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Hi there. Was just curious about how the traffic is in Raleigh. I'm sure it has gotten worse due to the influx of new residents, however is it viewed as a major problem? Thoughts? Thanks.
We don't leave our house after work since we will inevitably sit in traffic for .5 hours just to get anywhere. I get cut off daily by the poor drivers in the area too and have had too many close calls to mention.
Honestly I think it depends on where you are going, coming from etc. Are you talking traffic to get home to which part of raleigh from where? Many many people are commuting from research triangle park, and yes traffic from raleigh north is thick and heavy from 430 until 630 ish. But, thick and heavy are different than bumper to bumper sitting and waiting in traffic (like I experienced going from the park to the south side of cary/apex). So, it depends!
We don't leave our house after work since we will inevitably sit in traffic for .5 hours just to get anywhere. I get cut off daily by the poor drivers in the area too and have had too many close calls to mention.
You should see the MASSACHUSETT's Turnpike on a friday afternoon 4-7pm
bumper to bumper. can't wait to see heavy traffic!
Depends on where you choose to live, and where your job is. If you live half a mile from work, it's not going to be a big deal, obviously.
Also, the older, more established areas tend to have a little less because road construction has been better able to keep up with growth.
Personal example: I live on one edge of downtown, work on the other edge of downtown, and do 90% of my shopping, eating out, etc, in and around downtown. I also bicycle to nearby places when the weather's good. My time spent in traffic is thus very very low.
It's definitely not as bad as Washington/Boston/etc..., and probably never will be.
Having said that, there are no major road projects planned on being funded by NCDOT before 2012. Because of the way gas taxes are distributed throughout the state, Wake county residents pay more in gas taxes to the state than they get in return....the rest goes to rural counties. For the past decade or so, we were actually getting our 'fair share', but now NCDOT says that it's time for Raleigh to 'pay back' the state, and therefore isn't funding any large-scale projects until after 2012. The one exception is the Western Wake Expressway (I-540), and that's going to be funded mainly through tolls.
Some projects planned and now not funded...
- Expand I-40 from Wade Ave to US-1
- Expand I-440 from US-1 to Wade Ave.
- Expand US-1 to expressway from I-540 to Wake Forest.
I thought the tollway thing for 540 was just under consideration - I know there's a lot of opposition to it. I don't think the toll idea is a done deal yet.
Not to start any fires here, but I'm amused by the fact that there is an NC Turnpike Authority - and no turnpikes - and there's also an administrative body under TTA for commuter rail, yet no rail in sight for the near future. I get a chuckle out of it, I don't know if anyone else here does.
As far as traffic goes, any section of I-40 can be a bear - but yes, managable compared to larger cities like Houston, Chicago, or DC. I've never made a rush hour drive on Hwy 1 to Apex since the project there finished up a couple of weeks back. I know it was a real pain before, how much it has improved - I personally don't know. With all the growth out that way I wouldn't expect it to last long until 540 is completed in that part of Wake County.
Without hesitating, I can say that the 70 Bypass around Clayton can't be finished soon enough. There should be a lottery game to see how many more traffic lights can be added to "old" 70 before the bypass opens!
I thought the tollway thing for 540 was just under consideration - I know there's a lot of opposition to it. I don't think the toll idea is a done deal yet.
I've been trying to follow it (it would halve my commute ), and it sounds like it's a pretty good bet right now. The options are...
1) Make it a toll road, in which case construction starts in 2007 and is complete in 2010.
2) Use NCDOT funds, in which case construction does not start until after 2020.
So essentially, it's a toll road, or it's no road.
Depends on where you choose to live, and where your job is. If you live half a mile from work, it's not going to be a big deal, obviously.
Also, the older, more established areas tend to have a little less because road construction has been better able to keep up with growth.
Personal example: I live on one edge of downtown, work on the other edge of downtown, and do 90% of my shopping, eating out, etc, in and around downtown. I also bicycle to nearby places when the weather's good. My time spent in traffic is thus very very low.
Sounds like a great place to live.
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Not bad yet....but....
), and it sounds like it's a pretty good bet right now. The options are...
