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I'm curious to know where in Cincinnati you were. Considering Cincy is home to the infamous Brent Spence Bridge, I feel like a qualifier is required here.
I spent my time not in the city proper but in the southern suburbs in Kentucky. Where I live, the suburban "beltway" traffic is just as bad as the traffic into and out of the city. But maybe it's different in Cincinnati and its environs. I did use the Brent Spence Bridge one time, but it wasn't during rush hour. I honestly don't remember what the traffic was like when I crossed it.
I sat in traffic several times where we inched along, delayed by up to 45 min, when I visited Houston in early 2020. It was pretty awful on the interstates and loops around the city there.
I agree with folks who said most of San Antonio, at least for its size, traffic is not terrible.
Yeah...not sure which part of Houston that OP visited. West Loop between 59 and I-10 is basically congested from 7am to 11pm. West Beltway? 3pm to 8pm. And let's not even get started on Gulf Freeway even after endless construction, or I-10 West which has LA style traffic (6 lanes each direction of bumper to bumper traffic).
Houston traffic makes even Austin traffic during rush hour looks good.
For another larger metro, add Indy to the list - Yes, I-465 NE can get somewhat congested but there was never much gridlock traffic there. Ok, things are a little bit messy recently but once the North Split construction is complete, that would take the pressure off I-465. And whenever they get to rebuilding that I-465/I-69NE interchange things will be even better.
I hate to admit it but Phoenix. Was super easy to get around the city. I think the lack of a centralized employment core there helps.
Portland is also pretty reasonable, even though it is a pretty downtown-centric metro. I've driven on 26, 405, and 84 at 5:30 pm on weekdays and traffic never got to stop-and-go levels. It might be worse heading into Washington, though, since there are only two bridges over the Columbia.
Despite Cleveland being a larger city and metro area I still feel like it has less traffic congestion than here in Pittsburgh. Come to think of it I have never experienced abnormally congested traffic in/around Cleveland during all of my visits there (even pre-pandemic).
Despite Cleveland being a larger city and metro area I still feel like it has less traffic congestion than here in Pittsburgh. Come to think of it I have never experienced abnormally congested traffic in/around Cleveland during all of my visits there (even pre-pandemic).
Geography is not in favor of Pittsburgh, though...basically all the highways in and out of the city are curvy and narrow, especially I-376 (I-279 is not as bad).
From my experience, Phoenix and San Antonio. 1604 can get nasty sometimes (they're expanding it finally) but besides that it's pretty easy, especially compared to Austin which is a disaster.
Seconding Raleigh-Durham. It's a multinodal metro rather than the typical hub-and-spoke metro (like Charlotte, Nashville, Columbus, etc) with employment centers being downtown Raleigh, RTP and downtown Durham. It can get congested, but during rush hour you're still usually moving. Traffic rarely comes to a complete standstill, save for the occasional injury accident but that can happen in the middle of nowhere as well. Traffic here is super easy.
I hate to admit it but Phoenix. Was super easy to get around the city. I think the lack of a centralized employment core there helps.
Portland is also pretty reasonable, even though it is a pretty downtown-centric metro. I've driven on 26, 405, and 84 at 5:30 pm on weekdays and traffic never got to stop-and-go levels. It might be worse heading into Washington, though, since there are only two bridges over the Columbia.
Phoenix is very well planned and the grid system there is phenomenal. Phoenix being a newer city has some of best road and freeway infrastructure. Main roads are literally 6-8 lanes pretty much everywhere. Unless you’re going clear across town you don’t need to take the freeway. That’s one thing I miss about Phoenix. I live in Atlanta now and I don’t leave my side of town unless I absolutely have to and I only Uber to downtown/Midtown/Buckhead. Driving in Atlanta SUCKS.
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