The truth about the traffic and heat in Phoenix (Scottsdale: taxes, air quality)

[ysr_racer]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

OP come here in the winter when the over 500,000 winter visitors come to stay from Nov-May.

Been there many times that time of year. It's nowhere close to LA traffic. Sorry.

[observer53]

The traffic is worse here in winter. LA bad? No, not really. And yes, news flash, it's hot here in the summer, some tolerate it better than others. Again, everyone's got an opinion. Not sure we needed yet another thread on either of these issues for yet more opinions.

[Army_Guy]

Why are there so many Chicagoland transplants to the Phoenix area? I've always wondered about that. I would think that it has to be a good enough number for a Portillos to justify opening in Tempe.

[Wally Sconce]

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

Phoenix traffic can be bad during morning and afternoon crush hour times, claiming it's non-existent is a huge lie.

It's senseless to compare traffic in Phoenix to traffic in Los Angeles because you're comparing a metropolitan area of four million to a megaplex of over twelve million, of course Los Angeles is going to have worse traffic because there is more people there.

As for the heat I totally agree, this is the hottest time of year and it's not too enjoyable to be outdoors unless you're in a pool or at a waterpark.

Have you considered that maybe traffic doesn't seem bad in Phoenix because of the time of year? People don't like to stick around as much when it's hot so traffic is naturally a little lighter now than in the wintertime.

You still crying about the miniscule amount of traffic in the valley? Maybe the heat has gotten to you

[ElleTea]

Opinions and truth are 2 different things. Your thread title claims "truth" but it is really opinion. You are completely entitled to yours, of course.

As for traffic this time of year Vs winter? It's much lighter now, especially with the combination of snowbirds not being here AND school not being in session. My drive to work got easier once the heat settled in (and the snowbirds migrated) and even easier still once school let out for the summer.

This isn't LA. As someone pointed out, that's a much bigger metro area, no comparison. It seems the only one in this thread who is trying to compare the two is you. No, this isn't LA, yes, there is traffic. Truth.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

Why are there so many Chicagoland transplants to the Phoenix area? I've always wondered about that. I would think that it has to be a good enough number for a Portillos to justify opening in Tempe.

A lot of it is weather driven. I remember, though, when I went to ASU, that the second highest number of out of state students, after CA, came from the Chicagoland area. So, maybe a lot of them stayed here.

[Renegade007]

Summers here are NOT as bad as everyone makes them out to be. It's a dry heat. Even right now, in the middle of "monsoon", um dust, season, it's rather comfortable in the shade. And besides, by Halloween the 100 degree heat will be over. We're halfway through the summer season.

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by magnum0417

Lake Havasu and Tucson have the top 2 best air qualities followed by Honolulu at 3, Redding CA at 4 and Colorado Springs at 5.....Phoenix is the WORST followed by Bakersfield CA at 2...Both cities surrounded by dust to the south and seldom benefit from summer monsoons. Add the nearly 6 million people here in a bowl shaped valley...there you have it...I leave Maricopa County and the air is pristine with mountains clear 100 miles away...Yet here, the Estrellas and Superstitions are in a haze more often than not...Blame geography and the ever growing population approaching 6 mil.

Phoenix isn't approaching 6 million. We're at about 4.6 million. Still, I agree about our pollution. It's pretty poor. I can still see the mountains 9 out of 10 days. It could be worse. LA was worse at one time than Phoenix will ever be. Many other Mountain West cities have horrible air pollution, especially during the winter due to inversions.

[flyinlow007]

For comparison, Sunday July 12th, I checked Weather Underground in the afternoon. It was 92 here in Minneapolis, 103 with the heat index. At the same time it was 101, 98 with the heat index in Phoenix.

I'm willing to bet even if the heat indexes were the same, I would have felt cooler in Phoenix. The humidity/temps here this week are absolutely miserable this week and are going to continue for another 5 days or so.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by Army_Guy

Why are there so many Chicagoland transplants to the Phoenix area? I've always wondered about that. I would think that it has to be a good enough number for a Portillos to justify opening in Tempe.

You think only Chicago transplants go to Portillo's? We must have a lot of New Yorkers here; there are Grimaldi's locations all over.