Drive Times (Houston, Sugar Land, The Woodlands: Home Depot, neighborhoods, school) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

HoustonRonnie · 04-08-2010, 01:42 PM

I'm continually astounded at the responses folks give in this forum as to the drive times from here to there.

Listen, I've lived in Houston for 19 years and the only commute that outright SUCKS

is 290. I've lived in Champion Forest, Jersey Village, Westheimer/Dairy Ashford area, Bellville (don't ask), and Pearland. The only commute I ever had that drove me nuts was 290 (from West Road to Downtown). I work downtown on Louisiana, so what follows references a drive from (wherever) to Louisiana Street downtown.

I now live in Pearland (Silverlake, building new in SCR). When I leave my home at 6:30, I'm at my desk downtown (on Louisiana) before 7:15. When I leave at 6:50, I'm at my desk around 7:40. This is normal, with wrecks, weather... it can be longer. I've never EVER had a one-hour commute to downtown... EVER, unless there was a wreck or weather slowed things down. You can leave anytime between 6:30AM and 8AM and it will NEVER take you an hour, EVER! Did I say EVER? EVER! If anyone says it normally takes over an hour from Pearland is full of beans. Oh, and when school's out, you can knock 5- 7 minutes off these times. It's never a normal hour. I could get off 288, swing into Buckee's on McHard for some breakfast tacos and it still wouldn't take an hour.

On Monday, Wed and Friday, I drive from Pearland to Sugar Land (Corporate Drive/59 exit) to go to the gym as that's where my trainer is. I'm in the gym from 6:30 - 7:20, and I'm always at my desk again before 8AM, again, barring wrecks and weather.

288 AND 59 are both acceptable to me. Someone said 59 is the worst in Houston. Bullpuckey! 290 is the worst, by far. I wouldn't move to an area that required taking 290 to downtown on a bet.

Hope that clears things up, my friends. I also know that there are some hucksters who bash neighborhoods and drive times just to promote some other part of town where they probably have a vested interest. Shame on you.

Just sayin'...

Ronnie

EasilyAmused · 04-08-2010, 01:53 PM

290 is the worst
45 North second worst
then 59 South
I-10 is currently the easiest.

If you have 610 anywhere in your route, I'm so sorry for you. I hate that thing and will avoid it at all costs.

I don't know anything about Pearland commute times.

Rule of thumb: During prime rush, without weather or wrecks, it takes at least 30 minutes from downtown to the Beltway in all directions.Some days it might take less, but that's what should be budgeted time wise. NW and North can crawl far slower. I-10 West is currently less due to the massive numbers of lanes. Then you start tacking on time every exit after the Beltway, and then time to get through the area to get to your neighborhood.

desertsun41 · 04-08-2010, 06:11 PM

Ronnie I do agree with you that 290 is the worse in all of south Texas and maybe the worse in Texas and maybe worse then I-5 in southern California, I completely disagree with you on 288.

I am living in Pearland for a bit at my other haunt. My driveway is on beltway 8 feeder. When I look left I see the top of the 288 bridge and can make a decision whether to take it or not. I leave at all different times but from 7:30 to 8:30 there is no movement on 288 north. None. So then I can then take beltway 8 feeder to Post Oak north to my store in the Galleria and avoid that horrible road.

I don't know of many major roads that are a total abortion in Houston but there are many many choke points due to stupid brain dead planning by those who call themselves Traffic Engineers. Then of course we have many places where there are potholes so deep that anything less then an all terrain vehicle can't get by it. That slows things down.

theSUBlime · 04-08-2010, 07:09 PM

I'm all for under 30 minute commutes by any mode of transport, so that knocks quite a few areas of Houston. Seriously, commuting probably has to be one of the worst things about living in Houston. I don't know how some of ya do it, but I guess that's the way it is when you've got mouths to feed.

tstone · 04-08-2010, 08:49 PM

EA has it about right. Although IMO 610 is hit or miss on the south half at least from Bellaire all the way around to 225. You'll go 60 except near the interchanges, where you'll crawl.

I-45 south sucks inside the loop in the afternoon. But it is 60+ during rush hour from 610 to Scarsdale. From Airport to Scarsdale it flies even faster. If you get off on Clear Lake City Blvd, you can exit Scarsdale and blast 2 miles down the feeder road non-stop. (Oops, I let out my secret.)

No matter what the 23 year old living in a 500 sq ft masturbation suite tells you, commute times here really aren't that bad vs other huge cities if you choose your suburb wisely. If you work in the Galleria or SW side and choose The Woodlands then I really can't feel sorry for you.

theSUBlime · 04-08-2010, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstone

No matter what the 23 year old living in a 500 sq ft masturbation suite tells you, commute times here really aren't that bad vs other huge cities if you choose your suburb wisely. If you work in the Galleria or SW side and choose The Woodlands then I really can't feel sorry for you.

No, they're not that bad compared to other cities, but I still think it sucks, given you don't have many options. Personally, I'd much rather enjoy a close in masturbation suite, along with the masturbation. I just find it a much more pleasant experience when you don't find yourself in a car all the time. You have more time to do things, like masturbate. If you live close to where you work, you'll be fine though.