Portland traffic vs. Southern Oregon: review (Beaverton, Medford: how much, new house, shop)

[mdvaden]

We will be moving back to the west side of Portland in a month. Have been in southern Oregon for almost 3 years now, having moved from Beaverton.

While house hunting in Washingon County the past few weeks, I was amazed how fast I could get from one spot where I needed something, to another, even with big city traffic.

There is less traffic around the Medford area - our address is Jacksonville - but in southern Oregon, I find that I"m burning up twice as much fuel because what we shop for is spread so far apart.

As long as I did not venture out in rush hour, the commute was fairly speedy near Tualatin, Tigard and Beaverton, last few weeks. Our new house is in Beaverton, across Hall Blvd. from Greenway.

Amazingly, my old rush-hour shortcut still works. It is available to get from I-5 in Tualatin to Murrrayhill in Beaverton during rush-hour, in about 25 minutes. This requires using an un-ramped overpass over I-5, crossing Boones Ferry, zipping down Avery St. to bypass congestion, and eventually cruising from Sherwood to Beaverton on Roy Rodgers Rd..

I'd like to add that my first visit to Los Angeles was just a few months back near autumn. I was amazed at how much faster the Los Angeles I-5 traffic shot-along at 70 miles per hour compared to Portland's mid-day semi-mollasses speed.