Future of Orlando Highways (Miami, Tampa: fit in, live, dangerous)

[bmw335xi]

Exits play a big role, but the biggest cause of traffic jams in Orlando... try to guess.....


ACCIDENTS! AKA IDIOT DRIVERS


It’s more the case than not when I see solid red on google maps before heading out it’s because there was an accident. Orlando doesn’t have the same grid lock found in major cities, but it certainly has more accidents and it creates more traffic jams than Orlando naturally would have.

[firmbizzle]

Originally Posted by ncstate09

Well the toll road system in Orlando (run by Central Florida Expressway Authority) is constantly being upgraded, take as an example the recent widening of 417 between 408 and 528 from 4 to 6 lanes. Plus the widening of 408 over its history (its been widened several times). Also the 2nd rebuilding of the 408/417 interchange going on now (does anyone remember the original way this interchange worked!). Plus, there is also maintenance.


With regards to I-4 and the 4th lane, they definetly wouldnt have the room downtown for a 4th lane in the configuration they got going. One of the problems with dedicated tolled seperate lanes is it doubles the number of emergency lanes and shoulders required. SO right now you have:
shoulder+free+free+free+shoulder+shoulder+toll+tol l+shoulder for one side (3 free 2 tolled).



Had it been one huge un-seperated road it could have been shoulder+~6lanes+shoulder.


THat all being said, alot of I-4 problems as has been pointed out previously has to do with the funky exits, almost all of which are getting re-built. Those serve as choke points and it doenst matter how many lanes you have if the exits are terrible. getting onto 408 from I-4 the very long ramp backs up with cars onto the highway at damn near every hour but 11pm-5am. The flyover direct ramps at I4/408 plus re-doing of I4/50, in concert with the rebuilt I-4/maitland and the elevation of maitland will help tremendously even with the same number of free lanes.


Before double decking gets mentioned, consider that is extremely expensive (even more so than whats going on now), would take alot longer, would cause alot more disruption during construction, and the soils may not support it, and double decker ramps/exits/intersections are not pretty. What kills you with these is it causes every crossing road to have to change in height and that results in each of those roads having to be lifted, which causes its intersections to all have to be changed... its a me$$$$$$$

Good point about the additional shoulders. You can still see the original 408/417 interchange by those apartments.

[Pat Answers]

Try being from out of town, live in a small town with just local roads and 1 non-toll interstate... and then try to navigate your interstate. Yikes! It became so nerve wracking to us that we quit going that way to visit relatives up there; we get on the toll road in Disney area and get off in Oviedo and backtrack. We can't even do the traffic from Tampa over on I-4.



I remember one time going up there (15-16 yrs ago) to help with newborn baby and they were doing road work on I4 and they had no lines at all to designate the lanes. Relative said she was glad we hadn't been hit and didn't let me drive again. There were articles in the paper about the lack of safety.


My relative is fearless to city driving and has been up there her entire adult life... and no longer uses I4.



I don't really know how you guys do it on a regular basis. They should do a study about traffic stress.

[bmw335xi]

Driving in Orlando feels like the country to me. Try driving in San Francisco... steep roads up and down, millions of pedestrians, bikes, buses, trolleys, light rail, one way streets... Orlando gets traffic but the streets and highways are flat, only 2-4 lanes, basically no pedestrians, no bikes, no public transit, etc. however, I understand where you are coming from. Some family friends came to visit from Alaska and they were like I wouldn’t want to drive in a big city like this, but from where I moved, Orlando is a small city me.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Driving in Orlando feels like the country to me. Try driving in San Francisco... steep roads up and down, millions of pedestrians, bikes, buses, trolleys, light rail, one way streets... Orlando gets traffic but the streets and highways are flat, only 2-4 lanes, basically no pedestrians, no bikes, no public transit, etc. however, I understand where you are coming from. Some family friends came to visit from Alaska and they were like I wouldn’t want to drive in a big city like this, but from where I moved, Orlando is a small city me.

Sounds like you're describing Montreal lol.

That being said, Orlando doesn't have the above issues, but traffic is still pretty terrible IMO, and that is especially due to poor planning and idiot drivers. In Montreal, drivers are aggressive, but they know how to drive. Here, I've noticed it's a race between idiot boy-racers, bimbos on their phones not paying attention, slow elderly drivers, and lost tourists, all scrambling to go from the far left lane to the exit ramps on the right at the last minute.

