Traffic Patterns in Portland (Sandy: sales, neighborhood, construction)

[fozzy40]

Hello,

I will be relocating to PDX from Chicago. I am looking at living in either Northwest, Southwest, or Southeast Portland. My work is going to be in Vancouver. My question is what the traffic pattern is like in the morning (7-8am)? Which interstate has more traffic heading north on I-5 vs. I-205?

Thanks again!

[Larry Caldwell]

You will be better off taking the 205 bridge.

[davemess10]

Agreed, I-5 has a carpool lane going North, but 205 is almost always a bit faster flowing.

That said, I would definitely keep your search to SE and NE (which are the two better quadrants in my opinion anyway).

[Nell Plotts]

For several reasons many of us recommend that if you work in Vancouver you should live in Vancouver. What are your reasons for commuting north?

[fozzy40]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

For several reasons many of us recommend that if you work in Vancouver you should live in Vancouver. What are your reasons for commuting north?

For my job I'll have to commute to Portland and Vancouver.

[Nell Plotts]

Ahh...

If you commute to both Portland and Vancouver the time you spend working in Oregon can be pro-rated for Washington residents, I believe. You may want to take the Oregon tax return for a spin based on your expectations of work time in each state and income to see if living in WA is something to consider. You do know that WA has no income tax, just a sales tax and a variety of use taxes, while OR has an income tax only. Your employer may not choose to document this but if you keep a good diary it can be done.

That said, unless your Vancouver workplace is in 'downtown' Vancouver your best commute is over the 205 bridge.

You didn't mention where your Portland workplace will be and whether or not that will be your primary place of work. It may be wise to live between them.

The other factor to consider is what you desire in the way of neighborhood environment and budget. NW Portland has an urban vibe with a lot of street life, is in high demand [avoid the Old Town section of NW, the housing along the north waterfront has no vibe and is less desirable] and thus a more expensive place to live. The urban vibe can also be found along Hawthorne, along Broadway at about 14th, Sandy around 44th for example.

[davemess10]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

That said, unless your Vancouver workplace is in 'downtown' Vancouver your best commute is over the 205 bridge.

It's pretty easy to get to downtown Vancouver from 205, it's just a matter of taking 14 across.

[Nell Plotts]

If the OP is traveling to Vancouver before 3 PM he won't encounter daunting traffic. It appears that the I-5 bridge reconstruction will be further delayed so that won't be an issue for a while.

[fozzy40]

Thanks for everyone's input!

[EnricoV]

Yeah, luckily, you'll be going against traffic. So your commute probably won't be too bad using either bridge.