Traffic - how does everyone deal with it?! (Austin: to live in, shop)

[RoadWarrior12]

So. "How do you deal with traffic" was the question, right?

From someone who drives 45-60,000 miles per year all over Texas and other states, here's a quick primer.

1. Sirius/XM subscription. When the going gets tough, the tough head to the comedy stations.

2. Realize that YOU are not that important, not are you more important than the person in front of you. Hang back, relax. You ain't getting there any faster sweetheart.

3. Think of it like plane travel. No sense pushing to the front of the line, everyone lands at the same time (hopefully).

4. Find something to do. My Spanish has improved dramatically, dabbled in Russian for a bit.

5. When in doubt, chicken out. Go get a soda, a bottle of water, whatever. Stop at an empty park or turnout for 15 minutes and mock the sheep in the gridlock like you're better than them, even though you're not. It'll still make you feel better.

6. Get closer to family. Not on Facebook - real conversations. A couple years ago, I started calling random relatives out of the blue, now my entire family has begun talking. We even have a reunion planned. Given our history , this has been worth every awkward opening conversation.

7. Relax. That episode of "Suits" wasn't that important, and you're the moron that made this move. You chose where you lived, and where you worked.

So, 14 years doing this, somewhere north of half a million miles with no accidents. Anyone else have actual traffic tips that do good, rather than just bitching about choices?

[Soviet]

Beautifully written. Especially #6, I never would have thought of that.

[hillcountryheart]

Originally Posted by Novacek

When it's 5 miles from downtown within the urban core.

I don't think that you are going to pack all jobs and all residents into a 5 mile radius of downtown. AMD is a major employer and some of its employees likely live in the urban core. At any rate, the idea that only a certain area should be considered for rail is *exactly* why this proposition will and should fail at the polls.

[jwynne2000]

Originally Posted by RoadWarrior12

So. "How do you deal with traffic" was the question, right?

From someone who drives 45-60,000 miles per year all over Texas and other states, here's a quick primer.

1. Sirius/XM subscription. When the going gets tough, the tough head to the comedy stations.

2. Realize that YOU are not that important, not are you more important than the person in front of you. Hang back, relax. You ain't getting there any faster sweetheart.

3. Think of it like plane travel. No sense pushing to the front of the line, everyone lands at the same time (hopefully).

4. Find something to do. My Spanish has improved dramatically, dabbled in Russian for a bit.

5. When in doubt, chicken out. Go get a soda, a bottle of water, whatever. Stop at an empty park or turnout for 15 minutes and mock the sheep in the gridlock like you're better than them, even though you're not. It'll still make you feel better.

6. Get closer to family. Not on Facebook - real conversations. A couple years ago, I started calling random relatives out of the blue, now my entire family has begun talking. We even have a reunion planned. Given our history , this has been worth every awkward opening conversation.

7. Relax. That episode of "Suits" wasn't that important, and you're the moron that made this move. You chose where you lived, and where you worked.

So, 14 years doing this, somewhere north of half a million miles with no accidents. Anyone else have actual traffic tips that do good, rather than just bitching about choices?

Bravo.

Bluetooth audio + podcasts are also a great way to learn a few things while you're just sitting there. The TuneIn app is a lifesaver.

[centralaustinite]

Audio books for the win!! Also I have had some great conversations with my kids while driving.

[lighthouse2000]

My wife and I work from home....so we don't have to fight the rush traffic. If we want to get motivated, just drive around 5 pm, and then we come back hoe to work harder in our home businesses...

G

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by hillcountryheart

I don't think that you are going to pack all jobs and all residents into a 5 mile radius of downtown. AMD is a major employer and some of its employees likely live in the urban core. At any rate, the idea that only a certain area should be considered for rail is *exactly* why this proposition will and should fail at the polls.

That's basic, fundamental transportation design. _Urban_ rail should be placed there, in the urban core. Commuter rail can stretch out further.

If a bunch of AMD employees live downtown, then run a shuttle bus from downtown to AMD in the morning. It'll be contra-flow so it doesn't need exclusive lanes.


Are you seriously claiming that frequent service, exclusive running urban rail should run to literally _every_ employer in the entirety of the metro? At a cost of probably 10s of billions?

[hillcountryheart]

Originally Posted by Novacek

That's basic, fundamental transportation design. _Urban_ rail should be placed there, in the urban core. Commuter rail can stretch out further.

If a bunch of AMD employees live downtown, then run a shuttle bus from downtown to AMD in the morning. It'll be contra-flow so it doesn't need exclusive lanes.

Are you seriously claiming that frequent service, exclusive running urban rail should run to literally _every_ employer in the entirety of the metro? At a cost of probably 10s of billions?

I said "rail." If you want to use Toronto as an example, commuter rail (GO) runs to the suburbs. The subway system there replaces "urban rail" if you mean < 5 mile radius of Bloor and Yonge.

If commuters are expected to help fund "urban rail" but they don't have connectivity to it, they will stop wanting to fund it. We're in the interesting position due to sprawl where in more compact cities, the commuters would not be voting and paying for bonds on "urban rail" whereas many Austinites will choose whether or not to okay bonds for something they can't really use.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by hillcountryheart

I said "rail." If you want to use Toronto as an example, commuter rail (GO) runs to the suburbs. The subway system there replaces "urban rail" if you mean < 5 mile radius of Bloor and Yonge.

If AMD wants to move themselves to a site alongside existing freight rail (the only place we run commuter rail), then sure, I imagine they'd eventually be served.

BTW, we are talking about the SW Parkway site of AMD, right (10 mile from downtown)? As the Ben White site is within bike range of the proposed grove rail station.

[randomman]

Traffic will never improve, because the attitude of Texans, and all Americans, to be fair, is that "growth" is good in and of itself, regardless of the effects. So it will get worse and worse until we exhaust whatever is left of the planet's finite supply of oil, and then it will get better because nobody will be able to get anywhere.