Washigton DC has the Nation's Worst Traffic

[techs]

Unfortunately, there just aren't a lot of alternatives to driving. North American cities are the product of a post-war car lifestyle. The price of housing in the city cores have gone up dramatically, so people got pushed further out into the suburbs, where they could get better value for their money. Of course this required buying a car.

The problem is that public transit was never built to adequately serve these suburbs. It either doesn't run regularly, costs too much (often more than just driving), takes longer, or doesn't serve your area. Usually a combination of several of those.

In my case, I live on one suburban community but commute to another. I work off hours so it takes me 20min to get in. Up to 50min in terrible traffic (rush hour in a snow storm). To take transit, I would have to hop on 3 separate buses, it would take 2hrs on a good day, and cost a hell of a lot more. Now if I worked downtown, it would be 40min in to work versus about 1hr driving during peak rush. But, commuter trains out of my town only run during peak hours. Since I work 3-10pm, I would have to take a bus in, which would take about 1-1.5hrs with all stops. Costing about $16 a day round trip. That's assuming I worked close to the train station and didn't have to take the subway anywhere.

The province's current transit improvement plans are all focusing on building improved service for downtown Toronto. So the growing suburban population has no choice but to drive, and the highways are jammed.

The obvious solution would be to change around the usual 9-5 day. The highways are empty between about 9:30am and 4pm. Though I expect that changing work hours would encounter a lot of resistance. Carpooling only makes sense if you happen to live near co-workers, and that they have the same hours you do. Which is not practical if you're a shift worker.

Yeah, the obverse to roads filling up as commute times go down on them is that as public transportation gets better more people will use it, but without the expansion increased demand is not visible, so more infrastructure doesn't get built.

And, tbh, todays cars are literally your living room in terms of comfort and connectivity so people are more likely to put up with longer commutes.

 

[dabuddha]

Actually you're number 3 after New York.

(I think, could be wrong).

I knew DC was second place for a long time, not surprised we made it to 1st.


They REALLY need to extend both the Metro and the VRE much further out. Like a good 10 miles each.

Even with VRE my commute is shit. It takes me 25 minutes in the morning to drive to the VRE lot, 40 minutes on the VRE to get to Union Station, 25-30 minutes to get to Silver Spring from there. Coming home is about the same except the drive is about 45-50 minutes cause of traffic. And this is all non highway driving.

/shoots self

 

[MiniDoom]

Maybe free wifi on the metro would help?

 

[SP33Demon]

Unfortunately, there just aren't a lot of alternatives to driving. North American cities are the product of a post-war car lifestyle. The price of housing in the city cores have gone up dramatically, so people got pushed further out into the suburbs, where they could get better value for their money. Of course this required buying a car.

The problem is that public transit was never built to adequately serve these suburbs. It either doesn't run regularly, costs too much (often more than just driving), takes longer, or doesn't serve your area. Usually a combination of several of those.

In my case, I live on one suburban community but commute to another. I work off hours so it takes me 20min to get in. Up to 50min in terrible traffic (rush hour in a snow storm). To take transit, I would have to hop on 3 separate buses, it would take 2hrs on a good day, and cost a hell of a lot more. Now if I worked downtown, it would be 40min in to work versus about 1hr driving during peak rush. But, commuter trains out of my town only run during peak hours. Since I work 3-10pm, I would have to take a bus in, which would take about 1-1.5hrs with all stops. Costing about $16 a day round trip. That's assuming I worked close to the train station and didn't have to take the subway anywhere.

The province's current transit improvement plans are all focusing on building improved service for downtown Toronto. So the growing suburban population has no choice but to drive, and the highways are jammed.

The obvious solution would be to change around the usual 9-5 day. The highways are empty between about 9:30am and 4pm. Though I expect that changing work hours would encounter a lot of resistance. Carpooling only makes sense if you happen to live near co-workers, and that they have the same hours you do. Which is not practical if you're a shift worker.

And you forgot the most important solution, working from home.

 

[Linflas]

its because the roads in dc are designed in a horrible manner, regardless of the grid it is in. then you have lights every 5 feet, 1 way roads, circles with roads going under them, pretty much all 2 lane roads, where many of the roads are under construction or have people parking on the street to block one of the lanes, no left turn lanes, and then the shitty road conditions all over dc. oh, and then you have the fun times of trying to find parking somewhere or paying $30 for a garage for the day.

and there is no room left in dc to fix it. there is physically no space in many areas to try and expand the roads even if they wanted to do so.

You are talking about the city itself which really suffers more from parochial politics more than L'Enfant's original design. The DC government is actively hostile to commuters and views them as a revenue source. In the surrounding suburbs in many cases other than the interstates the main thoroughfares date from colonial times forward and none of the jurisdictions make traffic relief a priority which means that there are numerous at grade intersections, poorly timed traffic signals, little priority given by local first responders to keeping traffic moving.

When I was working for NRL I had to make a few business trips to Raytheon in Bedford, MA. On one trip I flew in, grabbed my rental and headed out to Bedford. After going through the tunnels from the airport I was on the downtown interstate that at some point had a Y split. Traffic came to an abrupt stop there and when I stopped I heard the squealing and bam as the guy behind me was rear ended and then rear ended my rental. We weren't there more than 30 secs before a cop pulled up, saw that it was just property damage and told us we must move and took us about half a mile further up where there was a wide shoulder and then sent a Mass state cop. If this happened in Northern Virginia they would leave you sitting there and block off an additional lane for the cop cars to sit in and screw up traffic for 30 minutes working the accident.

