So Just How Bad Is Traffic Getting in NEPA? (Philadelphia: transplants, living in)

[ScranBarre]

Those moving here from NJ, NYC, or Philadelphia laugh at what we homegrown natives refer to as "congestion" here in NEPA, but I thought it was important to note some similarities and differences between our roadways and congested roadways in other cities in the state. These figures are based upon 2005 daily traffic volume counts, as these were the latest numbers available from PennDOT (you can't expect a state agency to get anything accomplished more frequently than once every three years it seems). I first did some research into frequently congested arteries in other areas and then posted daily vehicle counts for our own "choke points."

THE "BENCHMARKS"

Allegheny County
I-279 @ Fort Pitt Bridge (Pittsburgh): 138,000
I-376 @ Squirrell Hill (Pittsburgh): 123,000
I-279 @ North Shore: 106,000
I-376 @ Exit 10B: 84,000
Liberty Bridge (Pittsburgh): 67,000
I-579 (Downtown Pittsburgh): 66,000
Blvd. of the Allies (Pittsburgh): 54,000
Penn-Lincoln Parkway (Pittsburgh): 49,000
Route 30 @ Forest Hills: 29,000

Lancaster County
Route 30 @ Route 283 Split: 76,000
Route 30 @ Route 23: 67,000
I-76 @ Bowansville: 38,000
Route 322 @ Glen Moore: 28,000
Route 462 @ Conestoga River: 24,000

Lehigh County
I-78 (From Exits 53-55): 91,000
Route 22 (Near Lehigh River): 86,000
I-78/Route 22 (West of Exit 51): 82,000
I-78 @ Exit 59: 76,000
I-476 (South of Allentown): 44,000

Northampton County
Route 22 (Near Lehigh County Line): 83,000
Route 33 @ Route 22: 58,000
I-78 (Near NJ Line): 54,000

Philadelphia County
I-76/Schuylkill Expressway (Near Center City): 198,000
I-95 (Near Center City): 174,000


HOW NEPA'S "CHOKE POINTS" STACK UP

Lackawanna County
I-81 (River Street to I-84/I-380 Split): 77,000
I-81 @ Moosic: 76,000
I-81 (Between Dickson City & Clarks Summit): 73,000
I-380/I-84 (Between I-81 and Elmhurst Exit): 55,000
Business Route 6 @ I-81 (Dickson City): 40,000
North Scranton Expressway (Near Main Ave. Exit): 37,000
Northern Boulevard (Chinchilla): 28,000
O'Neill Highway @ I-81 (Dunmore): 25,000
I-380 (Moscow): 23,000
Birney Avenue (Near Moosic Gerrity's): 22,000
Route 6/Casey Highway (Jessup): 20,000
I-84 (Mt. Cobb): 20,000
Moosic Street @ Stafford Avenue (Scranton): 19,000
Mulberry Street (Downtown Scranton): 18,000
State Street (Downtown Clarks Summit): 18,000
Main Street (Downtown Carbondale): 17,000
Green Ridge Street (Scranton): 14,000

Luzerne County
I-81 @ Avoca: 76,000
Route 309 (Cross Valley Freeway) @ Susquehanna River Bridge: 68,000
Route 309 (Back Mountain Entrance): 43,000
Highway 315 @ Oak/Armstrong (Pittston Twp.): 38,000
Business Route 309 (Near Denny's): 35,000
Route 309 @ Route 415 (Dallas): 29,000
Route 93 @ I-81 (West Hazleton): 25,000
Route 309 @ Route 437 (Mountain Top): 20,000

Monroe County
I-80 @ Exit 305: 73,000
I-80 @ NJ Border: 55,000
I-80 @ Tannersville: 49,000
Route 33 @ County Line: 31,000
Main Street @ Brodhead Creek Bridge (East Stroudsburg): 28,000
Route 209 @ Route 447 (Marshalls Creek): 27,000
Route 611 @ Arlington Heights: 23,000
Business Route 209 @ Route 447: 23,000
I-380 @ Exit 3: 23,000
Route 611 @ Swiftwater: 22,000
Route 209 @ Business Route 209: 21,000
Route 611 @ Bartonsville: 20,000
Route 209 @ Brodheadsville: 20,000
Route 209 @ Echo Lake: 19,000
Route 611 @ Tannersville: 14,000
Five Points Intersection (Mt. Pocono): 13,000
Route 191/447 (Analomink): 13,000


I suppose all things considered we don't have it all too badly compared to other parts of the state. Congestion is simply an issue across the Commonwealth anymore, and I don't foresee improvements coming anytime soon.

