Dallas traffic is relentless

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I'm one state north of TX so I can make a day trip down to Dallas a few times a year. For the most part we have the same stuff, but Dallas has some unique character in certain spots and I have a handful of restaurants I like to visit. (plus they have places like El Pollo Loco and In n Out Burger because of all the Cali transplants)

For the record, the traffic there has never really been good. Even when I made trips down there in the 90s it was just constant commotion.

But man the population growth has really made the place into a zoo now. They make the interstates wider and wider, but it seems like they just can't keep up.

For those who live in the area -- how do you do it?
 
I live in West Texas with Toltag on car. Several DFW freeways that are toll are clear enough. Hotels are cheaper on weekends, and the business crowds are less.
 
I've spent 75% of my years in Texas. My perspective for the larger cities here has always been driving in Dallas traffic is worse than Houston, and San Antonio traffic is a distant third. With everything that's happened in Austin since the mid-80's, I now rank driving in Austin traffic equivalent to Houston.

A recent national study ranked Dallas as having 10th worst traffic congestion in the nation with no other Texas cities mentioned so I think my perspective has been scientifically validated. I really hate the number of blind "Thou Shalt Merge" freeway on-ramps in the Dallas area.
 
Originally Posted By: Nyogtha
I've spent 75% of my years in Texas. My perspective for the larger cities here has always been driving in Dallas traffic is worse than Houston, and San Antonio traffic is a distant third. With everything that's happened in Austin since the mid-80's, I now rank driving in Austin traffic equivalent to Houston.

A recent national study ranked Dallas as having 10th worst traffic congestion in the nation with no other Texas cities mentioned so I think my perspective has been scientifically validated. I really hate the number of blind "Thou Shalt Merge" freeway on-ramps in the Dallas area.


The last bit reminded me of exactly that.

Driving through from Denton down into central Dallas.. it's just non stop on ramps and off ramps for miles and miles. On my way back home, I saw a sign that said:

DENTON
NEXT 16 EXITS

I didn't realize it had grown so much! On top of that I've never seen that type of sign have that high of a number! For the longest time Denton was literally a blink of an eye between Sanger and Lewsville.
 
I live 36 miles from my work place, but the morning commutes average about 60 minutes and the afternoon commutes average about 90 minutes to travel that 36 miles.

The traffic situation for me is relatively better now that they have finished the construction on the (only) 2 routes I can take to/from work, but even though it is better than what it was for a few years in a row, it's still difficult to endure without losing my sanity and reenacting Michael Douglas's character in Falling Down...
mad.gif


If I'm not careful though, I can get caught in a real hum-dinger of a traffic jam, and given my rather unique living location (other side of a lake from work city), it is not unheard of for a trip home to exceed 3 hours of drive time due to a road-closing or traffic rerouting. THOSE are the days when I truly just want to start hurting people...anyone...everyone I see in fact!
shocked.gif


But luckily, I'm feeling much better now
crazy.gif
 
Austin traffic is just as insane. Except this whole area suffers from politicians who are against roads. They want to force drivers into mass transit, to ride bicycles and to walk. I doubt any of the city council does. I-35 through Austin hasn't been updated in 42 years!!! There are 'loops' here that never have looped.

Just recently the silly council decided to eliminate ALL free parking downtown due to the effects of 'climate change' and to 'force' people to take mass transit, or walk, or bicycle.

Ridiculous......
 
Lots of people are moving to Texas cause of all the talk about jobs, affordable housing and no state income tax.

Will Texas turn into a California in 20 years ?
 
Originally Posted By: The_Nuke
I live 36 miles from my work place, but the morning commutes average about 60 minutes and the afternoon commutes average about 90 minutes to travel that 36 miles.

The traffic situation for me is relatively better now that they have finished the construction on the (only) 2 routes I can take to/from work, but even though it is better than what it was for a few years in a row, it's still difficult to endure without losing my sanity and reenacting Michael Douglas's character in Falling Down...
mad.gif


If I'm not careful though, I can get caught in a real hum-dinger of a traffic jam, and given my rather unique living location (other side of a lake from work city), it is not unheard of for a trip home to exceed 3 hours of drive time due to a road-closing or traffic rerouting. THOSE are the days when I truly just want to start hurting people...anyone...everyone I see in fact!
shocked.gif


But luckily, I'm feeling much better now
crazy.gif



I wish we made times like that for a 36 mile commute. Commutes here of about 20 miles during rush hour take longer. God forbid I have to work in NYC, I won't even tell you how bad that is.

"Falling Down" great movie! I'll leave it at that!
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Austin traffic is just as insane. Except this whole area suffers from politicians who are against roads. They want to force drivers into mass transit, to ride bicycles and to walk. I doubt any of the city council does. I-35 through Austin hasn't been updated in 42 years!!! There are 'loops' here that never have looped.

