Commute Time Madison to South Memorial Pkwy (Huntsville, Valley: house, neighborhoods)

[curtstein]

May be moving to the area, and I am trying to pick the right place. My job will be at Sanmina way down S. Memorial (Rt. 231) almost to the Clay Bridge. We are pretty decided on Madison for the schools and shopping. It looks like it will be about 30 minutes to travel Rt. 231 and across I-565 to Madison; the mileage is 21 miles. Does anyone go that route at rush hour? Any surprises or weird bottle necks? Does 30 min commute sound realistic? Any areas similar to Madison that would be closer?

[Charles]

Thirty minutes sounds pretty good. I don't live in the area yet but a couple of weeks ago I drove every morning from Research to Weatherly and Memorial. Hardly any backup but this was a little after 9AM, so maybe that isn't a valid data point.

Weatherly/Memorial Parkway is under heavy construction right now so any extra traffic there now should be gone once the bridge over Weatherly is completed. It looks like it thins out going south from Weatherly but like I wrote, I am not that familiar with the area.

[gsp4ever]

Hubby calls on that Sanmina location you are referring to and he says he allows 35-40 minutes during rush hour and that traffic gets pretty hairy "down that way". We live near Wall-Triana. Hwy. They are doing lots of construction in that area and he said you'd be lucky to make it in 30 minutes.

[ionlife]

S. Memorial Pkwy is a bit of a zoo during rush hour and does get backed up and people speed like crazy here. 35-40 min is about right during rush hour.

[deesonic]

Y'know, the schools in South Huntsville (around Sanmina) are some of the best in the state, Grissom High, Challenger Middle and Elementary, Mountain Gap Middle, etc. The Bailey Cove and Jones Valley areas have great neighborhoods and the roads are much better than Madison's. You'd have like a 10 minute drive to work. I don't live in South Huntsville, but I'm nearly a lifelong resident of North Alabama. IMO South Huntsville is nicer than Madison. It's surrounded by mountains, near the river, and there's lots of shopping down that way too with much less traffic.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by deesonic

...with much less traffic.

I don't know if it is normal but I experienced my first traffic this afternoon in Huntsville heading east on Cecil Ashburn from Bailey Cove towards 431. Around 545PM at around the top of the hill (Huntsville Mountain) the traffic was barely moving east. Seemed it was due to the light at Old Big Cove Road at the bottom of the hill; seemed like it was only letting a few cars go, then it was red again. Seems like that light should (be designed to) strongly favor the eastbound Cecil Ashburn Sutton traffic. Is this normal or was that light screwed up?

[VMH2507]

Originally Posted by deesonic

Y'know, the schools in South Huntsville (around Sanmina) are some of the best in the state, Grissom High, Challenger Middle and Elementary, Mountain Gap Middle, etc. The Bailey Cove and Jones Valley areas have great neighborhoods and the roads are much better than Madison's. You'd have like a 10 minute drive to work. I don't live in South Huntsville, but I'm nearly a lifelong resident of North Alabama. IMO South Huntsville is nicer than Madison. It's surrounded by mountains, near the river, and there's lots of shopping down that way too with much less traffic.

I have experienced much worse traffic on the S. Parkway than I ever experienced in Madison or any other part of Huntsville for that matter. Maybe it will improve once the construction on the Pkwy is completed but for the time being I avoid like the plague. Also Madison shopping/restaurants/etc are improving incrementally at a rapid pace.

[cobolt]

I was staying in Madison when I made my HSV visit, and I did the commute to Research Park just for curiosity sake during morning rush hour. 40 min seemed like a good ballpark figure. I also did the commute from SE HSV and the historic district, just to compare. I would say if you can get into the SE schools and find a nice little house there, then why not? With the area growth, commutes will get longer, not shorter, road construction or not.

[BKOTH97]

Originally Posted by cobolt

I was staying in Madison when I made my HSV visit, and I did the commute to Research Park just for curiosity sake during morning rush hour. 40 min seemed like a good ballpark figure.

Wow, where were you staying in Madison? It takes me less than 10 minutes to get from my house in Madison, through Research Park and onto Redstone Arsenal. I haven't spent 40 minutes on a commute in the 7 years I have lived here...well, except for right after 9-11 when the Redstone gate was backed up for hours on end.

[clamoore]

[Also Madison shopping/restaurants/etc are improving incrementally at a rapid pace.[/quote]

The same can also be said about South Huntsville. The Parkway ordeal seems to be approaching resolution rapidly. The location would be ideal if you work there.

I would also advise that Merrimack Mill Village offers quick commute times to most of the area. I have lived in Merrimack for a couple months and it takes me less than 10 minutes to get into Research Park or down to the Lowe's on South Parkway. Merrimack is located very close to many major roadways and the Arsenal.