Texas traffic... (Dallas, Austin, Plano: 2009, house, buy)

[blueskies49]

Geez, another good reason to avoid LBJ! I try to, if at all possible! I live in the middle of the metroplex and worked in both Dallas and Fort Worth. I miss the easier FW traffic!

[eka]

I realize that many jobs are not conveniently located to transit, or even conducive to transit (thinking of warehouse work), but I chose to live where I do so that I could commute to downtown Dallas via DART light rail. It sure beats sitting in traffic and actually take less time than the rush-hour drive on Central.

[case44]

Originally Posted by nativeDallasite

Reconstruction???????? This is the first I'm hearing of this....is it going to be as bad as 75 in the 1990s? Please say no!

I wish I were kidding. The first of that reconstruction is already occuring east of Central. The big stuff, however, will take place between Stemmons and Central. I don't believe the exact date when it will begin has been determined, but I keep hearing it might be next year (when I know it, I'll post it), but it involves eight main lanes, 6 managed high-occupancy lanes, and a mined tunnel between Preston and Midway underneath LBJ. A new interchange will also be planned for LBJ and Stemmons. That's the plan according to TXDOT for now.

[Spree]

The LBJ / 75 interchange is a nice one, it looks new and I like the way it's painted. How long ago was it completed? I like the way it's painted. It's huge tho, is this what's called the High 5?

[case44]

Originally Posted by Spree

The LBJ / 75 interchange is a nice one, it looks new and I like the way it's painted. How long ago was it completed? I like the way it's painted. It's huge tho, is this what's called the High 5?

It's called the High Five because the interchange consists of five levels, including the feeder roads for both Central and LBJ. It was completed last year. TXDOT is seeking to make the infrastructure a little more aesthetically pleasing as they possibly can. The name High Five actually won in a voting contest when the project began.

[galore]

Originally Posted by Spree

The LBJ / 75 interchange is a nice one, it looks new and I like the way it's painted. How long ago was it completed? I like the way it's painted. It's huge tho, is this what's called the High 5?

It was also a model of efficient construction. Finished before schedule and miraculously had very limited impact on traffic. I was very impressed.

[blueskies49]

I thought I heard that it's painted that terra cotta color because of the red clay dirt in Texas. It's nice looking, that's for sure. The new overpasses over 183 near 360 are the same way.

[Lakewooder]

From today's DMN Metro blog:

Commuter hell
Here's another reason I live in Dallas. It usually takes me 16-20 minutes to commute from Casa Linda. The rain added about 5 minutes this morning because I had to get off I-30 and take the backroads.

My colleague, Scott Farwell, was on Central for 2 hours and 40 minutes. He commutes from Frisco. But even on an average morning, without rain, it takes Scott 1 hour and 20 minutes to get to work.

So what could you do in 2 hours and 40 minutes? Well, you could watch most of The Longest Day (3 hours) or read a short book. How about a Mavericks' game? Scott, a laid-back, patient fellow, read the paper.

Posted by Steve Harris at 10:21 AM (E-mail this entry) | Comments

Comments
Your piece raises the question once again of why people chose such bad commutes. Is it peer pressure to live way out or to have 12 foot ceilings and 500 sq. ft bathrooms? Maybe expense of similar houses closer in? School district, which gets into the TD? I would do almost anything to avoid the regular commute you describe. There are very nice, affordable neighborhood closer into Dallas. Why DO people put up with it?

Posted by: Lee | October 3, 2007 11:11 AM

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

From today's DMN Metro blog:

Why DO people put up with it?

Posted by: Lee | October 3, 2007 11:11 AM

Cause they're certifiably insane!

500 square foot bathrooms... haha.

[galore]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I would do almost anything to avoid the regular commute you describe. There are very nice, affordable neighborhood closer into Dallas. Why DO people put up with it?

Posted by: Lee | October 3, 2007 11:11 AM

Why?

For me, it was the bang-for-the-buck syndrome. I bought a brand new 4000sf home right across the firewheel golf course + a medium commute. It had a two story dramatic entrance, curved stairs, a loft, a media room, a game room and was in a subdivision with a olympic sized swimming pool + party/guest house.

For the same price, I would have gotten a small, old 1600sf house on a 150x50 lot in the M-streets, complete with creaky floors and 8ft ceilings.

Once you see what a fantastic house you can afford in the suburbs, it is easy to be tempted to ignore the disadvantages. Also, there is the group mentality that those places are _the_ place to be (notice all those "I am moving to DFW and want to buy a house in Allen/Frisco/Mc.Kinney" posts from people who have never been here. Word of mouth in action).

I lived in my 4000sf house for 6 years, got tired of the commute, got tired of the utility bills, got indifferent to the dramatic entrance and 10ft ceilings, sold it and moved to a small 1600sf mid-century modern in Lake Highlands (I know, just slightly more attractive than the suburbs ) instead. As a plus, the commute is <5 miles and ideal for riding a bike.