[Christian11]

Check for yourselves. Call 511 from your cell phone (free call, just spend minutes) or visit: www.FL511.com Say the name os the road (for example "I-4, then Orlando" and hear the traffic report.

You will see how it takes 1h - 1 1/2 hours to drive 13 miles from downtown Orlando to Oviedo.... or how it takes 2 hours from downtown Orlando to south Kissimmee. Unless you have 1/2 a Million Dollars to buy a condo downtown, traffic, urban sprawl, and illegal aliens driving without a license and insurance will be your life. You will love the sunshine... while you are sitting in your car, stuck in traffic!

Future Floridians, beaware!! You might spend more time stuck on I-4 traffic than enjoying the beaches/sunshine you are paying a lot down here to enjoy!

This will soon be you on I-4! EVERYDAY!! LOL....



Cheers!
Chris

Ps. For something enjoyable, try getting a speeding ticket for 6 miles over the speed limit. It will cost you $261.... yeah lovely.

Oh we have changeable speed traffic signs, so watch out in the end of the month when they lower the speed limit by 15 miles and put 10 bike cops near the sign to ticket people. You are used to one speed, it changes all of a sudden... you will be pissed. This is called FL's backdoor income tax. Oh and cops here don't use radar much, they just stick their hand out, make you stop and tell you whatever speed comes in their minds! This happens a lot on Conroy Road and Kirkmand Road in Orlando LOL... you will love arguing these tickets in court. The judges almost always rule for the cops, as this is considered "state revenue".

[pianogal]

I drive 12 miles each way to downtown Orlando every weekday. It takes me 30 minutes. I had to experiment to find the easiest/fastest way. In the mornings I go Econlockhatchee, Curry Ford, Semoran and 50. In the afternoons I go 50 to Semoran and 408 to 417. It costs me .50 in tolls each day.

I can make it in 20 minutes if I want to pay the tolls and take 417 and 408. That costs me $1 each way.

[Christian11]

Originally Posted by pianogal

I drive 12 miles each way to downtown Orlando every weekday. It takes me 30 minutes. I had to experiment to find the easiest/fastest way. In the mornings I go Econlockhatchee, Curry Ford, Semoran and 50. In the afternoons I go 50 to Semoran and 408 to 417. It costs me .50 in tolls each day.

I can make it in 20 minutes if I want to pay the tolls and take 417 and 408. That costs me $1 each way.

We have tried going down 417 and then take the 408 west. The 408 west is just as bad as I-4 in the morning. Then we have to pay $2.75 a day in tolls and this adds 18 miles per way. Time-wise, it is about the same, except if we call 511 and hear I-4 is COMPLETELY stop for many miles, then it is worth it.

It is still an hour drive, even taking the toll roads. I am talking 13 miles ONLY... insane, all bumper to bumper all the way.

Is this a life or what?? How can anyone find this enjoyable?? My friend from NYC complains about the traffic in Central Florida!!!

[pianogal]

If you have to drive I 4 then I really feel sorry for you. I see it in the TV in the mornings, most mornings it looks like a parking lot!

One of the reasons I can make it so quickly is that I leave home before 7:00 AM and leave the office between 4:00 and 4:30. That way I miss the heaviest traffic.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by Christian11

Check for yourselves. Call 511 from your cell phone (free call, just spend minutes) or visit: www.FL511.com Say the name os the road (for example "I-4, then Orlando" and hear the traffic report.

You will see how it takes 1h - 1 1/2 hours to drive 13 miles from downtown Orlando to Oviedo.... or how it takes 2 hours from downtown Orlando to south Kissimmee. Unless you have 1/2 a Million Dollars to buy a condo downtown, traffic, urban sprawl, and illegal aliens driving without a license and insurance will be your life. You will love the sunshine... while you are sitting in your car, stuck in traffic!

Future Floridians, beaware!! You might spend more time stuck on I-4 traffic than enjoying the beaches/sunshine you are paying a lot down here to enjoy!

This will soon be you on I-4! EVERYDAY!! LOL....



Cheers!
Chris

Ps. For something enjoyable, try getting a speeding ticket for 6 miles over the speed limit. It will cost you $261.... yeah lovely.

Oh we have changeable speed traffic signs, so watch out in the end of the month when they lower the speed limit by 15 miles and put 10 bike cops near the sign to ticket people. You are used to one speed, it changes all of a sudden... you will be pissed. This is called FL's backdoor income tax. Oh and cops here don't use radar much, they just stick their hand out, make you stop and tell you whatever speed comes in their minds! This happens a lot on Conroy Road and Kirkmand Road in Orlando LOL... you will love arguing these tickets in court. The judges almost always rule for the cops, as this is considered "state revenue".

Broward county has gotten so bad I am almost a recluse in my house, I hate to go out that much. I have a home office and may go days without leaving the property. It is strictly due to the traffic and crowding. I live walking distance to the beach and never go there any more. I used to bike ride 20 or 30 miles a day and now you would be taking your life in your hands bike riding in Broward and it is only getting worse. Moderator cut: topic change, please start new thread with this topic if you wish

[CURT]

Originally Posted by Christian11

Check for yourselves. Call 511 from your cell phone (free call, just spend minutes) or visit: www.FL511.com Say the name os the road (for example "I-4, then Orlando" and hear the traffic report.

