Cypress to Medical Center commute (Houston: live in, moving, commuting)

[pnc66]

Yikes!! Can you possibly look at employment at the North Cypress Medical Center (290 & Huffmeister) or maybe one of the hospitals off FM 1960 & Jones Rd area instead of the Medical Center?

That would be a very rough commute plus the parking in the Medical Center can be pricey from what I've been told. I live right off 290 (literally - the freeway is on the other side of my back yard!) and I work in SW Houston (for a doctor's office next to Memorial Hermann SW Hospital). I can tell you the commute isn't fun at all. The traffic on 290 has gotten much worse in the last two years since I've been working there. I'm probably going to have to look for a job much closer to home soon. It (290) is backed up before 6:00 a.m. and coming home, it's backed up till about 7:00 - 7:30 p.m. (if not a little later).

Definitely take the Park and Ride if you can from Cypress. It would probably be less expensive than parking in the Medical Center and you can relax and not have to deal with the traffic for 90 - 120 minutes each way (and yes, it has taken me as long as 2-1/2 hours to come home when it rains).

[pnc66]

Originally Posted by mikehtown

I think it'll be at least 5 years before traffic on 290 gets much better. I spent two years commuting from Cypress to the Galleria and downtown. I moved after spending 2-3 hours a day in the car, and Med Center is even worse. I was shocked that traffic inbound started backing up just after 6:00AM. Returning home, it was rough between 4:30 and 7:00. Unless he's got a very flexible schedule, I'd look at other areas. I like Cypress, but you are talking about one of the worst commutes in the Houston area.

I believe they are supposed to start widening 290 some time in 2011 (ugh!). I don't know how long the project will take before it's completed. Since they are starting at the 610 end of 290, it will probably be a couple of years after that before they make it out to Cypress. It will get worse before it gets better.

I feel for you having to make the drive into downtown and/or the Galleria every day! Yikes! As soon as my youngest daughter graduates from high school, we'll most likely be moving.

Blessings,
pnc

[AlexTx]

There's also the Methodist Willowbrook Hospital on 249 a little North of FM 1960

[rjj42]

Hi everyone, Thought I'd revive this thread and see what people's thoughts were of a daily commute between Cypress and the Medical Center? I'm betting things have improved considerably from the last time this thread was updated.

Thanks in advance.

[AliefNorth]

Originally Posted by rjj42

Hi everyone, Thought I'd revive this thread and see what people's thoughts were of a daily commute between Cypress and the Medical Center? I'm betting things have improved considerably from the last time this thread was updated.

Thanks in advance.

It’s much worse.

Why would you think things have improved? You revived a 10 year old thread, 10 years ago the population was less compared to now. The population has increased, development has increased, traffic has increased, commute times have increased. The expansion of 290 is besides the point.

[rjj42]

Originally Posted by AliefNorth

It’s much worse.

Why would you think things have improved? You revived a 10 year old thread, 10 years ago the population was less compared to now. The population has increased, development has increased, traffic has increased, commute times have increased. The expansion of 290 is besides the point.

I see,all good points.
I thought the expansion of 290 might have made a difference.

[DejaBlue]

Why live in Cypress to work in the medical center? OP was tripping. Cypress to the medical center for a PART-TIME job Pass.


Look at suburbs close by. I drive 290 north now and even with 5 lanes the opposite side still gets backed up. Not like before when it was just 2 lanes and construction but still not a quick 30 minutes. They're doing all kinds of **** near Memorial Hermann of 290 and that moves my way down to 2 lanes and every 18 wheeler possible cruising slow.


The other side still isn't a walk in the park.

[lhafer]

Originally Posted by rjj42

I see,all good points.
I thought the expansion of 290 might have made a difference.

Just like the expansion of I-10 towards Katy "made a difference". Yeah, a difference in the amount of people that it can hold (and does hold). Even the HOV lanes are stop and go during rush hour. It's all ridiculous! 290 isn't any better IMO either.

[Mr. Football]

I commute daily to the Texas Medical Center from Cypress and my commute has improved greatly. Mind you, 290 is still not 100% complete, but my morning drive is now 45 minutes (without tolls), where it used to be 1 hour (with tolls). My afternoon drive used to be 1.5 hours and is now down to about an hour and 10 minutes (without tolls)

My daily commute was about 2.5 hours total, now its less than 2 hours.

[Houstonianmom]

Sadly it’s much worse. As soon as we save up enough money, we will be moving. I like Cypress, but the commute is just too much for me.