Driving tips in Tucson (Phoenix, Oro Valley: apartment, rent, condos)

[cjseliga]

Having lived in midtown Tucson for 7 years, I would probably say 95% of all the green arrows in the city are "lagging" and usually the other 5% that are "leading" will have a sign saying that, because people are so used to/or assume it's lagging.

I thought I once read, the reason Tucson has "lagging" arrows, was because there was some study or studies (back in the day) showing it to be slightly safer than "leading" arrows. Not sure if lagging is truly safer than leading.

You just have to keep an eye out for the opposite lanes (to you) turning left, especially when you have a red light and want to turn right on red.

I've seen people "gun it" doing a right turn on red to beat the cars making a left turn on the lagging green arrow.

You'll get use to it!

[Bygeorge]

Tucson is a train wreck for driving. The love affair with bicycles has caused many a death and injury. Way too many cyclists ride around as if they are invulnerable and drivers of cars drive as if there are no cyclists. Oh, then there are the pedestrian crossing lights. You stop. But when the red lights begin blinking it becomes stop and go except for the idiot who either remains stopped or who plows into the back of you because they do not get the stop and go routine with the blinking red lights. Double left turn lanes oh my. And long before the left turn arrow appears, the left turners are creeping way out into the intersection. Who thought up this mess? Then there are the entrance lanes on I-10 westbound on the east side of town which give you every bit of 33.5 feet of entrance lane. Tucson is doomed to choke on its traffic. Heaven forbid you have an appointment on the opposite side of town. You will need to leave home 2 hours early---just in case.

Humbug!!!

[elkotronics]

Or, if you're fortunate enough to be near an I-10 on-ramp you can just get on I-10 and get where you need to get on the periphery faster than if you are stuck in the middle somewhere. Heaven help you if that is the case, because you will need some good tunes on your stereo and a nice dosage of patience. You will need it.

[dirtydan57]

I don't find Tucson hard to drive in. Trailing green arrows took getting used to. Now I just don't stop in the middle of unfamiliar intersections. As in every city I've driven in, there are differing driving styles. Some speed, some speed limit and some dodder. I don't weave in and out, I get in the lane I need, drive at whatever speed we're traveling and ride it out. Heck, I'm retired, no hurry. I guess my biggest concern is pedestrians/bikes at night. Tucson streets aren't well lighted and I've been 'surprised' a couple of times turning. Gotta stay vigilant.

Speeding isn't limited to Tucson. Driving back and forth to Phoenix I'm often in 85 - 90 MPH flow of traffic. I'm not complaining - I like going with the flow and can get'er done.

Lovin' Tucson!!

[observer53]

Turning right on red after a complete stop is ALWAYS legal unless posted otherwise ("No right on red" sign).

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by dirtydan57

I don't find Tucson hard to drive in. Trailing green arrows took getting used to. Now I just don't stop in the middle of unfamiliar intersections. As in every city I've driven in, there are differing driving styles. Some speed, some speed limit and some dodder. I don't weave in and out, I get in the lane I need, drive at whatever speed we're traveling and ride it out. Heck, I'm retired, no hurry. I guess my biggest concern is pedestrians/bikes at night. Tucson streets aren't well lighted and I've been 'surprised' a couple of times turning. Gotta stay vigilant.

Speeding isn't limited to Tucson. Driving back and forth to Phoenix I'm often in 85 - 90 MPH flow of traffic. I'm not complaining - I like going with the flow and can get'er done.

Lovin' Tucson!!

Arizona is part of the Dark Skies Ordinance, so there is compliance with keeping lighting at a minimium because of the many astronomy observatories in the state.

http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/1...kies-ordinance

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...tice/25968867/

[meo92953]

Originally Posted by observer53

Turning right on red after a complete stop is ALWAYS legal unless posted otherwise ("No right on red" sign).

I soon learned that. I do feel bad that I wasn't sure at first & must have inconvenienced a few people. No one was rude though, they must have noticed my Minnesota plates & just shook their heads.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by Colt AZ

Arizona is part of the Dark Skies Ordinance, so there is compliance with keeping lighting at a minimium because of the many astronomy observatories in the state.

Pima County approves updated Dark Skies Ordinance - Tucson News Now

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...tice/25968867/

This makes so much sense. I visited Tucson last Oct and arrived after dark. Your fwy lights fried my eyes I was practically blind when I pulled into the hotel. The left turn lanes sure took getting used to but by Sunday I liked them. I was driving back to my hotel from downtown after dark and practically got a anxiety attack! I couldn't see what was happening around me!! My eyes are used to city living and if I move there it will take getting used to or I just not drive after dark. I'm not a senior citizen either I'm 52

[AndyAMG]

It depends on the time and day what your driving experience is like in Tucson. 3-5PM on Friday.. people just drive so dumb.

People always told me how awful Las Vegas is. But I found Vegas neat and orderly compared to Tucson. I have never seen so many accidents that happened in front of me or had just happened than in Tucson.

That unprotected trailing leaves me shaking my head almost daily. Hopefully they outlaw it eventually. I have heard rumblings of outlawing the unprotected left. It would be okay if people could actually see and make good judgement calls but many times its the floor it and pray method.

I have lost count of the amount of time I have had to slow down to 20 to accommodate some idiot who didn't have a clear shot and went anyway. I have also lost count of the amount of times I could not see anything but the cars waiting on the opposite side and someone honked a few short angry bursts of the horn over going 10-20 seconds sooner.


I have a few Tucson traffic tips:

1. Always drive with the assumption that the other cars on the road with you are going to do something very stupid in your presence that will affect you directly... Even if they are two lanes over. Because eventually you will be that person.

