[Info101]

I just need to know what your personal opinion on the Traffic is. I.E. When you get stuck behind someone slow, your reaction or thoughts? or Your opinion on the traffic lights?



Anything!!1!!

[downthathighway]

Traffic in Omaha moves very easily compared to all the other metro areas I've lived in. Only near downtown and in heavy shopping areas have I seen slow traffic areas. (except rush hour, and it's not too bad here)
Reading other state forums sometimes, they laugh at 'laid back' Nebraska Drivers. I have yet to see agressive road rage like other parts of the country.
Getting behind a slow driver can be annoying, but you gotta feel bad when you do pass, they're usually so courteous!
Opinion on the traffic lights- they don't seem near as long a cycle as when I was in some southern states- sometimes a 5 minute wait. I like all the left turn arrows here vs. waiting for a yellow light and hoping for an opening.

[Steve_W]

All in all, traffic is definitely not bad. The only thing that really bugs me are slow drivers in the left interstate lanes. I find that about as rude as cutting off another driver.

[mom2toddlers]

I've lived in bigger and smaller areas...this is by far the easiest traffic I've ever dealt with, and cannot relate when people say traffic is bad around here...not in my experience!
As for slow drivers, if they are driving within 5 miles of the speed limit, I'd just call them "safe" or "cautious" drivers and wish them a great day.

[kosnebbear]

Nice post mom2toddlers gave you a point for it. Have a nice day.

[Steve_W]

Originally Posted by mom2toddlers

I've lived in bigger and smaller areas...this is by far the easiest traffic I've ever dealt with, and cannot relate when people say traffic is bad around here...not in my experience!
As for slow drivers, if they are driving within 5 miles of the speed limit, I'd just call them "safe" or "cautious" drivers and wish them a great day.

Actually the trick the safe driving on the interstate system is to go with the flow.

The speed limit is pretty much an arbitrary guideline in which to follow but may not always be the safest.

Yeah, maybe Johnny Law will pull you over when in fact he was doing the same damn thing on his way to work.

[Katiana]

I have yet to see agressive road rage like other parts of the country.

I dunno. My DH is from Nebraska and he always has some low-level road rage going on (don't tell him I said that on the WWW!). He does not use his turns signals as much as he should, and when we were in Omaha this weekend, I noticed his brother does not use them at all. Don't take this wrong. I see this stuff everywhere. I would rank Omaha "average". Like most places.

[downthathighway]

<<<He does not use his turns signals as much as he should, and when we were in Omaha this weekend, I noticed his brother does not use them at all.<<<

I did notice that turn signals are not used as much as they should be here. AND perhaps some do not know what they mean? Trying to be courteous, I signal left turns well in advance. Yet on 4 lane roads, when I reach my turn I can look in the mirror and sure enough, a car behind me fails to 'get the hint' and move to the other lane.Then all the cars behind it are stuck, waiting for me to make the turn. THEN there's the drivers who don't signal turns at all... Reminds me of rural living- didn't need turn signals, you knew where so and so was going to turn anyways.

[Dewey115]

Wow, I don't know how people can say that the traffic signals in Omaha are good (or even ok for that matter.) I travel all over the country and have lived in 5 different states and 17 different towns/cities. I have yet to find many cities/towns with traffic lights as frustrating as those found in Omaha. I rarely make it more than 3-4 main traffic lights without hitting a red light. You need to drive about 55mph to hit the lights as they are green (the speed limit is usually 35 or 40 so 55 is a little dangerous and of course highly illegal). If you travel in a normal safe manner you will not often make it far before you need to stop, and that is even on main roads heading with the main traffic. If you need to make a left hand turn you will often need to wait for an entire light cycle to get your green arrow (and this even applies at 4am with absolutely no cars in sight). There is no "sensing" or "intelligence" in any way to the lights. My rule is always to make my left hand turns as soon as possible so I am not stuck waiting needlessly (example, I will take my left turn at the first red light I hit so I can get the green arrow, then my right hand turns and straights will go much more smoothly.) A trip of only a few miles will easily take 10 minutes or more. There are numerous lights that will have "No Right Turn" signals when traffic flow is low or non existent. I often see people cut through parking lots and gas stations to avoid the signals as they aren't really serving a purpose at those times besides hindering the flow of traffic. I believe the signals should help the traffic flow smoothly and as quickly as possible, not make it worse. Anyone drive through Benson before? Every light will stop at the same time with absolutely no cross traffic on any street. Its impossible to make it through without hitting a red light if you drive the speed limit, usually you will stop twice or more (and this part of town is what, maybe a half mile? if even that?) The lights will just change based on timing, not if there are actually cars going the other way. How can anyone justify a light turning red just as you get there when there are no other cars around? Do you guys actually pay attention to the lights?
I cant count the number of times I have been at a light with 10 cars around me and not one car coming the other way, then just as you see some cars actually coming to the intersection it will change and make the cross traffic stop before they get there. So what basically happens is 10 cars are forced to wait for imaginary traffic, then as there actually is some traffic coming the other way it changes and screws them over in addition to the 10 of us that were already stuck waiting. Real lights should change to let us 10 go, then switch back in time to allow that cross traffic uninterrupted passage. My 6 year old son could devise a better traffic light system than Omaha has. If he randomly set timings he would have a better shot at making at least SOME of the traffic flow smoothly. Anyone that thinks that they work well should get out of the city and actually pay attention to other cities traffic lights. I used to play a game where we would count the number of green lights you make it through. 20 (main lights) or more was common throughout my life till I got to Omaha, now I am lucky to make 5. And its not because Omaha is big... it is expansive but I have been in many cities with more traffic than Omaha and they mostly (definitely not all, but mostly) do a much better job with traffic flow... At least most of the drivers here are pretty kind and for the most part decent drivers though, but those lights, not even close to what I would call acceptable.

[ehenningsen]

I noticed there is a different type of driving mentality here versus in vegas or california..

in the southwest, people are extremely reckless and the need for speed is seen all over the place.

In Omaha, there are occasions where people just drive to dang slow, while there are some that drive to fast, but for the most part, have a little bit more of a absent-minded type of habit with the blinkers, hitting curbs, cell phones and etc...

This is all subject to change eventually!