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I want to compare traffic in various cities in standardized (non-subjective) terms. I'm interested in how long does it take to get (strictly on the interstates) from 10 miles outside the downtown core to the downtown core in the morning rush hour traffic and from the downtown core to 10 miles outside the downtown core in the evening rush hour traffic. If I can find out what 10 mile times are, traffic comparisons become EASY and less subjective. I can easily know where 10 miles is by either my odometer or by exit numbers, which have become standardized to be mile-based. And in fact, it might be feasible for some people to do 15 mile rush hour times. Is anybody willing to participate in a little traffic experiement and observe your city's 10 mile or 15 mile (or 20 if it applies) rush hour driving times?
I currently live in the Augusta, Ga area, and while Augusta's interstates don't run to the downtown area, I have found that the I520/I20 combination from and to the SC border for 15 miles has typically been 16 minutes in the mornings (which I'm usually on the road by 6:30am before rush hour), and 17 minutes in the 4pm time frame. With all the construction happening at the I20/I520 interchange in the past few weeks, traffic stops for several minutes at the interchange and I have chosen to commute a different route, so I don't know the "+ construction" current 15 mile time. That different route involves 10 miles on I520 which always takes 9 minutes in morning and evening.
I have done an I520W/I20W evening rush hour 12 mile commute once going to Evans, Ga where the bulk of the popular newer suburbs are, which, if I recall, took 19 minutes because the 2 miles on I20 put me off at the most crowded and backed up exit in the area. The first 10 miles took 10 minutes It took 9 minutes to go those last 2 miles without any construction strictly due to the backed up exit ramp due to the normal suburban commute.
So typically we get 10 mile, 9-10 minute and 15 mile, 17 minute interstate rush hour times between Augusta and North Augusta, SC, but more like 12 mile, 19 minute (or you could say 10 mile, 17 minute) evening interstate rush hour times between Augusta and Evans, GA based on the one time I drove that route in evening rush hour.
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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I'll give you an example of how bad it is:
I take the bus along the famous 125th st in Manhattan, about 3 avenues to the bridge. I'm not sure about the distance, but it could be walked in about ~7 minutes. When I'm on the bus at 3:15, it can sometimes take up to 35 minutes in dead stop traffic.
I give it 1 full page before someone who doesn't live in an urban area posts a photo of some tree-lined country road and make some comment about all the "city dwellers" being jealous.
In Portland, Maine it took about 10 minutes to go 10 miles to/from the city core on a rush (I-295). "Rush Hour" traffic wasn't an issue.
In Providence RI it can take 20-30 minutes on average. I-195 INBOUND was much worse than the outbound commute.
Boston can take 30-40+ minutes depending on exactly where/when you're coming from on I-93. I've heard I-90 is a bit smoother, but I've never done it myself. I find that traffic flows a bit easier on I-93 NORTH of the city (both in and outbound). South of the city can be a real pain.
I take the bus along the famous 125th st in Manhattan, about 3 avenues to the bridge. I'm not sure about the distance, but it could be walked in about ~7 minutes. When I'm on the bus at 3:15, it can sometimes take up to 35 minutes in dead stop traffic.
Location: Concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
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I know the Cross Bronx expressway was named the highway with the most traffic in the country or something. That road is a nightmare. I avoid it at all costs. Even in the middle of the night there's traffic. One of the exits is known to be America's worst intersections:
In St. Louis, (where many people live in the city and work in the county and vice versa) from about 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M., and 5:00 P.M. to 6:30 P.M., the interstate highways going to the county and into the city are pretty bad. I just can't imagine being one of the many people who waste countless minutes each day stuck in traffic on the way home from work.
10 miles out from downtown during rush hour is 20-30. Not bad at all.
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