Traffic in Nashville...

[Thomas3718]

It amazes me the traffic Nashville has. The metro is about the same size as Indy but it seems like Nashville traffic is so much worse. Is there a metro in the entire country the size of Nashville that has such bad traffic ?

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Thomas3718

It amazes me the traffic Nashville has. The metro is about the same size as Indy but it seems like Nashville traffic is so much worse. Is there a metro in the entire country the size of Nashville that has such bad traffic ?

Austin, TX
Orlando
Charlotte

all spend more hours per year in traffic than Nashvillians.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by BirdieBelle

Austin, TX
Orlando
Charlotte

all spend more hours per year in traffic than Nashvillians.

I went to school in Austin and have a lot of family still there. We went back last summer to visit. The traffic was unbelievable, even at 2:30pm. I don't think MoPac ever gets above about 15mph regardless the time of day at this point. I used to want to move back, after that trip I never want to.

We moved from Franklin to Nashville because the traffic was just getting to the point of affecting our quality of life. When we moved to Franklin 12 years ago, we could get to green hills in about 20-25 minutes. By the time we left it was easily 35 minutes best case scenario and often closer to 1 hour.

Now, I never get on the highway. I do hit traffic on West End/Harding daily, but honestly it means sitting through the lights maybe 2-3 times at White Bridge.. not hours of my life wasted. The only downside to our move is I don't get to listen to NPR nearly as much any more.

[505ChurchStreet]

People think adding lanes to the interstates helps. It doesn't! They need to add more exits to fan traffic out and help in keeping drivers from having to backtrack on the minor roads to get where the interstate did not offer an exit.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by 505ChurchStreet

People think adding lanes to the interstates helps. It doesn't! They need to add more exits to fan traffic out and help in keeping drivers from having to backtrack on the minor roads to get where the interstate did not offer an exit.

actually it is all the on and off ramps that slows down traffic on the highway. Fewer on and off ramps is actually better for highway flow.

[key2success]

Traffic is OK when school is out.

[Hey_Hey]

Originally Posted by key2success

Traffic is OK when school is out.

It is better, but still not great. I drove through Nashville today at 1:30 and traffic on 24/60 by Nissan Stadium was already backed up bumper to bumper. And that wasn't abnormal. It is routinely backing up between 1-2PM and doesn't clear out until 7-7:30PM.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by Hey_Hey

It is better, but still not great. I drove through Nashville today at 1:30 and traffic on 24/60 by Nissan Stadium was already backed up bumper to bumper. And that wasn't abnormal. It is routinely backing up between 1-2PM and doesn't clear out until 7-7:30PM.

Yep, the Eastbound lanes have been like that forever. it's just getting worse.

[groovamos]

Originally Posted by farscapesg01

Nashville definitely has it's traffic issues but I find them to be better than where I came from (Houston).

Nashville has some interesting challenges when it comes to traffic.

The first is the convergence of 3 Interstates.. which are under federal funding and not city, let alone state. "open" lanes defeats the whole purpose of HOV lanes since everyone just uses them as a passing lane).

I've been in Houston since '89. i"m surprised contributor doesn't know that the state of Texas maintains and upgrades the interstates, and the freeways in Houston, and that the state is always upgrading exactly one spoke in our 7 spoke system in addition to the inner loop upgrades. It has to be the same for the state of Tennessee. The original deal back in the '60's the Feds made with the states was the Feds pay 90% of the original build out and the states paid 10%. Then all maintenance was deemed to be the states' responsibility. BTW the main impetus for the system was for mobilization during war, and the roads were to not pass thru metro areas but the states were to provide spurs into cities. This was all explained in a Reader's Digest in an article titled "The Great American Highway Lobby" I read as a freshman in college.

One thing I've wondered: in Houston we say all the high capacity roads are freeways, and one each loop and beltway (plus tollways). In Dallas/FW they are named expressways and toll roads. In Austin and San Antonio, interstates and loops, and one ridiculous toll road boondoggle in Austin.

I don't think any cities in the southeast deems these roads 'freeways' or 'expressways'. True? Is this a unique Texas thing for the two giant metros?

BTW I've discussed it before but if Nashville is to ever have a toll road system, understand that all of the successful toll authorities in Texas are county agencies. The one state owned one is the said boondoggle in Austin. There are too many big interests involved to let the state of Tennessee do what Texas did in Austin. Counties are in a much better position to plan and build toll roads and judge the risks involved.

BTW the current upgrade here is to 290 which is still in progress after starting up in 2009. The bigger a city gets the more complicated the upgrades and more time to complete. Also I don't know about now but several years ago Houston was considered the management benchmark in the urban highway building trade publications. We may not be as pretty or fun as Nashville but we have a few superlatives.

[travelhound]

I've been here 15 years, visiting 10 before that. It's been this bad for the past three years. What happened was a major influx of new people that moved in from LA with Karl Jr, as well as some other corporations that relocated to the area. Belmont University has also expand very quickly and parents like to buy the kids a house for the duration then flip it. In January, it was obvious several hundred people moved here after New Years into our tiny zip code 37212, the area most younger families want to get into, prices are at about 750k. The lines at the Grocery stores were happening, you never had lines before that. It's competitive now to shop at any of the area retail spots and you have to be up early to beat the crowds or be able to even get into a favorite restaurant.

I used to drive around day and night just for the enjoyment of it, that's how sleepy and cozy it was around the area before 2015. I would do 100 miles a day just going here to there. Now I am usually homebound, and I certainly never go out at night. I am so terrified of all the DWIs I know are out there. I had to stop my routines, to crowded everywhere.

The core of the city is nearly destroyed, and more is coming. I don't see how they are going to be able to sustain the growth with nobody to hire to clean and maintain these places. They just keep building and building with no thought of future consequences. Many blocks are ruined with sub par development, it's a disgrace.

This is certainly not a city to just randomly move to anymore. Did I mention they are also running an illegal HOA? You have to "apply" for a permit to run a BnB and get neighbors signatures to ok it. That's illegal. I'm waiting for the Big boys at the ACLU to show up and start suing this city for all it's worth.

I certainly would not give a up a home I owned in a good area of Los Angelos or any place in California for this. That is my regret, that I didn't buy in LA in 2005. I bought here, and now have to relocate as a senior, and it won't be easy if I can ever get it done.