Arcadia to Capitol Commute,Alternative Rush Hour Routes (Chandler, Tempe: home, school)

[upaul60]

I'm looking for a different rush hour commute,I live in the Arcadia area near 36th & East Campbell Avenue & work at the State Capitol Complex near 17th Avenue & West Washington Street. I take Camelback to the SR51 south to Washington through Downtown & traffic is always backed up both ways. Are there better routes I can take with less traffic or is it going to be the same no matter how I go?

[sargeant79]

What time of day do you go?

Westbound Indian School, Thomas, and McDowell all move fairly well even during rush hour. I'd recommend taking either of those three and cutting south on 7th avenue. You miss most of the downtown traffic that way. If you're on the road between about 6:30 and 8:30, I'd tell you to skip the 51 altogether as well.

[exit2lef]

I'm a fan of collector streets. I'd take 36th Street south, Osborn west, and then 15th Avenue south.

[new2colo]

You could take Indian School to 15th Avenue, which will dump you out right at the State Capitol. Another choice might be taking 32nd Street down to Roosevelt and taking Roosevelt to 7th or 15th Avenue.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

I'm a fan of collector streets. I'd take 36th Street south, Osborn west, and then 15th Avenue south.

Also known as half thoroughfares. Actually, I tend to prefer those kinds of streets during rush hour because they're not as busy as major thoroughfares or freeways. My only suggestion is to avoid the streets which have only two lanes (I think 36th Street might be one of them). They have lower speed limits ... and if you happen to get behind a slowpoke or backup, there are no other lanes to switch to. You're basically stuck.

[43north87west]

Definitely surface streets. There are so many combinations you have a lot of options.

If you are looking for the fastest route use real time navigation; otherwise if you are just looking to have streets that move along even if they aren't fastest, look at the streets that don't have much traffic when you usually travel.

Both of the 7s move pretty well at all times. The lights are timed well too. It's the E/W streets you could use that are a challenge. They all get congested but at different times, different places, and some worse than others. Depending on your exact times of travel, you can experiment with different streets and figure out what works best. Pretty much all of the E/W streets that are candidates for you to use, get congested--but some worse, and at different times.

Finally, if you have a little flexibility, sometimes a combination of leaving a little later or earlier makes a huge difference. The thing is, unless someone is driving basically the same route as you at exactly the same time, it's difficult for someone to tell you which is going to be the best because congestion can change drastically within 15 minutes. And don't be afraid to try going a little bit out of your way either, because sometimes doing that can actually improve your drive time or frustration level. I used to commute from around Bell & Thompson Peak to 45th & Chandler Blvd via the 101/60/10/Chandler Blvd. The 60 was always HOSED and it took me forever. I started taking the 101 all the way south to the 202 (San Tan), then west on Pecos to 40th, north on 40th, east on Frye, north on 46th. It saved me a lot of time and frustration despite being longer. When I commuted to Frye/Dobson I didn't have many options but leaving at off times helped a lot. Just a couple examples.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Both of the 7s move pretty well at all times. The lights are timed well too. It's the E/W streets you could use that are a challenge. They all get congested but at different times, different places, and some worse than others. Depending on your exact times of travel, you can experiment with different streets and figure out what works best. Pretty much all of the E/W streets that are candidates for you to use, get congested--but some worse, and at different times.

I wouldn't recommend driving on the 7s during rush hour. Those reversible lanes are a joke, and can be dangerous. They were actually put into place a long time ago when we had a limited number of freeways, and the reversible lanes gave drivers an extra one way lane during peak commute times, but they really didn't improve congestion all that much. Now that there are more freeways with multiple lanes, I don't even see a need for reversible lanes. The city was actually considering eliminating them a few years ago, but they voted to keep them for whatever reason.

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Finally, if you have a little flexibility, sometimes a combination of leaving a little later or earlier makes a huge difference. The thing is, unless someone is driving basically the same route as you at exactly the same time, it's difficult for someone to tell you which is going to be the best because congestion can change drastically within 15 minutes. And don't be afraid to try going a little bit out of your way either, because sometimes doing that can actually improve your drive time or frustration level. I used to commute from around Bell & Thompson Peak to 45th & Chandler Blvd via the 101/60/10/Chandler Blvd. The 60 was always HOSED and it took me forever. I started taking the 101 all the way south to the 202 (San Tan), then west on Pecos to 40th, north on 40th, east on Frye, north on 46th. It saved me a lot of time and frustration despite being longer. When I commuted to Frye/Dobson I didn't have many options but leaving at off times helped a lot. Just a couple examples.

I agree here. I tend to work a somewhat varied schedule depending on my workload, but I almost always end up commuting during bad traffic times. Luckily, I have found some alternate routes which lessen the burden. My main way of driving home from downtown Tempe was to get on the 202 to the 51 northbound, but the 202 westbound was always a constant backup from early afternoon right through the early evening hours. I started taking surface streets, and if I hit the green lights in time, that actually makes it a somewhat faster commute than the freeways.

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

I wouldn't recommend driving on the 7s during rush hour. Those reversible lanes are a joke, and can be dangerous. They were actually put into place a long time ago when we had a limited number of freeways, and the reversible lanes gave drivers an extra one way lane during peak commute times, but they really didn't improve congestion all that much. Now that there are more freeways with multiple lanes, I don't even see a need for reversible lanes. The city was actually considering eliminating them a few years ago, but they voted to keep them for whatever reason.

We live a half block from 7th Ave. in the last (southernmost) mile of the reverse lane, where the speed limit alleges to be 35 mph. Most people down this way are in favor of dumping the reverse lane as it makes 7th Ave. pretty much unusable at rush hour. What happens is that every time the idea of discontinuing them comes up at City Council the folks representing the districts in the northern part of town oppose the change. It is of course their constituents that are commuting through the area. Our garage faces the alley behind our house. Only someone with a death wish would try to turn into that alley off of 7th Ave. at rush hour.

[upaul60]

I appreciate all the suggestions for alternative commutes. 36th to Osborn to 15th Avenue might be the best way for me,I will be trying that out. Thanks everyone.

[Java Jolt]

Originally Posted by upaul60

I appreciate all the suggestions for alternative commutes. 36th to Osborn to 15th Avenue might be the best way for me,I will be trying that out. Thanks everyone.

See my reply to you in the topic about Proposition 104.

It seems like you have a congested commute during crush hour, wouldn't you have some decent mass transit options along Central Avenue and to the state capitol?