Is Austin Traffic really THAT Bad? (San Antonio, Kyle: hair salon, apartment, to rent)

[centralaustinite]

Weirdly, my 8 mile commute has gotten better because I live central, just south of the river and I go north on I35 in the morning, through downtown to 290 E, and the heaviest traffic on the adjoining roads has now moved well south (Stasseney) and well north (Grand Ave Parkway) and that is where accidents are more common. It is slow moving crossing the river every day but then quickly opens up. 15 years ago the choke points were closer in to the south (William Cannon, Oltorf, Riverside) as well as north (St John's, 51st, Airport) and my morning drive was closer to 30 minutes, now it is reliably 20. Development changes congestion patterns in all sorts of ways! I know there is some sort of measurable effect when traffic gets heavy enough that people stop changing lanes to "maximize their speed" which slows the overall speed significantly and the heavier traffic actually moves a bit faster overall and accidents are reduced as well. I think this is what now happens through downtown, further out you get drivers frustrated by the long effort to get on the highway and less steady traffic when they get on, so changes in speed and changes in lanes, and then bam! accidents.

[Letsgochamp]

Originally Posted by MrJones17

I lived off of East Parmer Lane and took 35 and some random back roads in to work each day. Traffic really wasn't too bad. I'm from the Northeast, so maybe I'm use to it, but there were never days where I was in traffic for hours in Austin. I think it's a well-planned city, even the sprawling areas outside of the city.

The other nice thing about Austin is the toll roads are barely ever used it seems and the speed limits are higher. So if you don't mind paying, you could always use those roads if you're looking to get rid of sitting in traffic.

I agree with Mr Jones. I recently move to Austin from the northeast and the traffic here isn't as bad. I guess it depends on what you're used to. I drive a lot for work so I'm in this traffic every day but I've noticed myself complaining much less about traffic in Texas than I did in NYC and NJ. I've also been in LA traffic so Austin traffic isn't nearly as bad as bigger cities. Sometimes I'll avoid the highways and find back roads that are empty during rush hour. In North NJ and NY, EVERY street has traffic.

[Bo]

In the past couple years I've had 2 instances of leaving events in the downtown area of Austin in late afternoon on a weekday. In both instances, it took me 90 minutes to get out of Travis County on I-35, which is more time than it took to drive the rest of the way to home in San Antonio.

Yes, your traffic is bad, compared to San Antonio's.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Bo

In the past couple years I've had 2 instances of leaving events in the downtown area of Austin in late afternoon on a weekday. In both instances, it took me 90 minutes to get out of Travis County on I-35, which is more time than it took to drive the rest of the way to home in San Antonio.

Yes, your traffic is bad, compared to San Antonio's.

I have that happen in reverse! Leave NB around five and spend as much time getting from NB to the approach to Stassney as I do getting from the Stassney exit of I35 to home! And I live south of downtown!

[Austinite76]

Originally Posted by Bo

In the past couple years I've had 2 instances of leaving events in the downtown area of Austin in late afternoon on a weekday. In both instances, it took me 90 minutes to get out of Travis County on I-35, which is more time than it took to drive the rest of the way to home in San Antonio.

Yes, your traffic is bad, compared to San Antonio's.

Strangely. We DGAF. Thanks for leaving your money!

[10scoachrick]

I'd say if you were driving southbound on MoPac between 2222 and the river on any Saturday in the past two months, you would think traffic IS THAT BAD. Gridlock city.

[JR_Austin21]

I think it's all relative. I hate it, but that is because I live outside of Austin and am spoiled. My California and Houston clients think the traffic is laughable. And YES, compared to places in Europe (you hit the nail on the head with Paris) the traffic here is a walk in the park.

[stan4]

It was already untenable in the 1990s when I lived there.
Can't imagine dealing with it now.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Letsgochamp

I agree with Mr Jones. I recently move to Austin from the northeast and the traffic here isn't as bad. I guess it depends on what you're used to. I drive a lot for work so I'm in this traffic every day but I've noticed myself complaining much less about traffic in Texas than I did in NYC and NJ. I've also been in LA traffic so Austin traffic isn't nearly as bad as bigger cities. Sometimes I'll avoid the highways and find back roads that are empty during rush hour. In North NJ and NY, EVERY street has traffic.

Yes, but the northeast, specifically NYC, has a far superior mass transit system. I didn't learn how to drive until I was in my mid thirties, picture that. Sure there's plenty of gridlock in NYC but that only affects the suburbanites who refuse to use Metro North. Most native New Yorkers take public transit.

Traffic into and through Austin in horrible. I have friends who live in town who say their commute from the eastern part of the city to their kid's school on Lamar can take up to an hour. An HOUR. He is actually amazed by this and I don't blame him. This is coming from a guy who has lived in Austin for much of his life. There are few "back roads" that can help many of the commuters here as they all end up leading to the "main roads" that are always gunked up.

I don't complain about it though. Call it capitulation or resignation. I am very happy where I moved and if I wanted to move closer, I would. but actually moving into the city wouldn't save me much time in traffic at all. Short of living centrally, all of the other northern locations have local traffic that can take over thirty minutes (I commute into downtown).

[SweethomeSanAntonio]

Originally Posted by Bo

In the past couple years I've had 2 instances of leaving events in the downtown area of Austin in late afternoon on a weekday. In both instances, it took me 90 minutes to get out of Travis County on I-35, which is more time than it took to drive the rest of the way to home in San Antonio.

Yes, your traffic is bad, compared to San Antonio's.

I have been to Austin many times and luckily haven't experienced any heavy traffic congestion other than on I-35. Hopefully Austin does build up its mass transit or freeway system in coming years to handle the growing population. If Austin added roughly 800,000 people to Travis county it would be the size of S.A/Bexar County and it would then have a horrendous traffic problem when it reaches that size.