 

[shortylickens]

its because the roads in dc are designed in a horrible manner, regardless of the grid it is in. then you have lights every 5 feet, 1 way roads, circles with roads going under them, pretty much all 2 lane roads, where many of the roads are under construction or have people parking on the street to block one of the lanes, no left turn lanes, and then the shitty road conditions all over dc. oh, and then you have the fun times of trying to find parking somewhere or paying $30 for a garage for the day.

and there is no room left in dc to fix it. there is physically no space in many areas to try and expand the roads even if they wanted to do so.

Like many old cities it was designed for horses and the occasional carriage, not a million cars.

I suspect if EVERYONE in DC drove a golf cart or a smart car it could help someone. But all it takes is one asshole in an oversized SUV and you'd have Blood on the Highway like no one has ever seen before.

The next time an old ass building gets destroyed they need to consider putting in a 3 or 4 story parking garage, instead of more houses. Too many people living there already. get some of the cars off the side of the street. Its amazing how many people own cars but hardly ever use them. Most of the time they just end up parking them for months and turning a 4 lane road into a two lane.

And if not parking garages at least parkNrides, again get some more people into buses instead cars.

 

[shocksyde]

I commuted from Baltimore to Potomac, MD every day for 5 years. 95 to 495 all the way around the top of the beltway. I have no idea how I didn't commit suicide.

Now I live in DC and go the opposite way of traffic. It's the greatest thing I've ever done for myself. Well, besides masturbating.

 

[KlokWyze]

Never taken a job outside of the 28 tech corridor in Northern VA. I'm still relatively a newb, but I can see that the more specialized I get, the less picky I will have to be.

Amazing how many dolts I meet that complain about their 2 hour, twice daily commute, for $16 an hour.

 

[shortylickens]

Never taken a job outside of the 28 tech corridor in Northern VA. I'm still relatively a newb, but I can see that the more specialized I get, the less picky I will have to be.

Amazing how many dolts I meet that complain about their 2 hour, twice daily commute, for $16 an hour.

Oh yes, I know that well.

Truth be told I been out of work so long I'd gladly take a mediocre job with a long commute. But I really have no room to be picky.

The thing you gotta remember is that not having a job at all makes you very less employable. Its easier to get something, anything, and try & find a better situation.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I don't know why people live in big cities, I can't imagine having to deal with that kind of traffic on a daily bassis.

It takes me like 5 minutes to get to work. 2 minutes if I happen to hit a green light when crossing the highway. Cost of living is also way lower, not to mention not using up so much gas. The long winters suck, but I'll take that over the southern issues.

 

[Jimzz]

I don't know why people live in big cities, I can't imagine having to deal with that kind of traffic on a daily bassis.

It takes me like 5 minutes to get to work. 2 minutes if I happen to hit a green light when crossing the highway. Cost of living is also way lower, not to mention not using up so much gas. The long winters suck, but I'll take that over the southern issues.

Job and salary. Our home cost a lot now but when we move/retire to a lower cost of living place the extra money will only allow us to retire sooner.

That and not all of us have to commute that badly. My commute is only 10minutes. I gave up a little money for that but with metro charging more it almost equals out.

 

[KeithTalent]

I don't know why people live in big cities, I can't imagine having to deal with that kind of traffic on a daily bassis.

It takes me like 5 minutes to get to work. 2 minutes if I happen to hit a green light when crossing the highway. Cost of living is also way lower, not to mention not using up so much gas. The long winters suck, but I'll take that over the southern issues.

For some people, living in the big city allows them to walk to work. Like me; fifteen minute walk to work. I would go nuts living out in the suburbs or in the country. To each their own though.

KT

 

[Thebobo]

The funny thing is the DC commute has been miserable since WWII and no matter how much money they throw at it it never changes.

Yep I commute through the rock creek roller coaster ever day. I started working my current location years ago at 6AM. Its now 5:30 and the there is is even more traffic at 5 am lol.

 

[KlokWyze]

For some people, living in the big city allows them to walk to work. Like me; fifteen minute walk to work. I would go nuts living out in the suburbs or in the country. To each their own though.

KT

Was about to make the same point. In this thread it is pointed out quite a bit that people would move closer to work for a shorter commute. Where are all (or a lot) the high salary jobs?

My sister lives in Brooklyn, next to her work. A 5 minute walk, compared to my 10-15 minute drive to work in the DC suburbs. Though, I don't have to walk through pure filth every time I step out the door. There was a used condom on the sidewalk right out her door (spare me the trash talk lol). Trash days there = uke: Someone stole their $30 Weber mini grill, which was even chained and locked to the fence! LMAO!

Suburbs win for me.

 

[Linflas]

The other dirty little secret they never talk about is that out of all the traffic in the DC Metro area only around 25% of it involves trips to/from DC itself yet all the mass transit options are geared towards getting into/out of DC.

 

[KlokWyze]

The other dirty little secret they never talk about is that out of all the traffic in the DC Metro area only around 25% of it involves trips to/from DC itself yet all the mass transit options are geared towards getting into/out of DC.

Ha... good point.

I'm right down the street from you in Centreville. Just came from a customer site there just off of Sudley, near the movie theatre. :biggrin:

 

[purbeast0]

Never taken a job outside of the 28 tech corridor in Northern VA. I'm still relatively a newb, but I can see that the more specialized I get, the less picky I will have to be.

Amazing how many dolts I meet that complain about their 2 hour, twice daily commute, for $16 an hour.

actually the opposite. as you get more and more experience and good at your job, you can become MORE picky about where you want to work because there is tech work literally everywhere in the DMV area.