Is phoenix the next LA??? (Scottsdale, Tempe: houses, job transfer, neighborhoods)

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Phoenix traffic can easily be a standstill during crush hour.

Other times it's not too bad but not really congestion-free.

With the numerous conversations that have taken place on the Phoenix forum about the issue of congestion, I think it's really all relative. If you're used to LA congestion, Phoenix is a cakewalk. If you're coming from Does Moines or Fort Wayne, Phoenix traffic seems terrible. Since this thread is comparing LA and Phoenix, I think it's easy to agree that Phoenix traffic doesn't hold a candle to what happens in LA. Frankly, I've been in Sunday morning traffic in LA (no accident, just volume) that has rivaled anything I've experienced in Phoenix ever.

[ibarrio]

Originally Posted by new2colo

With the numerous conversations that have taken place on the Phoenix forum about the issue of congestion, I think it's really all relative. If you're used to LA congestion, Phoenix is a cakewalk. If you're coming from Does Moines or Fort Wayne, Phoenix traffic seems terrible. Since this thread is comparing LA and Phoenix, I think it's easy to agree that Phoenix traffic doesn't hold a candle to what happens in LA. Frankly, I've been in Sunday morning traffic in LA (no accident, just volume) that has rivaled anything I've experienced in Phoenix ever.

I once took me 4ish hours to go 90 miles (Disney to Palmdale on Black Friday).

[SpaceMonkyPunks]

Phoenix native who moved to LA a year ago - my opinion: No. Phoenix will never be LA. Not just in terms of size/population (because even if Phx is growing fast, LA is growing faster...impossible to catch up) but in terms of culture, social demographics, politics, international influence, etc, it's not gonna happen. LA is bleeding-heart liberal, welcomes foreigners with open arms, and is a mecca for creative industries - I can't see Phoenix becoming that anytime soon.

So you can either relax or weep, whichever is your preference.

Also, I 100% agree that drivers here are actually much better drivers overall. The chaos forces you to become more attentive to your surroundings.

[timtemtym]

Phoenix may resemble a small scale Inland Empire, but from I have seen in Phoenix, it's much closer to greater Palm Springs. The Inland Empire has huge areas of people on public assistance, a lot of drug trade, and crime. I don't see Phoenix that way. There are parts, sure, but most of greater Phoenix (that I have visited) reminds me of the master planned areas of the Coachella Valley, on a much larger scale.

I don't think Phoenix is headed for LA. It doesn't have that crushing density of small stucco boxes.

[Valley Native]

I think Phoenix has quite a few things in common with the L.A area, but not necessarily Los Angeles itself. Although, I think parts of the San Fernando Valley resemble Phoenix in some ways. I can definitely see some similarities between Phoenix area & Orange County, and possibly parts of the Inland Empire. Population wise, I think Phoenix has more in common with San Diego. L.A. is huge, and I doubt Phoenix will ever catch up to being the size of L.A. Politics wise, we're closer to Orange County, and possibly San Diego County.

Traffic in L.A. is horrible, but Phoenix is no cake walk when it comes to rush hour commutes. Some posters have mentioned that L.A. drivers have become more attentive, and that we could learn a few things from them. I tend to agree. It seems like when I'm in southern CA, I don't encounter too much of a problem with slow drivers in the left lanes on freeways. In Phoenix, I'm seeing this more often ... and it's VERY VERY annoying! Also, people turning out in front of another driver & causing a near accident is a common problem which I've witnessed in both CA & AZ, but more so here it seems.

[Ponderosa]

I haven't driven in LA enough to have personal experience to draw on, but statistics certainly don't support the notion that LA drivers are "better". In fact, they are among the worst in the country in terms of accident frequency while Phoenix is the best in the country for cities over 1 million. Of course, some of this falls not on the drivers but on the road conditions etc. But at the end of the day, you have a much lower chance of being involved in a car accident in PHX than LA.

Where are the Safest Driving Cities in America? The Ninth Annual "Allstate America's Best Drivers Report®" Reveals New Results - News Releases - News, Videos, Photos, Press Releases | Allstate Insurance Newsroom

http://www.azcentral.com/community/p...te-report.html

[phetaroi]

Isn't it wonderful that Phoenix is #71 among all cities of the nation, and just about average nationwide.

[SpaceMonkyPunks]

I think you need to take into account the amount of accidents vs. size of population, haha. Nearly 20 million people commute through LA/OC every day.

[R_Cowgirl]

I find the report a little suspect because of the data they gathered. What is the percentage of All-state-covered drivers compared to other Insurance company-covered drivers? Have they accessed State Farm's database" Or Geico's? Or Progressives? How much of this is pure extrapolation to help them determine their state-by-state costs of insuring a car? Where is the data about uninsured drivers colliding with each other? Are these drunk drivers? Fatal accidents? Fender Benders?

From the Allstate report:

The Report
For the past nine years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America's 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. Internal property damage reported claims were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2010 to December 2011) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction.

If you really want to get to the heart of the safety aspect and compare apples to apples (and get a sense of driving habits) - this is a far better site - the National Highway Safety site: NCSA Data Resource Website

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by R_Cowgirl

I find the report a little suspect because of the data they gathered. What is the percentage of All-state-covered drivers compared to other Insurance company-covered drivers? Have they accessed State Farm's database" Or Geico's? Or Progressives? How much of this is pure extrapolation to help them determine their state-by-state costs of insuring a car? Where is the data about uninsured drivers colliding with each other? Are these drunk drivers? Fatal accidents? Fender Benders?

From the Allstate report:

The Report
For the past nine years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America's 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. Internal property damage reported claims were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2010 to December 2011) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction.

If you really want to get to the heart of the safety aspect and compare apples to apples (and get a sense of driving habits) - this is a far better site - the National Highway Safety site: FARS Encyclopedia: Error

Not to defend them as I have no faith in these "best/worst" comparisons whether from insurers or forum contributors, but the article says they have 10% of the policies in the country and that would definitely be an adequate sample size statistically speaking.