Was in Houston for work the past few days, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't wish my drive upon my old Miami roommate who still technically owes me money for utilities and then broke my furniture when moving out. It's like the city knows you're gonna get lost so they have all those u-turn lanes everywhere you look. That 'experience' will teach me to do a little more research...

(01-24-2017 10:31 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Was in Houston for work the past few days, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't wish my drive upon my old Miami roommate who still technically owes me money for utilities and then broke my furniture when moving out. It's like the city knows you're gonna get lost so they have all those u-turn lanes everywhere you look. That 'experience' will teach me to do a little more research...

Yup, it does frequently suck. Usually there's something clogged up somewhere any time night or day.
Good news is that unlike some cities there's a good alternate route. Bad news, as you found out, is it's not likely to be very "user friendly".

Next time post up here first and maybe we can help with the inside scoop for a reroute.

It's definitely worse at spots inside the cities (Galleria in particular, or downtown during Rush Hour). And anytime if it's raining. But honestly it's not bad at all during off-peak hours, and on the weekends it's a breeze. Of course that will change starting this weekend most likely and lasting through the Super Bowl.

And I'm not sure why anyone wants to live near the Galleria and westward up to Katy. One big traffic jam and strip center after another.....

(01-24-2017 11:19 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  One big traffic jam and strip center after another.....

You just described Houston and all its surrounding suburbs.

(01-24-2017 11:19 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  It's definitely worse at spots inside the cities (Galleria in particular, or downtown during Rush Hour). And anytime if it's raining. But honestly it's not bad at all during off-peak hours, and on the weekends it's a breeze.

Indeed. There are times that I can leave home for an appointment 35 miles across town and know that I will get there in 30 minutes door-to-door. I'm not sure there is any other city of its size where one can do that. At other times it takes the same amount of time to go 30 blocks.

(01-24-2017 11:31 PM)InterestedX Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:19 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  One big traffic jam and strip center after another.....

You just described Houston and all its surrounding suburbs.

If you know what you're doing, it's 100 times better than Austin. But (a) you gotta know your way around, and (b) you have to be aware of construction and what time of day it is.

There are definitely times that the Waze app makes all the difference in the world!

(01-25-2017 12:58 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:31 PM)InterestedX Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:19 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  One big traffic jam and strip center after another.....

You just described Houston and all its surrounding suburbs.

If you know what you're doing, it's 100 times better than Austin. But (a) you gotta know your way around, and (b) you have to be aware of construction and what time of day it is.

At least in Houston traffic in a north/south isnt thrown into a chokepoint of 4.5 ways across of river...... (counting the bridge by Hula Hut as the .5)

My working theory of Houston traffic was that you can leave at 5:30 in the afternoon and arrive at your destination across town at 7:15 or you can leave at 6:45 and arrive at 7:15, whichever is more convenient for you...

(01-25-2017 10:07 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 12:58 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:31 PM)InterestedX Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:19 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  One big traffic jam and strip center after another.....

You just described Houston and all its surrounding suburbs.

If you know what you're doing, it's 100 times better than Austin. But (a) you gotta know your way around, and (b) you have to be aware of construction and what time of day it is.

At least in Houston traffic in a north/south isnt thrown into a chokepoint of 4.5 ways across of river...... (counting the bridge by Hula Hut as the .5)

The worst part of Austin traffic is that on highways where there are two lanes, both lanes travel at exactly the same speed. Where there are 4-5 lanes, all of them also travel at exactly the same speed. In Houston, it seems people have the decency to shift lanes ... in Dallas, you can rely on those riding the fast lane to go substantially slower than the other lanes, so you can get around when you need to.

(01-25-2017 10:17 AM)I45owl Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 10:07 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  

(01-25-2017 12:58 AM)Rick Gerlach Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:31 PM)InterestedX Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:19 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  One big traffic jam and strip center after another.....

You just described Houston and all its surrounding suburbs.

If you know what you're doing, it's 100 times better than Austin. But (a) you gotta know your way around, and (b) you have to be aware of construction and what time of day it is.

At least in Houston traffic in a north/south isnt thrown into a chokepoint of 4.5 ways across of river...... (counting the bridge by Hula Hut as the .5)

The worst part of Austin traffic is that on highways where there are two lanes, both lanes travel at exactly the same speed. Where there are 4-5 lanes, all of them also travel at exactly the same speed. In Houston, it seems people have the decency to shift lanes ... in Dallas, you can rely on those riding the fast lane to go substantially slower than the other lanes, so you can get around when you need to.

"Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster is a maniac."

