Phoenix metro is getting too big IMO (Goodyear: airport, moving)

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by new2colo

Grinding traffic jam meaning that you have come to a dead stop for 15 seconds or less? ADOT does plan to widen the 101 and the 202 in its entirety, portions of the 51, portions of the 10, and possibly the urban sections of 17 depending on the results of ongoing study. However, Phoenicians are eventually just going to have to learn that part of living in a big city means that you will have to deal with traffic. This is not a small town anymore. If you want a simple rush hour like Des Moines or Flint, it's not going to happen here.

Yeah 15 seconds or less

Thanks for the advice, as always I take it seriously. I'm actually headed for the Flint lifestyle as we speak! What could go wrong?

[SoCalCpl2]

Las Vegas is about 1/2 the population of Phoenix and has a lot more crowded traffic especially on weekends than Phoenix... I live in the Los Angeles area and Phoenix has no traffic as far as I am concerned...... I find driving there a breeze....

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Yeah 15 seconds or less

Thanks for the advice, as always I take it seriously. I'm actually headed for the Flint lifestyle as we speak! What could go wrong?

This comment means a lot coming from someone who thinks because they have to apply their brakes between 6-9 AM that this city has a traffic problem. It's all about you, right? I mean, you're only surrounded by 4.5 million people. Maybe Flint would be more of your cup of tea? No jobs, no traffic, right?

Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2

Las Vegas is about 1/2 the population of Phoenix and has a lot more crowded traffic especially on weekends than Phoenix... I live in the Los Angeles area and Phoenix has no traffic as far as I am concerned...... I find driving there a breeze....

Exactly. There is no issue.

[AZ_Rookie]

Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2

Las Vegas is about 1/2 the population of Phoenix and has a lot more crowded traffic especially on weekends than Phoenix... I live in the Los Angeles area and Phoenix has no traffic as far as I am concerned...... I find driving there a breeze....

Yep - its all relative...

What I've noticed (on this forum) is - the changes in Phoenix seem extreme to natives (or those living there for considerable time) - but compared to elsewhere it's not nearly as bad as reported... Not just traffic, but many topics.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by AZ_Rookie

Yep - its all relative...

What I've noticed (on this forum) is - the changes in Phoenix seem extreme to natives (or those living there for considerable time) - but compared to elsewhere it's not nearly as bad as reported... Not just traffic, but many topics.

I will say that I have found the worst drivers in the country to be in Dallas, rather than Phoenix or Greater Los Angeles, I was in Dallas on Monday, and driving through their rush hour to get out of town, I was begging for LA Drivers, the cars on the Dallas freeways just do whatever they want and don't care if they get into or cause an accident or not. Within 10 minutes on I-20 around Grand Prarie, I had two cars almost clip my front bumper while cutting me off, and one that cut me off with a gap so short between me and the car in front of me, that I had to slam on the air brakes, and sound the air horn for the first time since I started driving a truck.

Point being, is that we do have traffic here in Phoenix, but it's far from the worst

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by new2colo

This comment means a lot coming from someone who thinks because they have to apply their brakes between 6-9 AM that this city has a traffic problem. It's all about you, right? I mean, you're only surrounded by 4.5 million people. Maybe Flint would be more of your cup of tea? No jobs, no traffic, right?



Exactly. There is no issue.

I missed the part where I said traffic problem, can you point it out?

Are we not allowed to comment on things without being told to move by transplants?

[locolife]

Originally Posted by AZ_Rookie

Yep - its all relative...

What I've noticed (on this forum) is - the changes in Phoenix seem extreme to natives (or those living there for considerable time) - but compared to elsewhere it's not nearly as bad as reported... Not just traffic, but many topics.

Oh you so hit the nail on the head with that quote! This is so very true with the weather. People spend 5, 10 or more years here and all of a sudden the weather is the worst place in the country. I travel a lot and it only takes me 5 or 6 days in an east coast or midwest city to remember how good we have it here. You don't even think about the weather, we all know it's hot in the summer and there's plenty of very close escapes plus tons of water activities to be had. Besides that it's easy breezy here.

[AZ_Rookie]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

I will say that I have found the worst drivers in the country to be in Dallas, rather than Phoenix or Greater Los Angeles, I was in Dallas on Monday, and driving through their rush hour to get out of town, I was begging for LA Drivers, the cars on the Dallas freeways just do whatever they want and don't care if they get into or cause an accident or not. Within 10 minutes on I-20 around Grand Prarie, I had two cars almost clip my front bumper while cutting me off, and one that cut me off with a gap so short between me and the car in front of me, that I had to slam on the air brakes, and sound the air horn for the first time since I started driving a truck.

