The foolery of Milwaukee freeways: rush hour (Brookfield, New Berlin: home, college)

[EnjoyEP]

I am looking for the input especially of folks that have lived (or traveled extensively in) other large / big metro areas other than Milwaukee.

I am consistently boggled by rush hour in Milwaukee metro.

As has been documented numerous times before in this forum, Milwaukee's rush hour traffic / traffic in general is very little compared to numerous other bigger metro areas (such as Phoenix, Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, etc.). The number of cars on the road here just isn't even a sniff in comparison to numerous other bigger sized (or even some similar sized) metros.

However, for a guy that has to commute a fairly regular distance on a daily basis, I am continually amazed by the congestion I encounter.

Now, don't get me wrong...I actually totally understand congestion in many freeways in a place like Chicago. Bumper-to-bumper traffic...bottlenecked up for miles...trying to cram many cars all into a small lane or two at a point.

However, my angst with Milwaukee freeway rush hour is that it seems to be generally for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON!

Take this - often, I have to do 894-North in the morning around 7:15 or 7:30. I get on on the 894-West stretch, which is often already backed up, all the way up to Greenfield Ave. Then, after crawling for 20 minutes or so...all of a sudden, like the heavens have miraculously parted, after Greenfield there is nothing but 60 mph driving and smooth sailing.

See...here is my problem. There is NO BOTTLENECK HERE...as the bottleneck would back up where I-94 is. So, if there were cars backed up to I-94 east and west, well, then OK...got no real problem with that. However, this is just a matter clearly of people driving inanely at like 35 miles per hour (with no cars in front of them or even close), or, people merging like they got driver's ed out of a toothpaste box causing these immense backups when the quantity of cars and overall traffic just doesn't justify it.

Another example of my amazement with our self-inflicted-by-driving-buffoonery traffic jams is the INCREDIBLE gaps / spaces between cars I see during backups. Whether it be 894 (north or south) or 94 (east or west), you'll see the freeway backed up for miles, but you'll see literally 8, 10, or 15, 20 cars-lengths of gaps just scattered everywhere throughout the system.

Its amazing at times, often these immense backups are precipitated by semis. Don't get me wrong...I totally hate tailgating and "being on someone's tail", but at the same time, I don't get at all leaving a quarter freaking mile of space between yourself and the next vehicle at a rush hour time in the left lane.

When I have traveled extensively or lived for chunks in bigger cities with far more traffic, I have suffered in jams of course as well, however, at least typically they are wall-to-wall to a bottleneck or accidents, etc.; eg: they are understandable.

However, it continues to just boggle and amaze me at the self-inflicted nature of the traffic jams here that we do have...it just seems we have 1. incredibly slow drivers, who 2. are so haphazard that they for some reason leave massive gaps in traffic who 3. cannot merge intelligently to save their lives.

Am I right on here in comparison to other towns? Or do other towns experience to the same degree the amount of this as well?

[Milwaukee City]

This I think comes from people from Milwaukee and the rest of the state that don't know how to drive in the city much less in rush hour traffic. You ever notice even in thick rush hour traffic in Chicago when you're not stopped you're doing 50mph just to get up to the next car in front of you. Their's times when Milwaukee traffic is normal and every car seems to be spaced equally spaced at 4 car lengths and everyone is doing 50mph when we all could be doing 65+. People here don't know how to drive in the city, I think we should ship every kid down to Chicago to learn how to drive in a city and rush hour.

Another thing I noticed, everyone says Milw traffic is a breeze but I use to work out in New Berlin and for me to get home to KK and Oklahoma ave area it would be 50min everyday. There is times and days that it takes me 50min+ to get from Germantown down to Bay View. I think one main problem in Milwaukee is when you have been siting in traffic for a bit you get used to the fact of just sitting their, then traffic starts to ease but drivers continue to drive 30mph when we all could go 65+.

PS: if you're getting passed on the right you might want to try not being a jag off and move over!!!

[Fishtacos]

I've spoken many times regarding the Western burbs N/S highway traffic. The less discussed 94 West from downtown past Miller Park at any time during daylight hours is beyond belief.

Milwaukee is the worst for driving in any place I've lived. Every city/metro has its share of poor drivers, but Milwaukee is up at the top for me.

As for drivers anywhere in general, is it too much too ask the slower traffic to move to the right lanes? Is it too much to ask drivers to use their signal when turning?

43 N starting from the N shore burbs traveling North is easily the easiest and most pleasurable driving in Milwaukee.

[south-to-west]

One reason why I-94 and I-894 are backed up is due to the sunrise/sunset effect. A substantial portion of the population in the Milwaukee area lives in the burbs to the west. Many people in these areas commute to jobs located in the City, which is east--and the direction that the sunrises. When they commute home back to the west, they encounter--bingo--sunset. The intense sunlight helps to obscure the vision of a lot of drivers--hence the slower speeds. This is a phenomenon common for commuters that live to the west of their places of employment.

