CDA traffic, really that bad? (Coeur d'Alene, Hayden: rental car, 2013, rental)

[labellavita116]

Hi everyone,

I've seen several references to the traffic in CDA, specifically in summer/tourist season, but I wanted to know if anyone who has relocated to CDA who is originally from a bigger city, could comment on that. Seems that "traffic" would be a subjective term, as in what are you used to and what is your basis for comparison. Does CDA get bogged down quite a bit, or is it more of a slowing down, takes you an extra 5-10 minutes to get somewhere... We currently live in Atlanta so what we understand "traffic" to be could be totally different than someone who has never lived in a big city.

Thanks!

[mistyriver]

"Traffic" or what they call it in CDA or in Spokane is a laughable matter if you've lived in or around a big city.

[notoriouskelly]

Fortunately there are numerous alternate routes for locals until you get further North heading to Sandpoint.

[javatom]

The people that complain about cda traffic also complain about having to park farther away than 50 feet from their destination.

[AK76]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

"Traffic" or what they call it in CDA or in Spokane is a laughable matter if you've lived in or around a big city.

I agree. I have never lived there, but I visited both places in October 2013. Traffic was nothing compared to Anchorage, AK, or Portland, OR, or Seattle, WA, or San Francisco, CA.

[labellavita116]

thanks everyone, I was trying to understand what "traffic" might look like there... we are hoping to head out West this summer, a few spots on our "to see" list and that would be a good time to see how bogged down the traffic really is

[Sage of Sagle]

Coming from SoCal, it wasn't "traffic". It was "a boggy spot through a chain of signals between I-90 and about Prairie". TRAFFIC was when it used to take me THREE HOURS to get home from work in downtown Los Angeles on a bad Friday afternoon.
Then again, This Sunday after church, I hit green on every signal and maintained a constant 45-50 the entire way up 95 after I got across Appleway until I hit the red at Honeysuckle. So it just isn't that bad, and it's not all the time.

I'm sure it's infuriating to those who lived here before it got this way though...

[AK76]

After a little thought on the subject, I suspect that the complaints that circulate are based on camparison between tourist season and the off-season from a locals perspective. That certainly is how many people in Alaska feel from May to September when the roads are bogged down with tourists in rental cars, tour buses and RVs.

[lovecda]

Originally Posted by notoriouskelly

Fortunately there are numerous alternate routes for locals until you get further North heading to Sandpoint.

Quite true.

I call it "traffic" when I spend a half hour getting from downtown Coeur d'Alene to Hayden, stuck behind people going 25 in a 45 zone on dry roads. :angryeyes: In my experience they typically turn at Walmart and the rest of the trip is fine. So usually I use alternative routes during the busiest times of the day--morning commute, lunch, after school and evening commute.

Otherwise, I think traffic flows pretty well though most of Coeur d'Alene unless you're talking about a couple of blocks downtown during the height of tourist season or after major events (parades, fireworks, Ironman, that type of thing).

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by lovecda

Quite true.

I call it "traffic" when I spend a half hour getting from downtown Coeur d'Alene to Hayden, stuck behind people going 25 in a 45 zone on dry roads. :angryeyes: In my experience they typically turn at Walmart and the rest of the trip is fine. So usually I use alternative routes during the busiest times of the day--morning commute, lunch, after school and evening commute.

Otherwise, I think traffic flows pretty well though most of Coeur d'Alene unless you're talking about a couple of blocks downtown during the height of tourist season or after major events (parades, fireworks, Ironman, that type of thing).

What I'd also like to convey to folks is that it's not always a huge MASS of cars, but it's the lack of free flowing arterial routes that's an issue. Government Way north of about Kathleen is a 2 lane road with driveways every 6'. THAT is a recipe for "frustrating traffic" even when it's not a lot of cars out on the road.

So if you live north of town, for example, and you want to get to the Spokane Area on a busy Friday afternoon, your best bet is Prairie or Boekel westbound over to 41 South to I-90. Smooth sailing except for the little traffic right where 41 crosses Mullan at I-90.