Point being, is that we do have traffic here in Phoenix, but it's far from the worst

one thing we agree on is Phx traffic isn't the worst - and not as bad as many other areas...

however, Dallas may have bad drivers (no stats to substantiate that though - and opinions aren't stats or facts), but that's not the same as "traffic"... Statistically LA has the worst traffic in the country (I drive it daily - for now)... :https://www.google.com/search?q=la+h...+worst+traffic ... Dallas isn't even in the top 10 (of course Phoenix isn't either)

... So anyway - to thread topic; Phoenix traffic is great by comparison... That could change - so enjoy it for now.

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Yep, and it will continue to become even bigger. Along with that comes worsening traffic issues. That's why ADOT needs to get busy & keep up with the demand for more freeways. They especially need to do something ASAP with I10 (either put in HOV lanes or a general lane or two in each direction). That ridiculous dirt median with a wire fence in the middle is not only unsightly, but serves no purpose. Meanwhile, rush hour traffic is virtually deadlocked along I10 every day.

Originally Posted by new2colo

I would disagree. Living in other cities, Phoenix is leaps and bounds ahead of all major cities when it comes to planning for future traffic. There's not a major city in this country that is the size of Phoenix that has lighter traffic. Look at the section of the I-10 west of the 101 on the west side that was widened several years back. That section of freeway never gets congested. Look at the 303. No congestion. There are so many other sections of freeway in the Phoenix area that flow comparatively well to major cities. A trip to Los Angeles, Houston, or even Denver where many freeways haven't even been improved since they were built in the 1960s would help to put things in perspective. The fact that there is traffic in the morning and evening during weekdays means nothing. Until it takes 1.5-2 hours to get from Goodyear to downtown or you get stuck in a non-accident, non-construction, non-special event related jam at 11:30 PM on a Saturday night, it's really hard to be aware of how good we have it.

I've heard others say the same thing about our traffic compared to other cities, especially Washington, D.C. or Boston. In comparison, Phoenix has the advantage of being a much newer city, and new freeways can be built relatively easier, rather than face the challenges of building such roads around existing areas that were built over 2 centuries ago.

Originally Posted by Java Jolt

I agree, the summertime heat seems more intense and longer since I moved here 20 years ago.

The traffic has gotten more intense too and I totally agree with you about the I-10 center median, something has to be done with it, either more traffic lanes, commuter rail, or light rail.

More reliever freeways are needed too, the new routes we voted for years ago still haven't broken ground.

The dirt median was part of the original design of I-10 some 40 years ago, and I think ADOT did a good job anticipating future growth and leave room for expansion. The median would be a perfect location for an east/west light rail system, and/or HOV lanes. Such systems can be put in place faster because it eliminates the hurdles normally encountered with freeway expansion projects, mainly property acquisition.

Most of us agree that the I-10 portions east and west of downtown Phoenix are more congested than ever, especially during rush hours, and I'm saying this from personal experience. When I-10 was fully completed in 1986, it was a blessing for motorists driving into midtown and downtown Phoenix, and back then that was where most 9 to 5 people went to work. Obviously things have changed since then and in some cases, it may be good that many large companies have built their large facilities throughout the metro area, otherwise downtown and midtown Phoenix would definitely be much different.

The 303 and other new Freeways - It's normal to see urban expansion around new freeways, which is what we've seen when the I-10 through Phoenix was completed over 30 years ago, and I'm sure it won't be too long before new subdivisions and malls get built, and companies open facilities near the new 303 freeway.

The South Mountain Freeway (202) would be a good I-10 bypass for traffic and commercial trucks going through the Phoenix area, it'll help relieve the congestion on I-10 near and around downtown Phoenix, and in some cases, it'll help the west/southeastern valley commuters.

[Magnum Mike]

Originally Posted by SoCalCpl2

Las Vegas is about 1/2 the population of Phoenix and has a lot more crowded traffic especially on weekends than Phoenix... I live in the Los Angeles area and Phoenix has no traffic as far as I am concerned...... I find driving there a breeze....

I've driven around the Los Angeles basin, and around downtown Los Angeles, and I know what you mean.