George Carlin

I get to Houston about 8-10 times a year. Always on short Rice related trips. Almost always on weekends. It's usually no problem handling the traffic. However, I'm always amused when I listen to my Houstonian friends talk about their commutes. They spend what sounds like an eternity in the car.
I'm in Austin less frequently but for longer stretches of time. My feeling is that the Austin traffic is generally worse. A study I read a few years ago by TXDOT stated that Austin had the longest commute times of any metro area in Texas.
I actually do more urban driving in Phoenix. My opinion is that the traffic is considerably better in the Valley of the Sun. Seems light years better than Houston or Austin.

(01-25-2017 10:17 AM)I45owl Wrote:  The worst part of Austin traffic is that on highways where there are two lanes, both lanes travel at exactly the same speed. Where there are 4-5 lanes, all of them also travel at exactly the same speed. In Houston, it seems people have the decency to shift lanes ... in Dallas, you can rely on those riding the fast lane to go substantially slower than the other lanes, so you can get around when you need to.

West Texas seems to be the only part of the state where making good time on the highway does not require an extraordinary amount of passing on the right.

Going to have to try Waze - I keep hearing about it.
Currently use Houston Transtar's traffic map as my first-glance planner.
( http://houstontranstar.org )
Google Maps will try to guide you around disasters, to some extent, but their maps may be two years out of date.
Even though I have an iPhone, I almost never use Apple's Maps.app.

There are several Vortices of Stupidity around the city that I regularly encounter. It helps to know where and when they form, and which lane is the most likely to get you there soonest.

All of the Vortices of Stupidity are caused by multiple merges, in a city where it seems like 75% of the drivers have no clue how to match velocity with the traffic in the next lane to squeeze into a hole, while not causing a wreck in either lane.

What I call Vortex of Stupidity #1 is southbound on I-45, between the South Loop and the three exits for Hobby (Broadway, Airport, and Monroe). There are cars entering from ramps on both the left and the right (in addition to the three through lanes from Downtown), and some of the people entering on the left are trying to exit at Broadway, and have to work across 5 or 6 lanes to get there.
The cars entering on the right are immediately in a this-lane-must-exit situation, and have to work towards the left, if they want to continue south.

My VoS#2 is also the Gulf Freeway, between the South Sam Houston Tollway, and (now) about FM2351, although the length varies.
Three through lanes, joined by the entering cars from both directions on the Belt, the HOV lane (in the evening), plus frontage road onramps, and a right-lane-must-exit at Scarsdale, compounded by construction shifts as they widen the entire thing to 379 lanes (jk).

VoS#.5 should probably be the exit from the South Loop eastbound onto the Gulf Freeway, and you are either in the right lane about a mile ahead of the exit, or you're trying to squeeze into the waiting line, while cars entering from the frontage road are competing on the other side of the line.

VoS#3 - 59 "north"bound between Hazard and 288. Two left lanes must exit to Spur 527. Right lane must exit (to Main St). Entrance lane from Shepherd vanishes, squeezing cars left. This and #.5 are the two that I always expect to be jammed, at any time of day.

VoS#4 - 59 @ the West Loop - this plugs up in all four directions, even after they created laced ramps. Imagine what it will be like when they replace the entire interchange during the next few years.

VoS#5 - 290 - ya know... just find another way to go...

"YMMV" - my knowledge of the VoSs is based on my driving patterns.
Add to the list, if you'd like.

(01-25-2017 03:17 PM)Grungy Wrote:  Going to have to try Waze - I keep hearing about it.
Currently use Houston Transtar's traffic map as my first-glance planner.
( http://houstontranstar.org )
Google Maps will try to guide you around disasters, to some extent, but their maps may be two years out of date.
Even though I have an iPhone, I almost never use Apple's Maps.app.

There are several Vortices of Stupidity around the city that I regularly encounter. It helps to know where and when they form, and which lane is the most likely to get you there soonest.

All of the Vortices of Stupidity are caused by multiple merges, in a city where it seems like 75% of the drivers have no clue how to match velocity with the traffic in the next lane to squeeze into a hole, while not causing a wreck in either lane.

What I call Vortex of Stupidity #1 is southbound on I-45, between the South Loop and the three exits for Hobby (Broadway, Airport, and Monroe). There are cars entering from ramps on both the left and the right (in addition to the three through lanes from Downtown), and some of the people entering on the left are trying to exit at Broadway, and have to work across 5 or 6 lanes to get there.
The cars entering on the right are immediately in a this-lane-must-exit situation, and have to work towards the left, if they want to continue south.