You will see how it takes 1h - 1 1/2 hours to drive 13 miles from downtown Orlando to Oviedo.... or how it takes 2 hours from downtown Orlando to south Kissimmee. Unless you have 1/2 a Million Dollars to buy a condo downtown, traffic, urban sprawl, and illegal aliens driving without a license and insurance will be your life. You will love the sunshine... while you are sitting in your car, stuck in traffic!

Future Floridians, beaware!! You might spend more time stuck on I-4 traffic than enjoying the beaches/sunshine you are paying a lot down here to enjoy!

This will soon be you on I-4! EVERYDAY!! LOL....



Cheers!
Chris

Ps. For something enjoyable, try getting a speeding ticket for 6 miles over the speed limit. It will cost you $261.... yeah lovely.

Oh we have changeable speed traffic signs, so watch out in the end of the month when they lower the speed limit by 15 miles and put 10 bike cops near the sign to ticket people. You are used to one speed, it changes all of a sudden... you will be pissed. This is called FL's backdoor income tax. Oh and cops here don't use radar much, they just stick their hand out, make you stop and tell you whatever speed comes in their minds! This happens a lot on Conroy Road and Kirkmand Road in Orlando LOL... you will love arguing these tickets in court. The judges almost always rule for the cops, as this is considered "state revenue".

my turn.......
I drive from down town orlando on I-4 to the east-west daily and have for years at 5:00 rush hour . I-4 of course doesnt go to Oviedo. It takes me 35-40 minutes almost always. I dont know what the reports are saying but it has NEVER EVER taken me 1 to 1-1/2 hours to go from 1-4 to e-w. From down town Orlando taking the backroads with the 3 million traffic lights generally takes me 50 minutes during rush. Don't believe me? take the drive at rush hour like I do every single day.
there are times when i take i-4 all the way to 434 in longwood and ride 434 into oviedo. that is free and usually takes me 45 minutes during rush hour. where is this section of i-4...its not on the way to oviedo....it looks alot like the old st. johns bridge into debary that was replaced long ago
talk about sensationalism.

[Tampa Red]

You mean I can't just drive to Ft. DeSoto Beach and Disney World whenever I want?

But everybody said they were so close!

I'm disillusioned.

[Christian11]

Originally Posted by Tampa Red

You mean I can't just drive to Ft. DeSoto Beach and Disney World whenever I want?

But everybody said they were so close!

I'm disillusioned.

LOL.... TampaRed, that was funny!

From Oviedo to Disney World... we are talking over 2 hours on any given Saturday. During the week, try over 2 hours. Try going from south west Orlando (Kirkman road area) to Disney.... 1 1/2 hours on a Saturday night.

My friend lives in Lake Buena Vista (which is like 5 mins from Downtown Disney on SR-535). He said to get to Disney (2 exists down from his house on I-4) it takes him 45 minutes. We are talking less than 2 miles, it takes that long!

He has to go through 8 traffic lights on 535, then head to I-4 West, 2 exits down and he is at Disney. 45 minutes. He said pick a day, pick a time... anytime he has to get to work, it takes him that long. He works these crazy shifts, he has to work sometimes on-call for Disney, but he said not matter when you try getting there, it's a hassle.

Now here is the best part... his pay for working for Disney Full time: a whooping $7.75/h, NO HEALTH INSURANCE, no benefits. He doesn't even get some free Disney tickets.

Welcome to the "magic" of Orlando, FL!!!

[Prichard]

No doubt, you will be hard pressed to find a highway in the US worse than I-4. I've experienced rush hours in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville, and I-4 is about as awful as it gets.

The problem with I-4 is that the eastbound side often comes to a screaching hault about 15 miles outside of Lakeland, just before you hit Champion's Gate. This is about 30 miles from the Downtown area. Also, the traffic generated by Disney means that it can be bumper to bumper on I-4 late into the night on the west side. I-4 Rush hour traffic doesn't let up until you are north east of Sanford, and stays pretty thick until you pass Deland. That means that from Champion's Gate to Deland - about a 60 mile streach of road, I-4 will drive you insane. On a bad day it could take 2.5 hours to drive this streach.

But one thing that baffles me about what Christian11 said - he indicates that it takes such a long time to take I-4 from sw Orlando to Oviedo. Fact is that I-4 goes nowhere near Oviedo! So, anyone driving I-4 from Orlando to Oviedo every day may not know what road he's on, or what city he's living in.

[Edvard]

For the Unbelievers:



Overturned tourist in Lakewood Ranch, 40MPH zone.......how'd joo doo dat?


I was run over on my '49 Pan in 2003, I was riding in a parade on the other coast for a fund raiser for MD, and a senior citizen didn't happen to notice the police cars or barricades and ran through an FHP car, some barrels, me, and one other motorcyclist before coming to rest on top of a fire hydrant. The blue car was a body at rest before all this with nobody in it, and the guy next to me just got some scrapes. It just basically knocked him down.



This happened in Bradenton in early November. A home-made trailer being hauled by George W's "Guest Workers" (basically a huge plywood box filled with concrete forms and rebar) came apart and went into an oncoming school bus. This is a common occurance.









This was also Bradenton area.


Keep a camera in your car.
My wife and I actually have videos in our windshields as well as good cameras for work. We use them a lot. They really help with hit-and-runs (about 28% of all accidents in District 14) other things. We've actually filmed some really good assaults and robberies this way. Just last night some fruit ran down through the parking lot at a Sarasota Walgreens with his genetalia in his hand and my wife hit the switch and caught it, although it was almost dark out. A few months ago I got a truck losing a load of lumber on I-95 and he kept on going. He went to jail that one.