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Of course it is a good thing, and I'm sure Philly has some traffic trouble spots, but it is nonetheless strange, given the metro area size and density. But the explanations given do help.
trsut me traffic can be nasty, growing in Philly the huge highways in the rest of country surprised me. I thought two lanes were the norm, boy I was wrong. I have a 12 mile commute that takes ~52 minutes and 11.5 are highway. But cities like Atlanta or DC, I am in awe of the congestion on 6 and 7 lane wide highways. But in terms of traffic I think you caught a good time and better road in 95 (not sure when the trip was made day/time). I also can tell you that some areas at rush hour have 35+ miles of highway gridlock to get into the city. Example the morning commute from the far western burbs 422 to 76 heading east, 35+ miles of two lane gridlock, so yes like many other large cities there is nasty traffic, especially around rush hour.
Another differenace is after the rush many of the areas are self contained, meaning more or less an urban or bumper urban area with everything in close proximity to housing, not the need to get on the archaic highways in the Philly PA side area. The Jersey side would feel more like Atlanta from the highway infrastructure standpoint
Which metro area feels larger? Philadelphia definitely feels larger in terms of population, whereas Atlanta feels larger in terms of physical size.
Why is there far less highway traffic in the Philadelphia area? This is probably due to a few reasons. Philadelphia has a lot more people who use public transportation, both in the city and the suburbs. Additionally, Atlanta is by far the largest metro in the region so there are constantly people from all over the Southeast coming in and out of Atlanta, whether it is to use the airport, go shopping, etc. This is not the case with Philadelphia, which is sandwiched between two even larger metro areas. Also in the Northeast, traveling from city to city by train or bus is a lot more common.
Is the Philadelphia suburban sprawl hidden when traveling on the highways or is there simply less than in Atlanta? I'd say it's hidden from the highway, but it also doesn't sprawl as bad as Atlanta.
Which area offers a better quality of life overall (subjective)? I'd say Philadelphia. The Philadelphia area offers its residents top notch urban life and top notch suburban life, whereas Atlanta offers its residents mediocre urban life and top notch suburban life. The Philadelphia area is also much older, so it has a much better offering of cultural and educational institutions. Quality of life in both is great, but Philadelphia just offers a better variety in my opinion.
As for metro, Atlanta! Downtown Philly is a real downtown with hustle and bustle while Atlanta's downtown is dead and kind of blighted, and it's filled with homeless people being aggressive.
As for metro, Atlanta! Downtown Philly is a real downtown with hustle and bustle while Atlanta's downtown is dead and kind of blighted, and it's filled with homeless people being aggressive.
What part of Honduras are you from?
I pick the ATL! The African American broads there be smokin and this coming from a Chinese American!
Another difference is after the rush many of the areas are self contained, meaning more or less an urban or bumper urban area with everything in close proximity to housing, not the need to get on the archaic highways in the Philly PA side area. The Jersey side would feel more like Atlanta from the highway infrastructure standpoint
Very true. In many of the southeastern cities I find people don't have a problem going 30+ minutes way across town from one area or suburb to another just to get to that 'one' particular store they want to, or to go that specific restaurant, without a second thought. But with ample interstates, it isn't really an issue, and things tend to be spread out anyway.
On the other hand, in Philadelphia, the metro has so many nice communities with everything close by that you won't really catch people impulsively jumping on the interstate to travel from one suburb to another without a very good reason - like work. And even then you may not need to drive. Even in far flung areas, SEPTA is comprehensive enough that people will do the park and ride thing. One of the reasons I think the Philadelphia area is preferable to Atlanta, at least for me is the existence of the tighter suburbs, townships, and boroughs with their own local and branded shops, restaurants, grocers, etc; all very walkable with tons of character. This also makes it a much easier place to live for anyone without a car. In fact, there are individuals who may not even leave their immediate communities very often.
The funny thing is that even with Atlanta's larger, more extensive interstates, it seems that traffic is still pretty bad. Philly has an excuse. Honestly, the roads here are sorely lacking for a city this size - and it seems they're landlocked and can't expand. Any little mishap will cause traffic to back up for miles without warning, and move like a slug. The Schuylkill? HA! I avoid that 1950s nightmare as much as possible. Side streets are just fine.
I've read on page 1 of this thread that leaving the New York City area the next control city south is Baltimore/DC. I find that odd that a city as large as Philly is not the control city going south on I-95 out of the greater NYC area.
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