Another factor that contributes to freeway congestion in Milwaukee is that a lot of the system is rather outdated in regards to ramps and curves--which tend to have the most efficient radii that was possible over 20 years ago. The Marquette Interchange is a good example in how freeways can be modernized--i.e. removing left-hand exits, improving ramps and curves that can further maximize speeds, etc. As far as the drivers themselve, well I can attest honestly that Wisconsin drivers tend to drive a lot more conservatively and slower than drivers elsewhere in the country. All of this underlines the need for freeway improvements in the Milwuakee area, introduce better and more efficient forms of rapid transit (BRT or light rail), and enact zoning ordinances that enforce more efficient uses of land.

[karfar]

Let me give you this one: why is it that it takes me at LEAST 15 minutes to go from Bayview to the east side......on the Hoan Bridge. I don't know about you guys, but I do at least 60-70 on the Hoan Bridge & it STILL takes me 15 minutes to do it. It's a "south side" web, I'm convinced.

[Milwaukee City]

Well if EP was on the road this morning then it would have been perfect. We had a stop and go traffic jam this morning in the Marq.

The Marquette Interchange is a good example in how freeways can be modernized--i.e. removing left-hand exits, improving ramps and curves that can further maximize speeds, etc.

Okay now to this point, I have been waiting a long time to rant about our new concert jem aka the Marq. interchange. Now I love the new design and the lights that change colors and I wish their were more lights BUT....the ramp from northbound 94/43 to 94W is a complete debacle!!!

Now that ramp is two lanes as it loops to 94West, however then all of a sudden the right lane ends when they could hav had it go all the way to 26th street. So then it goes down to one lane and then the two lanes from 43South bound merge at the same point as well creating a bottle neck, then those two lanes merge into one...WHAT A DUMB IDEA!!! you see people using the exit only lane to bypass all the crap when you merge, mean while the two left lanes are wide open b/c nobody gets on from the lakefront/Jackson street. I have no idea why they didn't keep it at 5 or 6 lanes until 26th street instead of having two ramps merge at once. Then if you look to the right of the exit only lane for 26th street you see a large grass area that could easy fit 2 more lanes, so why didn't they use that space for exit only lane and have the merge area be another lane and longer so we don't all merge at the same time.

If you have ever traveled the ramp from 94north to 94w a lot of time you get stuck sitting on top the ramp which mind you is a very cool view but seriously this make me want to drive to Jackson street just to avoid the merging ramps!!!

All in all it's a great new interchange except for that ramp during any kind of traffic.

[MomtoMal]

I honestly don't know the absolute answer to why there is congestion in Milwaukee, but I would have to agree with previous posters. I am from Brookfield, WI and lived in Milwaukee during college. I moved to Chicago 6 years ago, and now when I drive around WI (my parents still live there), I get so frustrated with the WI drivers that don't move over for drivers who need to get by them. The left lane is for passing only. If you are driving at a pace where you are not passing cars on your right, then you should be driving in the middle or right lane even if you are going 65 mph. That's just the rule that I have learned now that I drive in Chicago all the time. People get really annoyed down here. Regardless, I would take Milwaukee traffic over Chicago traffic anyday.

[ballysharon]

And God forbid if it snows....it has taken me 2.5 hours to get from Menonomee Falls to Greenfield...no matter which way I go (freeway or not) EVERYTHING is backed up bumper to bumper for miles and miles. There is literally no way to get past it.

[Ron Burgundy]

Originally Posted by ballysharon

And God forbid if it snows....it has taken me 2.5 hours to get from Menonomee Falls to Greenfield...no matter which way I go (freeway or not) EVERYTHING is backed up bumper to bumper for miles and miles. There is literally no way to get past it.

Gee, if only there were options for transit in the region other than by wheels. Other options that would alleviate the burden of the roads by lessening the amount of drivers, in addition to enhancing the appeal of the metro area to outsiders/tourists.

[Nuclear_Art]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

Now that ramp is two lanes as it loops to 94West, however then all of a sudden the right lane ends when they could hav had it go all the way to 26th street. So then it goes down to one lane and then the two lanes from 43South bound merge at the same point as well creating a bottle neck, then those two lanes merge into one...WHAT A DUMB IDEA!!! you see people using the exit only lane to bypass all the crap when you merge, mean while the two left lanes are wide open b/c nobody gets on from the lakefront/Jackson street. I have no idea why they didn't keep it at 5 or 6 lanes until 26th street instead of having two ramps merge at once. Then if you look to the right of the exit only lane for 26th street you see a large grass area that could easy fit 2 more lanes, so why didn't they use that space for exit only lane and have the merge area be another lane and longer so we don't all merge at the same time.

The project had to end somewhere. It's actually better to have the merging done on the entrance ramp than at 26th Street where there is more traffic from the east and the south. The last thing you want to do is to have all the weaving and merging done at one location. Maybe in the future when the stretch of 94 from 26th St to the Zoo Freeway is modernized it will fit together better.

One thing everyone forgets about the Milwaukee freeway system is that it was designed in the late 50s/early 60s. It was designed without any real knowledge of what kind of volume there would ever be. Much of the system has never been modernized since being built! Of course now that we can more accurately predict traffic volumes and problems we are stuck with limited right of way and enormously higher costs for widening.