12South vs. the suburbs

[WanderingFar]

Originally Posted by nashvols

Time wise, what sort of commute can you deal with?

I think it's the traffic he's scared of. Franklin to Vandy seems like it would be 30 minutes, but he's heard stories from coworkers about I-65 being bumper to bumber during rush hour, especially in any sort of bad weather.

Thirty minutes would be doable, 45 minutes and up, much less so.

[steindle]

Originally Posted by NYCtoBNA

I think it's the traffic he's scared of. Franklin to Vandy seems like it would be 30 minutes, but he's heard stories from coworkers about I-65 being bumper to bumber during rush hour, especially in any sort of bad weather.

Thirty minutes would be doable, 45 minutes and up, much less so.

It takes me 30 minutes to get the ~5 miles from my house in East Nashville to Vanderbilt on some days -- I can't imagine that a 20+-mile commute on Nashville's notoriously trafficky highway will only take 30 minutes...But I'm a cynic about suburban living in general, so don't mind me.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by steindle

It takes me 30 minutes to get the ~5 miles from my house in East Nashville to Vanderbilt on some days -- I can't imagine that a 20+-mile commute on Nashville's notoriously trafficky highway will only take 30 minutes...But I'm a cynic about suburban living in general, so don't mind me.

I usually fly once I get on 65, as long as you get off before the exit for 96.

Where I usually hit traffic is actually in the vanderbilt area. I've sat on too many occassions for what seems like an eternity getting to the from the medical office complex up to 440.

I now know a different route and it doesn't take me nearly as long and I avoid the traffic around Vandy.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by NYCtoBNA

I think it's the traffic he's scared of. Franklin to Vandy seems like it would be 30 minutes, but he's heard stories from coworkers about I-65 being bumper to bumber during rush hour, especially in any sort of bad weather.

Thirty minutes would be doable, 45 minutes and up, much less so.

It really depends on where you are in Franklin.

If you're on the west side of town, or up Hillsboro Pike (US 431), it's a generally easy trek (though 2 lanes mostly) until you get to Green Hills (a little south of I-440) where traffic is maddeningly slow during most daylight hours.

If you live closer to I-65, it's generally NOT too bad except during absolute peak times, until you get to I-440. The thing is, from 65, you can access Vandy via I-440, Wedgewood Ave, or go downtown and come down West End. The key will be when he has to be there. 10-15 minutes can make a huge difference in traffic here. Leaving early and arriving at work a with a little extra time can save you a ton of stress on your commute.

The key is learning the traffic patterns. Most areas of Nashville don't have terrible traffic all day long...so if you avoid peak times, you can get most places relatively stress-free. There are a few places where it is bad for longer periods of time...especially where I-24 & I-40 merge. I-440 is pretty bad going west in the morning, and going east in the afternoon. I-65 on the north side of town can back up around Briley Pkwy and I-24. Generally, though, I-65 on the south side isn't too bad outside of a couple of 20-30 minute stretches in the morning. Traffic can be heavy, but it usually moves.


Now, whether or not you and your family feel that Franklin is the right place for you is another story. You will have to decide that on your own. As far as the commute goes, though, I wouldn't eliminate Franklin strictly off of that. Heck, if you live in Green Hills, it might take you 25-30 minutes to get to Vanderbilt during rush hour (lots of traffic, lots of red lights).

Learn your back roads. It will save you a lot of stress!