Commuter Pain Index: Houston scores better than Montreal, Melborne and Toronto

[fusion2]

Originally Posted by houstonfan

Yeah, he's saying that Toronto is a dense city and everyone lives on one side of downtown, not on the south where the lake is. Hence, there are only a few freeways to get to downtown and everyone is on those, it's like a FUNNEL. Houston is like a wheel with spokes from all directions, that helps with traffic.

No doubt that a lot of people use Toronto's busiest freeways to get DT connecting to other freeways and roads into it- but the busiest freeway in Toronto doesn't even cross through the DT core and is a good 7 miles north of it. It is busy because Toronto is a dense and busy city all over its urbanized area not just DT. North York and Scarborough each have a population almost as great as the old city of Toronto where the DT core is and it is those two boroughs if you will that the 401 crosses.

The two freeways that hit the DT core - the Gardner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway aren't the busiest freeways in the city because the best way to get in and out of the DT core is via mass rapid transit. Don't get me wrong they are still busy and hellish to drive on in rush hour traffic.

[Schumacher713]

There is no way we are that high. There are other US cities that are worse than Houston. SF, Boston, DC, Austin. I don't even think Houston is in the top 10 in the US anymore.

[EasilyAmused]

We have hit a whole new level of suckage this week.

I've been doing a lot of drive time hours between the loop and Beltway this week, and it's the worst I have ever seen it in my lifetime. The congestion from commuters leaving the city makes it an hour drive to go 10 miles from downtown. And it isn't raining. Drivers are rude, on their phones,texting, refusing to let people in or off the freeways...

Honestly, like many of my fellow natives, i'm on the countdown out of this place.

[Schumacher713]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

We have hit a whole new level of suckage this week.

I've been doing a lot of drive time hours between the loop and Beltway this week, and it's the worst I have ever seen it in my lifetime. The congestion from commuters leaving the city makes it an hour drive to go 10 miles from downtown. And it isn't raining. Drivers are rude, on their phones,texting, refusing to let people in or off the freeways...

Honestly, like many of my fellow natives, i'm on the countdown out of this place.

That is pretty much every big city. Though I must admit I have thought about moving. Not that I don't love Houston. There are few places I would consider moving. Denver is at the top of my list.

[EasilyAmused]

Oh, I love Houston, but the problem is that it's too quickly becoming "Not Houston."
I'm already already half way out.

[LocalPlanner]

I remember truly hellish freeway traffic from my childhood back in the 1970s. The current situation doesn't strike me as any "less Houston" regarding traffic. Now, the style of development and the increase in density in the core of the city, yeah that's different; when I was younger everyone was running to the outer suburbs as fast as possible, now there's a segment of the population that actually wants to live close in (this is what helps to drive the increased density).

I'm curious as to exactly what is so different now about Houston that other native Houstonians want to leave.

[crono_clone]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

We have hit a whole new level of suckage this week.

I've been doing a lot of drive time hours between the loop and Beltway this week, and it's the worst I have ever seen it in my lifetime. The congestion from commuters leaving the city makes it an hour drive to go 10 miles from downtown. And it isn't raining. Drivers are rude, on their phones,texting, refusing to let people in or off the freeways...

Honestly, like many of my fellow natives, i'm on the countdown out of this place.

Do you live outside the beltway, or inside the loop?

It's true that the amount of people moving here has just been staggering. For me, my solution has been to move closer in to the city and avoid the freeways as much as possible, especially during rush hour traffic. And I'm not alone; a lot of people have been doing the same.

So yeah, you should probably move. As close in as possible.

[EasilyAmused]

Why do I want to move into the core when my office and home are in Memorial?? I've never been an ITL fan, except to grab a meal at the latest "It " spot before it closes.

No thanks. I love where i live and work. I've just been going back and forth a lot this week between Galleria 610 and 8. I just notice that all major routes are completely clogged, almost like the west side gained 200,000 since Thanksgiving. Normally I just go down Memorial to save the stress, but seems like everyone is starting to do that as well.

And yes, the personality of Houston drivers has gone from, driving fast and courteous, to driving fast, stupid, and with a hell with you and your life attitude, Me first and don't interupt my text. Strangers outside of their cars aren't often much better. It's just not very "nice" everywhere anymore. There are spots, but yeah...

[crono_clone]

No, not trying to get you inside the loop; I had assumed you were a commuter because of your earlier post. It's great you already live close to where you work, and that's what I mean when I said people should move closer in.

And meh, I'm just waiting for driverless, flying cars and teleporters. No sense wasting energy or emotions on what other drivers are doing. Driving has always been a big waste of time to me, can't wait til we get rid of it completely.

[jamie88harris]

I have traveled to both Toronto and Montreal many times and can say that Houston's congestion isn't worse than Montreal's. Montreal is riddled with construction at almost every major artery. And, "rush" hour is anything but.