World's Worst Commutes

[missflick]

http://autos.sympatico.ca/did-you-kn...tes-revealed/1

I posted this due to some of the comments posted in the Adele rants thread.

[KatieC]

Beijing China: One notoriously bad jam in August of 2010 stretched more than 100 km and lasted for weeks, leading to the development of a whole mini-economy with vendors selling goods to stranded drivers at astronomical prices.

That's why I like Regina Saskatchewan - the two times I've been there, summer and winter, it seemed their rush hour lasted about 10 minutes.

[BigB08822]

I am convinced Baton Rouge, LA is ranked #16

[emason]

Something is seriously wrong here when NYC and the world's longest parking lot, the LIE, don't make the list.

[DBZ]

I'm shocked L.A. wasn't at least top 5. Being stuck in that gridlock was torture. I can't even begin to imagine how much worse those other commutes are if L.A. is ranked only at 15.

[Lanie]

Yeah, I'm puzzled why LA is #14. The 405 freeway...takes 4 or 5 hours to get where you want to go!

[aliceanne]

We're trying to get our employer to let us telework more, but the computer people don't like it because of all of the security issues.

[Norlite]

I knew Toronto would be there (#12). The 401 and DVP are nightmares.

And the 407 is even getting bad during rush hour.

[KatieC]

I knew Toronto would be there (#12). The 401 and DVP are nightmares.

And the 407 is even getting bad during rush hour.

I love the 407, but I've never really used it during rush hour. I actually made a u-turn on the 401 once, past Kingston, when people started getting out of their cars and it looked to be a couple of hours. I grew up on the QEW, but only drive it at night now. It was ruined by the 403.

[milanessa]

I'm surprised Atlanta isn't on that list.

[missflick]

I knew Toronto would be there (#12). The 401 and DVP are nightmares.

And the 407 is even getting bad during rush hour.

Not sure about the last two, but I drove on the 401 once, and it wasn't bad at all.

[DAngel]

http://autos.sympatico.ca/did-you-kn...tes-revealed/1

I agree with comment #1 in that link. Here, a 10 minutes trip (clear road) takes about 45 mins average (normal traffic). "Jammed" would be around 2 hours (rain, flood, & accidents not included)

[vesperholly]

I knew Toronto would be there (#12). The 401 and DVP are nightmares.

And the 407 is even getting bad during rush hour.

Ah Toronto, the only place where I was in a traffic jam at midnight.

KatieC, I'm curious why the 403 ruined the QEW. Since I live just over the border, I've done a good deal of driving in the GTA, but I don't know the history. All I remember is before they built the 407, and finally some of the work on the QEW in the Niagara region has been finished

[Flatfoote]

I remember reading a short story back in Jr Hi (or so). It was about how the future dealt with traffic jams (and the overpopulation that contributed to it). If a jam got bad enough, the government would come in and basically pave over the jam of cars (people and all), and just create a new road over the top of the existing one!


ETA: I found the story! It was "The Great Moveway Jam." You can read it online in PDF form here: http://krewedukat.com/GreatMoveWayJa...oveway_jam.htm

Hmmm....interesting. It says it was published in Omni magazine in 1979. I do remember subscribing to Omni. But I could have sworn I read the story in school, and we discussed the story in class. IIRC, it was in a book of short stories we used for that particular class. I graduated in HS 1977, so I guess not. I guess it could have been a college class, but my mental image of reading that story is from one of my HS classrooms.

[rjblue]

I have a 45 minute commute to work. Look at the awful traffic I have to put up with.

(Sometimes I meet up to three! cars on this road.)

[Andora]

I love the 407, but I've never really used it during rush hour. I actually made a u-turn on the 401 once, past Kingston, when people started getting out of their cars and it looked to be a couple of hours. I grew up on the QEW, but only drive it at night now. It was ruined by the 403.

We used to have to take the QEW/Gardner to get most places, and it was a NIGHTMARE. Especially last summer when one lane was closed each way for Jameson Bridge reconstruction. Plus, nobody understands the concept of "passing lane" on that highway. I swear I've gotten to Niagara faster staying in the right lane while the far left dawdles at 95.

Toronto is such a mess. I've come into the city during rush hour, generally against traffic, and still run into some epic snarls. So many little accidents that effectively turn a regular street into gridlock. And that's without even taking the Don Valley Parkinglot. Yet our mayor wants to end the "war on the car." Because it's lack of people in vehicles that's making traffic so awful.

[Stefanie]

I am surprised that a number of those cities have really good public transit systems, yet they still have terrible traffic problems. I remember being in Berlin thinking that if only my city in the US had this good a subway system our traffic wouldn't be so bad. Guess not.

[genevieve]

that tally really doesn't say much about the criteria, particularly for the cities ranked lower than #10. The caption for one says "this city has a new mayor determined to stop the war on cars, but that will come at the expense of public transit and so traffic will continue to be a problem", but then on others it says "this city has great infrastructure for cyclists and people using public transport, but the roads have suffered, so congestion will continue". Are they calling for increasing alternative modes of transportation so people can rely less on cars (which would do more for reducing traffic than anything else )? For improvements on roadways so that traffic flow will be more manageable? Or just taking a snapshot and saying "commuting sux"?

My commute is pretty darned sweet and takes about 10 minutes, but occasionally traffic is bad and I don't get the walk lights when I need them