My VoS#2 is also the Gulf Freeway, between the South Sam Houston Tollway, and (now) about FM2351, although the length varies.
Three through lanes, joined by the entering cars from both directions on the Belt, the HOV lane (in the evening), plus frontage road onramps, and a right-lane-must-exit at Scarsdale, compounded by construction shifts as they widen the entire thing to 379 lanes (jk).

VoS#.5 should probably be the exit from the South Loop eastbound onto the Gulf Freeway, and you are either in the right lane about a mile ahead of the exit, or you're trying to squeeze into the waiting line, while cars entering from the frontage road are competing on the other side of the line.

VoS#3 - 59 "north"bound between Hazard and 288. Two left lanes must exit to Spur 527. Right lane must exit (to Main St). Entrance lane from Shepherd vanishes, squeezing cars left. This and #.5 are the two that I always expect to be jammed, at any time of day.

VoS#4 - 59 @ the West Loop - this plugs up in all four directions, even after they created laced ramps. Imagine what it will be like when they replace the entire interchange during the next few years.

VoS#5 - 290 - ya know... just find another way to go...

"YMMV" - my knowledge of the VoSs is based on my driving patterns.
Add to the list, if you'd like.

ROTFLOL. Truly awesome post. Your VoS's#2 and 3 are two areas I automatically dread.

I'll take Kirby and Shepherd north from 59 rather than work my way through #3 at some points in the day. Seriously.

Be careful with Waze (though I use it all the time for my current commute, to know which of several exits to get off and around traffic). When going into Chattanooga 2 years ago, it took me off a congested (yet slowly moving) interstate into an industrial section of town, sent me down a quarter of a mile to a light, then turn left up the next ramp on basically the same interchange, to get back into traffic. And because the traffic light changed on me to stop us temporarily, I wound up further behind in the traffic. But when it shows you only the next instruction and I couldn't pay attention to the map it was showing (as I was driving in tight traffic), it pulled a fast one on me. It thought it would be faster (on average), but to save that little?

I still laugh about it. And still love using it.

(01-24-2017 11:13 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 10:31 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Was in Houston for work the past few days, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't wish my drive upon my old Miami roommate who still technically owes me money for utilities and then broke my furniture when moving out. It's like the city knows you're gonna get lost so they have all those u-turn lanes everywhere you look. That 'experience' will teach me to do a little more research...

Yup, it does frequently suck. Usually there's something clogged up somewhere any time night or day.
Good news is that unlike some cities there's a good alternate route. Bad news, as you found out, is it's not likely to be very "user friendly".

Next time post up here first and maybe we can help with the inside scoop for a reroute.

Would love for Rice to have horrible traffic (due to big crowds) on game days. Ways to get to this end state have been discussed ad nauseam on this board in other threads.

(01-25-2017 05:11 PM)exowlswimmer Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 11:13 PM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(01-24-2017 10:31 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  Was in Houston for work the past few days, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't wish my drive upon my old Miami roommate who still technically owes me money for utilities and then broke my furniture when moving out. It's like the city knows you're gonna get lost so they have all those u-turn lanes everywhere you look. That 'experience' will teach me to do a little more research...

Yup, it does frequently suck. Usually there's something clogged up somewhere any time night or day.
Good news is that unlike some cities there's a good alternate route. Bad news, as you found out, is it's not likely to be very "user friendly".

Next time post up here first and maybe we can help with the inside scoop for a reroute.

Would love for Rice to have horrible traffic (due to big crowds) on game days. Ways to get to this end state have been discussed ad nauseam on this board in other threads.

Before the 1957 A&M game, the Chief of Police went on TV to tell fans how to avoid traffic jams going to HRS.

(01-25-2017 05:11 PM)exowlswimmer Wrote:  Would love for Rice to have horrible traffic (due to big crowds) on game days. Ways to get to this end state have been discussed ad nauseam on this board in other threads.

Ahhh... the good old days...
...when everything from the stadium to the RMC was filled with cars and RVs.
With 60%-75% of that acreage now unavailable for parking, even if we could draw like that, we'd have nowhere to put them.
Compared to game-day parking rates at other campuses, the $12/day in the Med Center garages seems cheap and convenient.
My first-born went to UT, and had to move her car off-campus on game days, because the space she'd bought a sticker for in the garage next to Jester West was being resold for more to football fans.

Responding to the vortex of stupidity post above. VoS #3 is actually hilarious. The two left lanes that exit onto Spur 527 always involves motorists trying to cut in at the last minute. There are also the motorists who suddenly realize "oh s***", this lane is exiting! They put up some floppy plastic vertical pole-barriers a few years ago to try to remedy both of these issues, but within a couple months, they all got mowed down by drivers!