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by Pat Answers

Try being from out of town, live in a small town with just local roads and 1 non-toll interstate... and then try to navigate your interstate. Yikes! It became so nerve wracking to us that we quit going that way to visit relatives up there; we get on the toll road in Disney area and get off in Oviedo and backtrack. We can't even do the traffic from Tampa over on I-4.

I remember one time going up there (15-16 yrs ago) to help with newborn baby and they were doing road work on I4 and they had no lines at all to designate the lanes. Relative said she was glad we hadn't been hit and didn't let me drive again. There were articles in the paper about the lack of safety.

My relative is fearless to city driving and has been up there her entire adult life... and no longer uses I4.



I don't really know how you guys do it on a regular basis. They should do a study about traffic stress.

It sounds like you are borderline disabled and likely shouldn't be driving at all.

I4 is a cakewalk compared to some of this nations troubled roads.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by WithDisp

It sounds like you are borderline disabled and likely shouldn't be driving at all.

I4 is a cakewalk compared to some of this nations troubled roads.

Nah... I4 is trash... Seriously. And it's not just the road itself, but also the idiot drivers. I'd rank it worse than any expressway in NYC or DC... Or Atlanta for that matter. 3 cities I'm very familiar with.

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Nah... I4 is trash... Seriously. And it's not just the road itself, but also the idiot drivers. I'd rank it worse than any expressway in NYC or DC... Or Atlanta for that matter. 3 cities I'm very familiar with.

You'd rank I-4 worse than the LIE, The Cross Bronx Expressway, The 495 in DC or the Custis (66) on a bad day?

You too probably should get checked out.

Nearly every published source never claims Orlando to have traffic issues that compare with major cities.

I-4 can have terrible drivers, it can certainly suck because of some poorly built interchanges, but it isn't a traffic shut down for hours a day, 7 days a week.


The LIE has been a massive parking lot since the day it opened, and it will NEVER get better.
I-4 is the only major artery road in a semi-big metro, so it has standard rush hour traffic. Boo-Hoo.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by WithDisp

You'd rank I-4 worse than the LIE, The Cross Bronx Expressway, The 495 in DC or the Custis (66) on a bad day?

You too probably should get checked out.

Nearly every published source never claims Orlando to have traffic issues that compare with major cities.

I-4 can have terrible drivers, it can certainly suck because of some poorly built interchanges, but it isn't a traffic shut down for hours a day, 7 days a week.


The LIE has been a massive parking lot since the day it opened, and it will NEVER get better.
I-4 is the only major artery road in a semi-big metro, so it has standard rush hour traffic. Boo-Hoo.

Okay kids, let's re-read this again, but TOGETHER this time! Make sure you're following!

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Nah... I4 is trash... Seriously. And it's not just the road itself, but also the idiot drivers. I'd rank it worse than any expressway in NYC or DC... Or Atlanta for that matter. 3 cities I'm very familiar with.

I'm not talking about strictly TRAFFIC. The overall state of the highway is, IMO, worse. It has a lot to do with the drivers and the overall design. Yes, I'd rank it worse than the LIE, the Cross Bronx, the 495, and especially the Custis. My opinion. I believe I'm entitled to that without having to be checked out.

Also, wasn't it recently named the most dangerous highway in the country?

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Okay kids, let's re-read this again, but TOGETHER this time! Make sure you're following!




I'm not talking about strictly TRAFFIC. The overall state of the highway is, IMO, worse. It has a lot to do with the drivers and the overall design. Yes, I'd rank it worse than the LIE, the Cross Bronx, the 495, and especially the Custis. My opinion. I believe I'm entitled to that without having to be checked out.

Also, wasn't it recently named the most dangerous highway in the country?

A lot of deaths on I-4, very true. Reckless drivers who are on the phone who have the joy of going 70 miles per hour. You don't see many deaths in the above mentioned roads, but you see plenty more accidents- you just don't usually DIE going 5mph.

I can't rank the state of the highway right now as it's under construction.
There's no light at the end of the tunnel in the Bronx.

You're entitled to your opinion.
Just don't expect the vast majority of people who have ever had soul crushing commutes to throw you a pity party over I-4.