lines and stations
In terms of congestion though, its terrible. But that's the main reason for the innovations- they're out of necessity because of the sheer volume of people clogging up the roads.
Not on the list, but LA's in the most innovative I've seen in terms of:
- widespread metering
- HOT lanes (tolled express lanes)
- HOT/HOV flyover ramps
- integrated rapid busways and bus stations
- integrated light rail lines and stations
In terms of congestion though, its terrible. But that's the main reason for the innovations- they're out of necessity because of the sheer volume of people clogging up the roads.
I agree they have good intentions but the traffic is just out of control! One reason why I didn't list it. Every time I visit I swear that ill never go back because the traffic is terrible... but I always do.
I agree they have good intentions but the traffic is just out of control! One reason why I didn't list it. Every time I visit I swear that ill never go back because the traffic is terrible... but I always do.
So no matter how hard we may try, there are 14 million automobiles in the Los Angeles-Long Beach CSA so traffic( and lots of it) is unavoidable.
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