Orlando has horrible traffic (Deltona, Oviedo: real estate, home, buying)

[Metallisteve]

I remember when Universal Studios Orlando was opening up and everyone was buzzing about how Orlando was going to steal the thunder away from the western US as far as movie making goes. Then Steven Spielberg visited the city and said he'd never make a movie in Orlando because of the traffic (and the legend even goes as far as to quot him as blaming it all on I-4). Classic. You won't find that written or documented anywhere...just passed around by word of mouth through the people that are/were in the industry (I know a few...which is how I heard this)

I do have to clear one thing up to the original poster...as much as I agree 1000% with the topic, there was never a vote in Winter Springs or Oviedo to not have a grid system. You're way off base there. I will agree however that the NIMBY attitude is one of the largest reasons why the roads are the way they are. Next time you're in another metro city, take note at how many different ways in and out of a neighborhood there are. Then take note of Florida and how few there are...the brick walls surrounding the neighborhood...a gate sometimes at the front of the neighborhood (that really only works at best two weeks of every month before someone rams it). These are all NIMBY spawned problems that add to the traffic problem.

[rich renter]

traffic aint bad at all, i travel from maitland/appopka area to sanford at riush hour, (a little over 20 miles) takes just under 30 mins normally, not bad for rush hour, but the lights along sr 46 are timed brutally, you get one red light then the next one will turn red about 20 seconds after you get the green from the first light to make sure u get every red light on the road

[Metallisteve]

Originally Posted by rich renter

traffic aint bad at all, i travel from maitland/appopka area to sanford at riush hour, (a little over 20 miles) takes just under 30 mins normally, not bad for rush hour, but the lights along sr 46 are timed brutally, you get one red light then the next one will turn red about 20 seconds after you get the green from the first light to make sure u get every red light on the road

You're heading in an arguably "against the traffic" direction...very lucky to have a commute in this direction!

I could tell you stories of how traffic lights are actually purposely timed in the manner in which you descirbe for the sake of either encouraging people to stay in a certain area or to discourage them from using a certain road. Sounds assinine, but it is a standard practice by traffic planners.

[TrishP7]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

Don't kid yourselves. It is terrible. It isn't DC or LA but it is still very bad traffic for a metro area with as few people as Orlando has. Orlando ranks 6 nationally, and beats out Miami.

Only Orlando, in Florida, does it take you 45 minutes to drive to a place that's no more than ten miles away. And this wasn't even technically "rush hour", but I'll tell you what, the 436 looked worse than rush hour traffic in many midwestern cities- and it wasn't even rush hour.

Blame it on moron developers and legislatures, the NIMBY attitudes of places like Winter Springs and Oviedo that voted against "grid" streets. Blame it on the general stupidity of a people that can be sold enough rope to hang themselves.

To top it all off, the drivers down here are some of the most stupid and inconsiderate drivers in the country. If you move down here, get used to somebody not using a turn signal or hovering around in your blind spot and deciding to pass you at the last minute- on the right. Get used to people who drift stopsigns or figure that whoever has the most massive vehicle, has the right of way. Get used to it.

I hate when these people cut me off the way they do..I get outraged !! Where did they get their driver's license from..Toys R US?? I just don't get it!!

[Alphaman]

try going from downtown to the east side during rush hr. or colonial drive.

[FlaBoundGal]

I remember back around 1998 a person getting shot and killed for going to slow through the E-Z pass lane on the Greenway. It's a crazy world!

[Magnulus]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

I do have to clear one thing up to the original poster...as much as I agree 1000% with the topic, there was never a vote in Winter Springs or Oviedo to not have a grid system. You're way off base there.

I read about it in the local paper. I believe it was the city council, not citizens directly voting. The big movers and shakers in these towns are not only anti-growth, they are pro-gridlock. Regina Bereswill, former city councilwoman in Oviedo, is a perfect example. She had a road block placed on her street. Now she's rewarded with an economic developement job, which is just icing on the cake- blocked roads are more like economic undevelopement, if you ask me.

These inept city councils waste money on things like horse trails and golf courses (not kidding here), but don't spend money on needed infrastructure- they build those things suppossedly to fight "sprawl" and preserve green space but it doesn't really work- the roads still suck, which is just as bad as sprawl. The only thing that's putting a pinch on them, is the statewide "tax reform" that passed a couple months ago, and that's not necessarily a good thing as it's cutting money to everything.

[msaRick]

Originally Posted by Magnulus

I read about it in the local paper. I believe it was the city council, not citizens directly voting. The big movers and shakers in these towns are not only anti-growth, they are pro-gridlock. Regina Bereswill, former city councilwoman in Oviedo, is a perfect example. She had a road block placed on her street. Now she's rewarded with an economic developement job, which is just icing on the cake- blocked roads are more like economic undevelopement, if you ask me.

These inept city councils waste money on things like horse trails and golf courses (not kidding here), but don't spend money on needed infrastructure- they build those things suppossedly to fight "sprawl" and preserve green space but it doesn't really work- the roads still suck, which is just as bad as sprawl. The only thing that's putting a pinch on them, is the statewide "tax reform" that passed a couple months ago, and that's not necessarily a good thing as it's cutting money to everything.

Read through the Sentinel and you can't help but notice that the city councils governing the towns surrounding Orlando (Maitland and Winter Park come to mind) have very small town mentalities and are really trying to fight the inevitable. All that they really do is making our growing pains much worse.

As a related topic, does anyone think the planned commuter rail will hope? And does anyone else feel like I do that some how our local government will find a way to F*%$ this oppurtunity up?

[rich renter]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

You're heading in an arguably "against the traffic" direction...very lucky to have a commute in this direction!

I could tell you stories of how traffic lights are actually purposely timed in the manner in which you descirbe for the sake of either encouraging people to stay in a certain area or to discourage them from using a certain road. Sounds assinine, but it is a standard practice by traffic planners.

from maitland to sanford at 4.30-5.30 pm is not against rush hour trafic

[bdpop]

I read somewhere that back in the 60s the orignal plan was to link Maitland Blvd with Red Bug Rd rather than end at 17-92, but the plans were fought by the local residents. There was also a plan to build a highway from downtown Orlando to the airport, but that was fought by the local residents in one of the towns it was supposed to pass through, so the plan was scrapped.

Back in the 80s, the orignal plan for the 417 has it aligned a lot further west than its current alignment. Again, because it was fought by local residents.

If the local residents keep opposing roads being built in order to have an adequate road system in Central Florida, then I guess this is what they get.