Commute times from Woodlands-Energy Corridor (Houston, The Woodlands: how much, home, construction)

[Dill-Ag13]

What kind of commute times can I expect for a commute from The Woodlands to the Energy Corridor?
I've been using the Houston TranStar website: http://www.houstontranstar.org/

And have found the commute times to be about 35-55 minutes on the way there and 50-60 minutes on the way back.

1. Are these times realistic?
2. How much better is BW8 than 610 (I'm thinking toll-roads here)

Thanks in advance

[testmo]

it once took me a half hour to get from an office tower on eldridge to an i10 entrance ramp that wasn't completely jammed up. i had gone probably less than 4 miles. this was around 4:30-5pm. there was no accident or construction. i live 6 miles from the galleria and took me close to an hour and 40 minutes to get home (eldridge area, i10, 610 s, to my house). i imagine it is worse going to the woodlands


a friend works at one of the energy companies there and lives in jersey village. he goes to work at 6:30 (i think this means he is actually sitting at his desk at 6:30) to leave early and apparently only takes him 30-40 minutes

i hear the beltway is still the best

[Dill-Ag13]

Fun stuff. It takes him 30-40 minutes from Jersey Village to I-10 & 6? That's insane.

[testmo]

i'd kill myself


try to get a job at exxon

[Dill-Ag13]

Lol yeah, give me a few years. I'm eyeing Anadarko after 3-5 years.

[testmo]

correction: he lives SW of tomball between cypress and tomball. 35mins on a great day getting to work at 6:30 and leaving 3-3:30pm.

id recommend taking a day and driving it during the time you would be commuting to see what it is for yourself. asking people you will get a bunch of different times depending on where exactly they leave from/how crazy they are on the road/their ability to tell time/and what time they actually leave for work

[Dill-Ag13]

Ah, that's much more understandable.

[westhou]

That's going to be an awful commute. Taking the beltway is going to be bad but going 610 is going to be a nightmare. Don't even consider that. The north loop between 45 and 10 is one of the most congested areas in Houston. The north belt between 45 and 10 is pretty bad too. There really is no smooth drive from The Woodlands to the Energy Corridor.

Do you really need to live in The Woodlands? Any way you can move to a community in the Energy Corridor? I don't think I could handle 3-5 years making that kind of commute.

[Dill-Ag13]

Please define "awful". I understand that it won't be fun and an hour each way won't be ideal but people do it every day up in the Northeast.

[westhou]

Originally Posted by Dill-Ag13

Please define "awful". I understand that it won't be fun and an hour each way won't be ideal but people do it every day up in the Northeast.

Awful for me is anything beyond 45 minutes. The Woodlands to the Energy Corridor during rush hour will be an hour and 15 minutes to almost an hour and 30 minutes.

I think the worst commute I ever did was Cypress to Conroe. After that I did Cypress to Uptown.

Finally I moved Uptown and my commute is 10-15 minutes. Changed my life. My previous commutes were killing me. Sitting in traffic for over an hour was making me miserable. Don't subject yourself to that for 3-5 years. People in the northeast can do it because they at least have a good book or Ipad or laptop to keep them occupied while they are on a train. But driving in that kind of commute will drive you crazy.

If you don't want to live in the Energy Corridor at least find a community closer than The Woodlands.