why is the traffic problem so bad in the Phoenix area? (Tempe: rent, mortgages)

[Ritchie_az]

"And if you think Phx is bad, try living in Tucson! Their traffic sucks with a capital S."

It's much harder to get around in Tucson than Phoenix, IMHO.

[acrylic]

Originally Posted by Grannysroost

Minneapolis, St. Paul is a good example of that...you can park on the freeway at any given time because most parts are 2 to 3 lanes at most...give or take the rideshare lanes....and road construction...

One word...er... number:

694

Gaaaahhhhh

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by canudigit

Phoenix traffic, even during rush hour, is a piece of cake compared to cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Boston. The worst rush hour traffic I ever experienced in Phoenix was taking the 17 north from downtown to the 101, and even that was never stop and go when I drove it.

If you think Phoenix is bad, I invite you to drive into Boston on any freeway at any time of the day. Ay ay ay...Phoenix is rural compared to that rat race!

I have to drive in the Phoenix traffic each day, and it is a mess. Mornings are bad enough, but afternoon traffic seems to be twice as bad. Have you ever driven westbound on the Loop 202 from about the 143 to the 51/10 interchange during the afternoons? It literally can take a half hour sometimes for traffic to get moving between those two junctures. The really stupid part is how ADOT is widening the eastbound 202, but not doing a thing about improving the really horrendous westbound section!

No, perhaps Phoenix traffic overall isn't as horrible as L.A., Boston, New York, or Atlanta metro areas, but it is bad enough. The 202, I17, I10, and 60 seem to be the worst freeways. Listen to the traffic reports during the peak drive times. Those three roads are ALWAYS congested. Other freeways such as 143 and portions of the 101 may not be as bad. In fact, surface streets are often a better alternative during rush hour times.

[phoenixscorpiogirl]

Driving the 1-17 or I-10 after 2 o'clock is insane!
I left to go to Tucson once, just after 2 when my kids got outta school, and traffic was practically at a standstill until I reached just past the last Chandler exits off the I-10. It literally took me over an hour to get out of the Phoenix area ....so I learned to avoid that stretch of freeway between 2-6 PM!

[twiggy]

Everyone always tell me that our traffic isn't a problem? Looks pretty hairy to me when I'm crossing over the freeway pass but I don't really go down into the pit. lol

[homlish560]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

No, perhaps Phoenix traffic overall isn't as horrible as L.A., Boston, New York, or Atlanta metro areas, but it is bad enough. The 202, I17, I10, and 60 seem to be the worst freeways. Listen to the traffic reports during the peak drive times. Those three roads are ALWAYS congested. Other freeways such as 143 and portions of the 101 may not be as bad. In fact, surface streets are often a better alternative during rush hour times.

Totally agree!!!!!!!!!!! Phx. traffic is a breeze compared to places like LA but still pretty awful at times.

These are pics of Phx. Freeway traffic during Rush hour. Not stress-free by any means.

[Valley Native]

Homlish, those photos are likely of either I10 or the 60 ... but they could just as easily be the westbound Loop 202 during afternoon rush hour. I don't know how anybody can honestly say that Phoenix traffic is "rural" or "mild" compared to other cities. Maybe they drive on the less traveled roads, or late at night ... but most of the freeways are a mess during peak driving times. I discovered a long time ago that some of the surface streets tend to be less congested during rush hour, and I often use those as alternatives to the freeways.

[ibarrio]

I honestly think that traffic is not bad in Phoenix. Now keep in mind that I spent ten years in the L.A. area...

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by enigmadsm

Not denseley populated? The metropolitan area has a poplation of over 4.2 million people. That coupled with roads that were build for half that many and designed years ago, and people working/living far distances everyday with a lack of public transit system = crappy commute.

Its not all across the city after living there for a short time its fairly easy to figure out which areas are the worst. the highways during rush hour are aweful though

Yes, that's right. Phoenix is not densely populated.

A quick wikipedia inquiry will show the following:

Population density per square mile in Phoenix:

2938 sq. mi.

And that all of these other suburban style cities have higher population densities:

Los Angeles, CA: 8205 sq mi.
San Diego, CA: 4175 sq. mi
Denver, CO: 3905 sq. mi.
San Jose, CA: 5758 sq. mi.
Columbus, OH: 3556 sq. mi.
Portland, OR: 4288 sq. mi.
Portland, ME: 3029 sq. mi.
Fresno, CA: 4098 sq. mi.
Sacramento, CA: 4813 sq. mi.


....and those were just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. Yes, the Phoenix metro area has a lot of people, but the population density is low, which is probably the biggest reason why people drive everywhere and why there's so much traffic.

[miamiman]

If you think Phoenix is a pain to get around for its size, try Tucson. Phoenix at least has freeways. The picture of suburban Albuquerque is not the reason why traffic in Phoenix is so terrible. Luckily, all major streets in the Valley are laid out on a grid. If all streets in Phoenix dead-ended and curved around like in that photo, it would take forever to get anywhere.

If you think Phoenix freeway traffic is bad, you must be from a small town. The absolutely worst traffic in this country is in the DC metro (495, 295, 66 and 95) and Dallas-Fort Worth (360, 183, 121, 75, 820, 635, 35E and 35W). Hands down. Phoenix's problem is frequent slowing on freeways due to rubbernecking, drivers who think it's cute to go 10 MPH below the speed limit in random lanes, and jackasses weaving and cutting people off left and right forcing people to brake. Actual traffic due to high volume is rare for this area.