Quote:
Originally Posted by jwasbury
I live in one of the most densely populated areas in the country, and traffic is part of daily life here. The thing is, the infrastructure is designed for volume, and the regulars like me know how to deal with heavy volume. Sure, accidents and other issues will create pockets of congestion and sometimes completely lock things up, but typically things keep moving...hell, we use the shoulders and the median strip if needed to keep the flow going.
I find that more recently developed areas have far worse and far more frustrating traffic issues than what we get around here. I think there are two reasons for this: 1) the suburban development ethos applied in the last few decades is zoned communities with commercial areas separated from dwelling areas, and limited entrances and exits to each zone, all fed by smaller rural two lane highways never designed for the capacities they now serve. 2) the people in these areas don't know how to drive in the congested conditions. Put these two factors together, and you've choked the flow = any person who considers themselves a "driver" is gonna be pissed/frazzled.
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Yeah, this. I've driven through Oregon a few times in the last couple years, (mostly just down the 5 from WA. state but a few detours), trying to get through Portland anytime of day is waaaaay worse than any drive I take in L.A. You can take that 205 and avoid it but only if you have no business or anyone to visit in Portland. The freeway system was so obviously designed for a much smaller population. In Los Angeles, (other than the west side which is awful), there are always multiple ways to skin the same cat in terms of routes to the same destination. I mostly drive or motorcycle between DTLA and Hollywood, Silverlake and Glendale or Burbank and if anything it seems to be less choked than it used to be. Still a lot of traffic, don't get me wrong but it moves and if you're a good driver who knows the roads it is not too bad at all.
Much worse in places like Portland or Minneapolis, (or surrounding areas), where you are stuck on the one and only highway and it's plugged up.
