Littleton to Centennial... 18 - 23 miles... 1 hour dr... alternatives? (Denver, Ken Caryl: home, school)

[Mystery123]

This is horribly frustrating.
I took this new job as the drive time to old job was bad (around 45 minutes for 23 miles).
However, this is even worse.
I live by Southwest Plaza mall and work near Arapahoe and Peoria.
If I take bowles down broadway to Arapahoe, it's only 18 miles.
If I take mineral ave to dry creek, it's also only 18 miles but takes around 1 hour in the morning and same in the evening.
If I take 470, it's around 23 miles and only 35 minutes drive. However, 470 is always freakin messed up so it also takes around 1 hour.
I also tried Belleview down to I25 to Arapahoe and that's also not any better.
I tried leaving at 6:30am, 7am, 7:30am, 8am and even 8:30am.
In the evening, 470 starts jamming up after 3pm so there is no way I can leave before that.
What the hell?

[2bindenver]

When I lived near Chatfield & Wads, I would take Hampden to Happy Canyon to Monaco then to Quebec and over to Arapahoe.

[Snikt]

You're commuting from a huge residential area to a huge business area, at the times when everyone would be leaving and coming home.

Now that school has started it's probably 2-3 times worse as well. I live a little farther south of you and I don't commute quite as far (Broadway/C-470), but I don't think there is really anything you can do.

There's only so many east-west roads and everyone knows about them

[Mystery123]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

When I lived near Chatfield & Wads, I would take Hampden to Happy Canyon to Monaco then to Quebec and over to Arapahoe.

Ya that's like going all the way north and then coming back down south.
Also, Hampden is busy as hell once you hit the 1st traffic light at Lowell all the way to I25.

[Winter01]

Are you willing to leave at 6 am? My husband commutes to the Tech Center from Ken Caryl area and he said c470 is smooth sailing at that hour. He's a natural early bird though so it's not an option for everybody! He comes back at 3:30 and it takes him about 10 minutes longer to get home in the afternoon but that is still a lot better than 4:30 or 5 pm.

[Mystery123]

Originally Posted by Winter01

Are you willing to leave at 6 am? My husband commutes to the Tech Center from Ken Caryl area and he said c470 is smooth sailing at that hour. He's a natural early bird though so it's not an option for everybody! He comes back at 3:30 and it takes him about 10 minutes longer to get home in the afternoon but that is still a lot better than 4:30 or 5 pm.

I'm not early bird at all but that's not a big problem.
Problem is it's hard to leave work before 3:30.
If I reach work at 7am, that will be better so need to try leaving home around 6:25am and see how that goes.

[Mystery123]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I'm not early bird at all but that's not a big problem.
Problem is it's hard to leave work before 3:30.
If I reach work at 7am, that will be better so need to try leaving home around 6:25am and see how that goes.

Here's at 4pm...
Last time I saw the same red 470 all the way and took Dry Creek/Mineral but that took 80 minutes.
All side streets have 100's of traffic lights so even when it's empty, it's slow and they are never empty.

[MissTerri]

Denver traffic is looking more and more like SoCal traffic everyday. I'm afraid that your options are not great. In my view, the best way to handle it is to just accept that the commute will be long and get some books on tape or invest in satellite radio for your car and try to make the most of the long commute. I highly recommend the comedy station, 103.1 It helps.

[Lost Roses]

You don't get anywhere in a hurry nowadays even in the 'burbs. I also used to work near Arapahoe/Peoria and even though my drive home wasn't as far west as yours, audiobooks were my friend. I'd get wrapped up in the story and not mind the traffic so much. And yes, you've mentioned all the obvious routes. A 6AM start is the other alternative. Co-workers who lived as far away as Roxborough swore they could sail across 470 with no problem.

[Mystery123]

Since I'm not an early bird, not even on time bird and more like late bird , I am starting coming to work late now.
Leaving at 8:40am is pretty good and if there is no incident on 470, there are only few heavy traffic spots.
Today I got to work at 9:15am.
That's very good with few slow areas between university and quebec.
The only bad part is my manager will be at work before me.

So my plan is to leave before 6:45am if I wake up early or just wait till after 8:30am.