[poconosmama]

I think for the big portion of us who are transplants we are glad to have the road conditions we do here. It's a walk in the park when you consider in NY I had to go 3 miles to get to work and it would take me a half hour lol.

[I LOVE PA!]

I agree poconosmama!!! My husband and I still laugh at what PA locals consider traffic. I remember my commute to work, about a 12 mile ride on L.I., would sometimes take 2 hours or more. Going to the mall, just 4 miles away, would take longer than my ride to Dickson City now.
We have 'traffic' in Hamlin in the summer. That means about 10 cars waiting at the light by Hamlin Corners on a weekend.

[61scout80]

i miss north east pa traffic, except for the fact that you all drive so damn slow!

my 15 mile ride to work is a fairly easy one since its accross an indian reservation. on a day with no traffic its a 10 minute ride. morning commute time is generally 40 minutes though. worst day was when a tractor trailer flipped and i was sitting for 2 hours.

when i was working in scottsdale and living in chandler i used to have an hour and a half commute for about 20 miles during rush hour. i don't miss that.

[weluvpa]

I commuted from Scranton to the Oranges, Old Bridge, Atlantic Highlands in NJ for close to 10 years and I have yet to find traffic in our area that would get me upset. There is always away around it here but, in NJ the other way would be backed up just as much if not worse. This is not really or truely what I would call "traffic" and I'm sure those of you from NJ or LI would agree.

[I LOVE PA!]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

i miss north east pa traffic, except for the fact that you all drive so damn slow!

my 15 mile ride to work is a fairly easy one since its accross an indian reservation. on a day with no traffic its a 10 minute ride. morning commute time is generally 40 minutes though. worst day was when a tractor trailer flipped and i was sitting for 2 hours.

when i was working in scottsdale and living in chandler i used to have an hour and a half commute for about 20 miles during rush hour. i don't miss that.

I basically try to do the speed limit. I have to set an example for the teen driver in my car!
Hey...15 miles ride to work taking 10 minutes...according to my math...that's 90 mph............Now I see why you think we drive too slow!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

I commuted from Scranton to the Oranges, Old Bridge, Atlantic Highlands in NJ for close to 10 years and I have yet to find traffic in our area that would get me upset. There is always away around it here but, in NJ the other way would be backed up just as much if not worse. This is not really or truely what I would call "traffic" and I'm sure those of you from NJ or LI would agree.

I drive I-81 between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre quite frequently at around 4:30 PM, and while the roadway is nearly bumper-to-bumper during the evening rush-hour, at least it is freely-moving and traveling at an average speed of 55 or so. Another ten years of annual daily traffic count increases though and I-81 could become much worse (hence the need to make I-476 a toll-free express route from Clarks Summit to Pittston).

[cjseliga]

I think anybody who has lived in a densely populated metro area or commuted to one and has moved to or back to NEPA, realizes that the traffic here is nothing compared to where they came from.

[61scout80]

Originally Posted by I LOVE PA!

I basically try to do the speed limit. I have to set an example for the teen driver in my car!
Hey...15 miles ride to work taking 10 minutes...according to my math...that's 90 mph............Now I see why you think we drive too slow!

85 to 90 is pretty common even in my lifted jeep, and that is if you maintain the speed of the cars around you. the speed limit on the road i use is 75 so its not too crazy to go 10-15 over.

Originally Posted by SWB

I drive I-81 between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre quite frequently at around 4:30 PM, and while the roadway is nearly bumper-to-bumper during the evening rush-hour, at least it is freely-moving and traveling at an average speed of 55 or so. Another ten years of annual daily traffic count increases though and I-81 could become much worse (hence the need to make I-476 a toll-free express route from Clarks Summit to Pittston).

when i lived there i would use the turnpike to get from keyser ave to bear creek. the EZ pass made life a lot easier. i never felt i got what i paid for by using the turnpike, other than the most direct route with little traffic. the road surface wasn't terrific. it had poor drainage and made commuting in the rain an educational experience on how to control a vehicle during a hydroplane. It also wasn't cleared of snow any better than the state highways in my opinion.

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

I commuted from Scranton to the Oranges, Old Bridge, Atlantic Highlands in NJ for close to 10 years and I have yet to find traffic in our area that would get me upset. There is always away around it here but, in NJ the other way would be backed up just as much if not worse. This is not really or truely what I would call "traffic" and I'm sure those of you from NJ or LI would agree.

You're right Dan. There is no true "rushhour" traffic here like on LI or in NJ. Try getting out of Manhattan by car during the hours of 3 and 6 PM. It's not a joyride by any stretch of the imagination. Here you might have some heavy traffic, but no gridlock.