What is your favorite Denver surburb?? (Westminster, Thornton: apartment complexes, live, shopping mall)

[steveindenver]

My ride from downtown (uptown) not quite to Broomfield but the office park outside of the Flat Irons mall takes me 70 minutes there and 50 minutes back. (On a given day with a favorable wind this can be reduced by as much as a tenth). It's give or take on the exact route about 22 miles on a bike almost all of it on either bike lane or trail.

I often beat folks home who drive the 36-25-Park Ave route and live in the same area. One accident, one ballgame or just random additional cars can make that 26 minute commute in a car double or more.

[Katiana]

^^^Certainly, I can agree with the above, though I've found MapQuest's estimates to be pretty good. For long distances, you just have to remember they're talking about drive time, not rest break, meal break and gas pumping times.

OTOH, I have driven from my home in Louisville to downtown, and it doesn't take 40 min on I-25. Here is what someone else says about driving from Louiville, across downtown to Cherry Creek:

Originally Posted by Micktooth

I live in Louisville and work in Cherry Creek in Denver. Door to door it's 25 miles. Driving takes about 35-40 min each way. Accidents do happen, but so far I've been lucky, there have not been many on the Boulder Trpke. And I take the HOV lane on I25. You can do this even if you are alone in the car with a toll tag. Snow isn't too much of a problem. The roads are cleared rather well as far as I'm concerned. I'd say you might have to deal with a rough and snowy commute about 3-5x per winter. This is my own personal experience.

Maybe it just seems worse than it is b/c you are really not happy with Thornton. I think you should try to move back to the city, wantotmoveeast. I mean that in a good way. I think you'd be happier.

Edit: Many years ago, I worked in Thornton and drove in from Louisville. I took I-25 and got off on 104th. I do reacall that traffic got heavier south of there.

[wanttomoveeast]

Well, I have been driving from Thornton to downtown and back for 4 years now. I'm not exaggerating, just going by my watch. We chose not to sell because of the bad market and the high rents. So we'll be sitting tight for awhile.

One thing I noticed about the quote you used, the person was taking the HOT. That is very different than just taking the highway. When I take the bus, it's much faster because of the HOV.

The traffic begins to build up miles before you see the mousetrap. Usually I get off on 104th and by then traffic is moving, but not at full speed. I can count more times than not when I merge onto I-25 from the Park Ave. entry and traffic is at a standstill. Again, rush hour times.

[quote=Katiana;3542004Maybe it just seems worse than it is b/c you are really not happy with Thornton. I think you should try to move back to the city, wantotmoveeast. I mean that in a good way. I think you'd be happier.

Edit: Many years ago, I worked in Thornton and drove in from Louisville. I took I-25 and got off on 104th. I do reacall that traffic got heavier south of there.[/quote]

[wanttomoveeast]

oh so true. And this is like a daily occurrence. Sometimes traffic is really bad just because a cop pulled someone over. And let's not forget fun stuff like that sink hole. good times.

Originally Posted by steveindenver

One accident, one ballgame or just random additional cars can make that 26 minute commute in a car double or more.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

One accident, one ballgame or just random additional cars can make that 26 minute commute in a car double or more.

This is true. It is equally true in the city and suburb, on I-25 and surface roads, in a bus and in a car.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

One accident, one ballgame or just random additional cars can make that 26 minute commute in a car double or more.

Dare we mention a snowflake?

[wanttomoveeast]

you dare!!!!

[steveindenver]

Or a giant sinkhole ...

[Katiana]

Or. . . . . a hailstorm! Yes, lots of things can mess you up!

[steveco.]

Or flooded highway??