Commute times to Dearborn (Detroit, Ann Arbor: construction, live, estimate)

[Beetuna]

Hi Guys,

I know I can check out google maps, but I want some opinions of people that have done the 'real' drive and know the ins and outs of traffic in the area.

Was hoping you guys could tell me what the commute times to Dearborn are like from these areas:

• Northville / Western Northville
• Saline
• Birmingham
• West Bloomfield

Thanks!

[Coldjensens]

The correct answer is "It Depends"

Right now the 275 is under construction as is the Southfield freeway. Thus, from Northville, or West Bloomfield, you will have a considerably longer than normal commute especially during rush hours right now assumint that you go down the 275. Depending on where in Dearborn you are going the Southfiled construciton may impact you as well.

Normally, the commute from Saline would be very long, but right now, it may be faster to just jump on the 94 and come accross to Telegraph and then up to Michigan Avenue, than it would be to take any route involing the 275 or the Southfield freeways.

I guess from Birmingham, you would come right down the 75 and you will hit construction there too, plus that area north of Detroit is always trafficy.


The next factor to conside is weather. In dry clear times, you will be able to beat the Google times if you do not have traffic or construction to deal with. However in the midst of winter, you will add an hour or more to some of those commutes.

the last thing that will vary the time is where in each of these communities you live and where in Dearborn you are going to. If you are 15 - 20 minutes from the freeway entrance is will make a huge difference compared to a start point that is say 5 minutes from the freeway entrance. If your normal freeway entrance gets closed for construciton, then you could be adding another 15 minutes to half an hour. There are too many variables for anyone to really give you a meaningful answer.

Also keep in mind that our society has a wierd belief that you are somehow "cooler" if you are able to get places faster than others. Thus, when someone says that it takes an hour to get from Ann Arbor to downtown Detroit, you will always get someone who says "Nawwww, I do it in half an hour all the time" This of course is BS as it is physically impossible unless you drive about 120 on the freeway and live only ten feet from an entrance ramp and your destination is right next to the exit, and you do not have to go through any traffic lights at all. So as you get different estimates, you have to take the commnets with a grain of salt and probably add at least ten minutes on to the various assertions.

A rough but essentially useless sestimate is half an hour to an hour from Northville. An hour to hour and a half from Saline. An hour from West Bloomfield (depending greatly on your starting and ending points and what route you take), and between an hour and an hour and a half from Birmingham. That is in decent weather with average traffic and no major construction delays. These times could vary from 10-15 minutes less, up to an hour or two more with weather, traffic, and construction problems.

Oh and how fast do you drive? I am assuming that you drive 75-80 on the freeway when you can. If you drive faster, you can shave off maybe five to ten minutes ont he days that you do nto get pulled over.

[Coldjensens]

Sorry. There is construction on Michigan Avenue too. but only in one direction right now.

[Mkach]

I was commuting from West Dearborn to the Saline Hospital and on a good day it would take me 45-50 minutes. That was non rush hour traffic. I all depends on where in each of the cities you are commuting from. Locations just of the freeway tend to make the commute short. Surface streets take longer to traverse. I used to do package deliveries and can tell ya that on a bad just about any commute can take twice as long as normal.

I would suggest that no matter where you choose you take time to learn a couple of alternate routes especially now that its orange barrel season