Just recently the silly council decided to eliminate ALL free parking downtown due to the effects of 'climate change' and to 'force' people to take mass transit, or walk, or bicycle.

Ridiculous......
Californians influence in the politics of Texas.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Lots of people are moving to Texas cause of all the talk about jobs, affordable housing and no state income tax.

Will Texas turn into a California in 20 years ?


 
Texas will be worse than California because its focus is purely on commerce and growth and not on people or quality of life. There will be a piper to be paid and those of use who've lived here for decades with eyes open have seen that loan agreement. It's similar in other high growth areas, though, the stewards of this state are even better at the role of pimp, whoring the place out. I'm not praising California nor holding it up as an example. If you live here and speak positively of anything that's not Texas you're branded a "libtard" or some equally xenophobic moniker.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: The_Nuke
I live 36 miles from my work place, but the morning commutes average about 60 minutes and the afternoon commutes average about 90 minutes to travel that 36 miles.

The traffic situation for me is relatively better now that they have finished the construction on the (only) 2 routes I can take to/from work, but even though it is better than what it was for a few years in a row, it's still difficult to endure without losing my sanity and reenacting Michael Douglas's character in Falling Down...
mad.gif


If I'm not careful though, I can get caught in a real hum-dinger of a traffic jam, and given my rather unique living location (other side of a lake from work city), it is not unheard of for a trip home to exceed 3 hours of drive time due to a road-closing or traffic rerouting. THOSE are the days when I truly just want to start hurting people...anyone...everyone I see in fact!
shocked.gif


But luckily, I'm feeling much better now
crazy.gif



I wish we made times like that for a 36 mile commute. Commutes here of about 20 miles during rush hour take longer. God forbid I have to work in NYC, I won't even tell you how bad that is.

"Falling Down" great movie! I'll leave it at that!
wink.gif



When I read posts like yours, I come to realize just how fortunate I am to have a 25 mile commute that I can do in 35 minutes with no real effort to make time.
I can understand the issues around NYC since there are only so many ways of getting to Manhattan.
IIRC, you live on LI, so any commute to Manhattan is going to be tortuous, but Dallas, a city surrounded with lots of open space?
Sounds like a lack of urban planning as well as a lack of transportation options.
 
Everyone has to have a car,,,really, all you need is a small ride,,no need for a 300 HP ride,,imho..yes FWD area is insane, ran freight through there a few years back,,insane is the word, but so is Atlanta, Nashville, and Chicago and NY...all nuts.
 
Just like Florida.... there were many podunk small 2 horse towns 30 years ago that are now booming with crazy population growth and that means a lot more traffic and congestion.
 
Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Just like Florida.... there were many podunk small 2 horse towns 30 years ago that are now booming with crazy population growth and that means a lot more traffic and congestion.


You got that right, even my favorite Pensacola has go crazy,,I miss it from the 60s.
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45

For those who live in the area -- how do you do it?


Here's how I did it: I moved out of there.
I lived there for 10 years and was always amazed at the traffic on 635 at 2 AM.
My current residence is out in the country and my mailing address town only has a single stop light.
I don't miss it.
 
We live north of Austin and my wife and I always comment how nice the highways are in Dallas.

They actually build roads, and its super busy but well managed.

Same deal with Houston, they build super highways with stacks of highways.

Austin refuses to build anything but stupid toll roads, and the Council and Mayor are complete dummies.

They are trying to turn Texas into California.
 
It seems to be the same everywhere. Small towns and suburbs grow and eventually the whole region is one urban sprawl.

In the old days a 5 mile backup on the freeway was the biggest pain. Now it’s 50 miles.
 
When I retired, I moved from Houston to small town Arizona. It’s true that Texas has no income tax but you’re hit with MUD taxes, property taxes, school taxes ( the schools they build look like Taj Mahal) and you better have an EZ tag or you’re SOL.

Arizona is not without its foibles though; the Vehicle License Tax is extortion and they do have a state income tax. Social security is not taxed unless you have a specified amount of of additional income, which I just barely scratch into. Traffic though, as long as you don’t live in Phoenix or Tucson, is generally very good. My town has no stop signs on the main drag, just on side streets. I drive 25 miles to get groceries but it’s on a sparsely traveled 2 lane road through the mountains. The state, having a low population compared to others, has less pollution and LOTS of blue sky. Humidity is also very low.

I like it here so much, I’ll probably blow away here, just cremate me and throw me in an old mining pit when the time comes.
 
The key to living here (or anywhere else for that matter) is to live in a suburb right outside of a big city.
 
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