Twin Cities traffic congestion getting worse (Minneapolis, Northfield: apartment, rent, gated)

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Mplsite

We need to stop pampering people who choose to live on the opposite side of the metro from their job and expect their car to act as a teleportation device to magically get them to work in 10 minutes or less. If you want a short commute then live close to work, otherwise you must want to sit in traffic because that's the choice you made. I knew of people making the insane commute from Northfield and Mora to work just north of St Paul essentially working just to drive to their job. It makes no sense to give incentives/lots of money for bad decisions, yet here we are.

I've had five jobs in my professional career, but I was lucky enough to have the first four in the same general area around the airport. The fifth required that I move 1000 miles away.

Not everyone is lucky enough to always live near to where they work, and when one owns a house, moving can be a very lengthy process. You have no idea of the crap I had to go through to sell my house when I moved from the Twin Cities to Atlanta.

Don't be so quick to judge those who have long commutes.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

I've had five jobs in my professional career, but I was lucky enough to have the first four in the same general area around the airport. The fifth required that I move 1000 miles away.

Not everyone is lucky enough to always live near to where they work, and when one owns a house, moving can be a very lengthy process. You have no idea of the crap I had to go through to sell my house when I moved from the Twin Cities to Atlanta.

Don't be so quick to judge those who have long commutes.

RC Steiner, I agree with you completely. I thought I was so smart by buying near my very first job out of college in 2006. It was a very very modest condo within 5 miles of work. Well, you know how that story ends. I was laid off 2 months into the role, along with 15% of the company, and then the mortgage crisis happened.

Needless to say, it was a good lesson for me. There is simply too much volatility in the working world to ensure we live close to our jobs. I have plenty of stories from friends that speak to similar situations.....unexpected job transfers, layoffs, and even the company moving their HQ to the other side of the metro. It's not quite as simple as "I work here, and I'm choosing to live 5 miles away...."

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Of course enhancing our current infrastructure, whether it is expanding our roads or public transportation would help to ease traffic but it is very costly. There are better solutions that can be applied to our current infrasture, including the previously mentioned expansion of telecommuting options by local employers and my personal favorite - legalizing lane splitting for motorcycles.

[Ursicinus]

After two days at my new place of work (driving from Mpls to Prior Lake), I'm already ready to buy a damned helicopter. I don't know how people do this commute for years on end and don't go insane.

Getting south in the morning doesn't seem to be an issue (able to do it in about 30 mins or so), but good lord does coming back north in the evening suck. Worst part is, I'd heard (perhaps on here, even) that I'd be going in the opposite direction of traffic both times for my commute, so it wouldn't be bad. But both days so far, I've gotten stuck in bumper to bumper crap coming home in the evening, which is quite soul-wrenching.

[srsmn]

Originally Posted by Mplsite

So don't drive on 26th during rush hour. Or just dont drive. Works for me and plenty of other people who live here without a car.

I had to for my job. Normally, I wouldn't.

[srsmn]

Thanks for being so patronizing, though!

[Carbonx2man]

I recently moved from Boston after living there and working in the downtown area. Even before I lived in Downtown Boston, I was commuting from North of Boston on Route 1A from the shore towns. It was soul crushing depending on the time you left for work. Just going 5 miles could take an hour. I recently drove on I-94 from Saint Paul to Minneapolis and it was really bad. I'd like to blame it on the construction going on but am not sure. The drivers seemed to be really agressive too. I was driving behind someone on the left lane and would always be tailgated. Even going 80mph on I94. I always move over but in Boston, they actually slowly inch their way closer to your bumper and there is a mutual understanding. Just recently, this crazy lady in a pickup truck tailgated me and flashed her lights at me while honking. It was insane. She kept giving me the finger for some odd reason. I'm more than happy to move over if you give me time.

While am on a semi-rant. What's with all the construction going on in the cities? It's like every road is being worked on at the same time.. I hope this will be done in a year or two.

[Ursicinus]

Originally Posted by Carbonx2man

I recently moved from Boston after living there and working in the downtown area. Even before I lived in Downtown Boston, I was commuting from North of Boston on Route 1A from the shore towns. It was soul crushing depending on the time you left for work. Just going 5 miles could take an hour. I recently drove on I-94 from Saint Paul to Minneapolis and it was really bad. I'd like to blame it on the construction going on but am not sure. The drivers seemed to be really agressive too. I was driving behind someone on the left lane and would always be tailgated. Even going 80mph on I94. I always move over but in Boston, they actually slowly inch their way closer to your bumper and there is a mutual understanding. Just recently, this crazy lady in a pickup truck tailgated me and flashed her lights at me while honking. It was insane. She kept giving me the finger for some odd reason. I'm more than happy to move over if you give me time.

While am on a semi-rant. What's with all the construction going on in the cities? It's like every road is being worked on at the same time.. I hope this will be done in a year or two.

It's the whole "there are two seasons: winter, and road construction" thing. It never really stops, except for winter.

[Good Red Road]

Originally Posted by Carbonx2man

Just recently, this crazy lady in a pickup truck tailgated me and flashed her lights at me while honking. It was insane. She kept giving me the finger for some odd reason. I'm more than happy to move over if you give me time.

I aways move over as well, but when a person acts like your crazy lady I tend to take my time, and if they're Uber obnoxious I may not move over at all. It's amusing to me how many tailgaters don't understand that the person in front of them has all the power. Make the person in front of you mad, and watch how quickly they no longer care.

But back on topic, I'm in the cities 4-5 times a year and will just say compared to the Denver area, Minneapolis St. Paul does a far better job on roads. Denver's congestion is becoming unsustainable.

[tribecavsbrowns]

Originally Posted by Good Red Road

I aways move over as well, but when a person acts like your crazy lady I tend to take my time, and if they're Uber obnoxious I may not move over at all. It's amusing to me how many tailgaters don't understand that the person in front of them has all the power. Make the person in front of you mad, and watch how quickly they no longer care.

But back on topic, I'm in the cities 4-5 times a year and will just say compared to the Denver area, Minneapolis St. Paul does a far better job on roads. Denver's congestion is becoming unsustainable.

Or, let it roll off your back and move out of the passing lane when it's safe for you to do so.