2. At unprotected left turns: Don't go just because the person next to you went, and don't go if you can't see. Let the neanderthal behind you test out their horn a few times. I don't know that guy and I don't care about him. So I'm not going to be intimidated into going if i can't see. Getting T-boned at 50 is not worth 10-20 seconds of time savings as some Tucsonans believe.

3. If you are turning left, just assume the oncoming car turning right will not stay in the lane closest to where he started. He/She will immediately cut across 3 lanes not giving a single solitary..care for your "right of way" or "rules of the road" same for if you are turning right on red. Never assume the cars turning left will go into the left 2 lanes many times people will try to hit the first driveway into a shopping center so they will immediately cut over into the right most lane.

4. Don't be overly courteous. Just drive and get in where you fit in. If someone motions you to go at a 4 way stop, don't hesitate. Floor it and stare at them in threatening manner. Next time they won't motion anyone to go. Especially if you yell out "Dirty-T 520 mafia!" as you do it. (This happened to me.)

5. Don't expect people to make a hole for you. They won't. You have to make the hole. If you want to move into another lane you can leave that turn signal on for a year and the car behind and to the side won't move an inch back and may even move forward. The proper technique is begin moving the way you want to go aggressively stopping just short of going ofer the lines, then tap your turn signal stock just one time and complete the maneuver careful to not rear end the car that is now 3 feet in front of your bumper.

6. But he had a stop sign! Doesn't matter. At non-lighted intersections don't assume the meth head twenty something in the ragged 95 S-10 has seen the stop sign partly hidden in the Palo Verde tree. They are way to busy texting their dealer to notice that octagonal red suggestion to stop. Even if it is a 4 way, don't assume anyone is going to stop. And if you stop make it brief and then go.

7. If you aren't prepared for a speeding ticket stay out of the left lane. These are the posted speeds and actual speeds.

Residential neighborhoods: 25 actual: 35. unless you have a "sweet" car then make sure you do at least 45 and everyone hears your obnoxious exhaust, extra points if you have a big stupid diesel truck and peel out onto the main road at 5 am. Your a hard working man with a stupid truck and you're so mad you're going to work at 5 am so you want to make sure the neighborhood knows how much torque your stupid truck has.

Inner city streets: 35: Actual: up to 50. You're important and you have important stuff to do, especially on a Sunday. All these snow birds doing the speed limit is so angering. Make sure that you do at least 50 before you are inevitably stopped by a stop light in a half mile. Then make sure you look away from the snowbird so as not to validate their belief that you doing 50 was unnecessary and you just ended up at the same light at the same time.

6 lane divider roads: 40. Actual: 50 minimum, 60 starts the worlds most boring drag race from light to light and 70 well now your just too cool for school especially if you run the light.

There are exceptions: Kolb if your doing less than 75 through the boneyard trough you are wrong! Same with Golf Links and Aviation highway.

Houghton super speedway: 50. 60 minumum. Really its like Tucson's Autobahn. Extra points if you are doing over 80 on loud Harley without a helmet and behind you is your wife also without a helmet wearing a tank top. Ah yes Houghton between Rita and Irvington. They just paved it so it's nice an smooth with wide lanes. Who's to tell you your 1996 Mustang v6 isn't cool? So maybe you've never changed the brakes and your tires have uneven wear, and you actually have only driven stick for a few weeks. Prove them wrong and show them how cool you really are by driving over 100 weaving in and out of traffic and tailgating in a menacing fashion.

On second though maybe don't: One man killed in accident on Houghton near Irvington Roads - KVOA | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona.

I-10? you mean the I-tenobahn? It's 75 from Houghton to Kolb, and then its 65 after Kolb. But did anyone really see that sign? I know I don't. Construction zone? 55? not like those lazy AZDOT workers are out there anyway. How long did it take them to get that stretch from prince to I-19 done 15 years? The Ina, Orange Grove project? Done in 2020... maybe? Have you even see construction workers out there? No because your doing 80, so of course you don't see them, duh. Out of sight out of mind.

Pedestrians? 10 points! Don't even stop. Tucson police: Hit-and-run driver kills woman walking across Broadway | Local news | tucson.com

Third deadly pedestrian crash this year in Tucson - KVOA | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona

Of course when you do all these things there may be a consequence.

UPDATE: Crash turns fatal, parts of I-10 closed near Cortaro - KVOA | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona


KOLD EXCLUSIVE: Son of man killed in road-rage incident speaks o - Tucson News Now


N4T Investigators: Woman records road-rage incident - KVOA | KVOA.com | Tucson, Arizona

Man shot in Saturday night road-rage incident in northwest Tucson | Crime | tucson.com

Man in Tucson road rage incident dies | Crime | tucson.com

UPDATE: DPS identifies victim in fatal I-10, Alvernon crash - WSMV News 4

So yeah stay safe out there. It really is bad here.

[mtnbkr5]

The driver "a-hole" factor tends to increase as you head north. And northwest

I will admit that roads are very poorly engineered and designed. These include:

The I-19 and I-10 interchange
Should have seen it before the remodel.
Alvernon Rd. south of 22nd St.
Oh yes!
The City of Tucson's faux roundabouts which make it difficult for motorists to see pedestrians
I HATE roundabouts
A lack of consistency as to when left turn arrows will occur.
Know a few that were ticketed in that 1-2 second pause between the red and green arrow
Crosswalk lights that many do not understand.
I wish they would stay green longer.
The general lack of maintenance of roads in the City of Tucson and the southern unincorporated portions of Pima County.[/quote]
Grrrrrr!