Bee Cave Rd./FM 2244 - Avoid if you can (Houston: how much, home) - Austin - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

LakeTravisAlum · 05-12-2012, 01:51 PM

This has got to be the most stressful road that I have ever driven on. It's full of nothing but rude, crazy drivers. I try to avoid it as much as possible (kind of hard to do considering my neighborhood is off of this road).

The worst stretch of it is west of 360 to Hwy 71. I was driving home today (on a Saturday and not during rush hour) going 4 miles above the speed limit which is 60 mph. Some woman comes right up on my tail and is riding my tail almost to the point where she's about to hit me. I was in the left lane, but was going with the flow of traffic (there was no room between my car and the car in front of me). She dramatically throw her hands up in the air. I finally moved over as soon as it was safe to. She didn't get anywhere with all of that wreckless driving.

Something similar happened to me a few months earlier so I decided to avoid this stretch of road as much as I could. However, I HAD to use it today and was reminded how much I strongly dislike this road. I'm starting to think if I want to get into downtown Austin, that I should go out of my way to Hwy 71 and into town via Southwest Pkwy.

I'm from Houston and have never experienced so many rude drivers on one road before. I'm sorry about my rant, but people talking about how "laid back" and "slow paced" Austin is are just wrong.

Idlewile · 05-12-2012, 02:07 PM

Oh, I agree, Austin drivers are NOT laid back. Of course, I also wholeheartedly contest that Texas drivers are the worst in the country and seem to, more often that not, fall into two unfortunate categories 1) Dangerously aggressive and 2) I got my permit this morning. Oh, and neither uses signals, of course. I remember posting this here on my second day in Austin.

And I am NOT a slow or timid driver by any stretch of the imagination. I've driven many years in the Bay Area, LA, Boston, Atlanta and Denver.

All of our out of state guests have commented on the drivers here.

My experience however with tailing like you describe has ALWAYS been by a GIANT pick-up truck. You know the kind, the super, extra, heavy, special duty, Texas edition kind. For this reason alone I assumed it was ALL of Texas versus Austin... but, to me it doesn't matter since this is where I live.

atxcio · 05-12-2012, 02:09 PM

Houston traffic is worse, but I agree their drivers are much better. Most big-city drivers I've encountered are better than Austin ones. I think there is just a real crazy combination here of clueless, entitled, aggressive, and oblivious drivers. I don't see it getting any better, either.

Ah well, it's one of those things about Austin growth that is a bummer.

BevoLJ · 05-12-2012, 02:25 PM

Agree with all the above post. Especially atxcio's comment on our "crazy combination here of clueless, entitled, aggressive, and oblivious drivers." Not everyone's aggressive. Most aren't. But you combine the number of aggressive drivers with the number of oblivious and clueless drivers and it just makes them so much worse.

And on that stretch of Bee Cave I also totally agree with. I live off Bee Cave but inside of 360. Inside of 360 I have no problem, and for the most part I think the drivers are some of the friendliest in the city. And I am usually driving my scooter. But I have long since quite going Bee Cave outside 360. I'll occasionally reluctantly go as far as Barton Creek Blvd where I have a few friends who live. The limit is still 45 out just past the Westlake Presbyterian. But never any further. And even then between 360 and Barton Creek the drivers are all really horrible. It used to not be so bad. When I got my license back in the early 90's that stretch and the drivers wasn't so bad. But every since the town of Bee Caves with the new Galleria mall and the Lake Travis area have blown up it is now unbearable. It just seems like everyone is always in such a rush to get somewhere and could care less about any other people in their way. I can't think of any stretch of road in Austin I like less than that one. I would rather sit in I-35 traffic than deal with the drivers on that part of Bee Cave. Which is a real shame. It used to (and still sort of is) a very pretty drive.

tibbar · 05-12-2012, 02:44 PM

I usually don't get out in traffic much but have been commuting between the Hospital and home with 4 trips to the Airport thrown in using Ben White/290 and I-35. I have been cut off and almost sideswiped more times that I can count. The drivers seem like they can't plan on when they are going to exit and no one lets me in if I indicate I want to change lanes. I have seen more of central Austin by finding myself in a right turn only lane and no one letting me over so I just turn and find another way. I almost saw a wreck last night when 2 lanes had to turn right and the SUV in the inside lane took both lanes forcing the outside lane car to go straight to avoid a crash.

LakeTravisAlum · 05-12-2012, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Agree with all the above post. Especially atxcio's comment on our "crazy combination here of clueless, entitled, aggressive, and oblivious drivers." Not everyone's aggressive. Most aren't. But you combine the number of aggressive drivers with the number of oblivious and clueless drivers and it just makes them so much worse.

And on that stretch of Bee Cave I also totally agree with. I live off Bee Cave but inside of 360. Inside of 360 I have no problem, and for the most part I think the drivers are some of the friendliest in the city. And I am usually driving my scooter. But I have long since quite going Bee Cave outside 360. I'll occasionally reluctantly go as far as Barton Creek Blvd where I have a few friends who live. The limit is still 45 out just past the Westlake Presbyterian. But never any further. And even then between 360 and Barton Creek the drivers are all really horrible. It used to not be so bad. When I got my license back in the early 90's that stretch and the drivers wasn't so bad. But every since the town of Bee Caves with the new Galleria mall and the Lake Travis area have blown up it is now unbearable. It just seems like everyone is always in such a rush to get somewhere and could care less about any other people in their way. I can't think of any stretch of road in Austin I like less than that one. I would rather sit in I-35 traffic than deal with the drivers on that part of Bee Cave. Which is a real shame. It used to (and still sort of is) a very pretty drive.

Wow! I completely agree with absolutely everything you said.

Like Idlewile said, I'm not a slow, timid driver either - at all! I've driven all over the place. I usually drive just a bit over the speed limit and with the flow of traffic. So that was not the problem. I don't live in Houston anymore, but the last time I visited (a few weeks ago), I had ZERO problems whatsoever. I can't think of any road in Houston that is more stressful than Bee Cave Rd.

I have no problem whatsoever inside Loop 360, but once the speed limit turns from 45 mph to 60mph, all h*** breaks loose! If I didn't live off of this stretch, I would never ever use it. While it's a very pretty drive, it's also very ugly! It really is a shame.

Hill Country · 05-12-2012, 03:27 PM

Wow, so much negative here.

I commute every day on this stretch of 2244. I think it is OK. People are driving fast on this stretch, as the road is wide and open. With central lane, nothing sits in the traffic to block the flow.

I always avoid the section after 360. It is so congested, and many projects are proposed to build the additional lane in the center.

austin-steve · 05-12-2012, 03:31 PM

I drive this stretch a lot. It wold be much less stressful if people would stay to the right when not passing. That simple rule of thumb would cure a lot of the weaving in and out.

Steve

Aquitaine · 05-12-2012, 03:47 PM

In PA and NY you are required to stay right unless passing (and will get ticketed if you're just cruising in the left lane when nobody is in the right lane). Is this true in TX as well?

atxcio · 05-12-2012, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquitaine

In PA and NY you are required to stay right unless passing (and will get ticketed if you're just cruising in the left lane when nobody is in the right lane). Is this true in TX as well?

Most of the highways here in TX have a "Left lane for passing only" or "Slower traffic keep right" signs, but I never see it enforced. It's a rule of thumb that is followed fairly well in the larger cities in TX, but Austin has mostly quasi-highways with traffic lights and lower speed limits, so many people just treat them like regular roads and drive wherever they feel like.