Fear of Hwy Driving?

[steady saver]

I'm not saying everything is bigger in Texas, but the Katy Freeway (I-10 West) in Houston is pretty dang big. Up to 26 lanes if you count the frontage/feeders at it's widest points. If driving on this freeway during rush hour(s) doesn't put the fear of God in you, then nothing probably will. If you are driving on the inside lane and want to take an upcoming exit, you almost need to make a reservation.

I've actually seen this freeway stopped (dead slow) in both directions at times.

I used to drive this highway alot...now not so much. I take 290 b/c the road construction on 1-10 West was worse than the construction on 290. I usually just put it in Google Maps and see which way is the quickest to the farm. 290 is "usually" quicker but often only by a minute or two. It's a more pleasant drive so I almost always take it now, regardless. That said, both 290 and I-10 tout the mega gas/electric charge convenience store, Buccee's. If you've never been to a Buccee's then you need to stop in one the next time you're in Texas...cleanest bathrooms ever. Good bbq too and if you're a jerky lover, they have a case of row after row of ALL manor of jerky. Alligator anyone?

When you take away the feeder roads of 1-10, it brings it down to just 13 lanes so, while still a lot to contend with, a bit more manageable. Still, the comment about Houston drivers not leaving room between cars is pretty spot on. I listen to a book and try to just drive friendly and defensively...and breathe a sigh of relief once I hit rural Texas.

 

[Car-Guy]

That said, both 290 and I-10 tout the mega gas/electric charge convenience store, Buccee's. If you've never been to a Buccee's then you need to stop in one the next time you're in Texas...cleanest bathrooms ever. Good bbq too and if you're a jerky lover, they have a case of row after row of ALL manor of jerky.

We have a Bucee's up around here too. (45 North) Whenever I must go to "points south" of me, I'll usually stop by on the way back home. I've described it before on this site that it looks like giant ant hill that someone has kicked. 100's and 100's of people and cars going in all different directions in their super sized parking lot. Even early in the morning (e.g.~3am) this place is busy. I think our Bucees's has about 100 gas pumps. (I counted them once, but I forget now). Super clean restrooms with a steady stream (no pun intended) of people going in and out. Very big and busy store, has ton's of stuff but nothing in there is cheap. And speaking of BBQ, I bought my BBQ pit there about 10 years ago. Is was expensive but it's heavy duty(>100lbs) and it has held up really well.

 

[Ronstar]

^^we’ve never been to a Buccees, but we’ll be bearing down on one in southern Alabama around noon. Just in time for a gas fill-up and recon to see what else I need.

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^
I'm sure it is similar to the Bucees we have around here. Don't let the size and crowds deter you from stopping. It's almost bucket list item...

You can get in and out pretty quick unless you just want to spend some time looking around. Besides all the junk food and drinks, I think most Bucees have a deli and bakery inside the stores too. Great sandwiches, salads and desserts all made fresh.

 

[Koolau]

For challenging interchanges, I nominate the 60/91-215 in Riverside CA. Getting on to the 60 WB from the 91-215 NB or from the 60 EB to 91/215 NB through the 4-lane cloverleaf is brutal. Look at this marvel of traffic engineering If I had to drive every day, I'd be dead. Lucky to have survived my dozen+ encounters

https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...06005!4d-117.3754942!16zL20vMHIzd20?entry=ttu

Heh, heh, that one actually looks pretty logical, though the clover leaves could be a bit longer for my taste.

BUT there's a spot in Indianapolis I understand that is called the "Spaghetti Bowl." Supposedly, it is one of the few interchanges where you had BETTER adhere to the very low speed limits - especially if you are driving an 18 Wheeler. I recall when it was first opened many years back, ALL the Midwestern newspapers (y'all remember those, right?) printed pictures of trucks piled up against guard rails every couple of weeks or so.

I've driven through there once or twice and it is challenging - especially going from "highway" speeds down to a a safe merge speed between two major interstate highways. It is deceptive - even looking at the picture

I found a picture here.

https://foursquare.com/v/spaghetti-bowl/4cd196e0f6378cfa2961bcd6

 

[JoeWras]

Heh, heh, that one actually looks pretty logical, though the clover leaves could be a bit longer for my taste.

In the 50s, cloverleafs were considered the state-of-the-art solution of solutions.

What a disaster.

There's too much conflict in the short on-off zone.

So the fly-over was invented, but so many bridges, so much concrete, so much maintenance.

My state tried SPUIs for a while. These work well, but confuse people. The slow wide turns cause people to end up on the wrong side of the road.

So now, my state is on a "diverging diamond" kick. These are SPUI's, with a twist. You cross over with a traffic light so the on-off is free flowing, but may be on the "wrong" side of the highway. They work, but they are an adventure. I'm not sure it is better.

This picture shows it well. Until you actually get on one, though, it is hard to envision.

 

[Koolau]

This picture shows it well. Until you actually get on one, though, it is hard to envision.

Yeah, that's too "busy" for my pea-sized brain to conceptualize.

 

[MC Rider]

Yeah, that's too "busy" for my pea-sized brain to conceptualize.

I suppose that works if you get used to it. Does look confusing though. Cloverleafs at least are easy to grok.

 

[mpeirce]

Yeah, that's too "busy" for my pea-sized brain to conceptualize.

Ohio DOT has built a few of these around the state.

I've driven through the one at I-475 and SR-25 in Perrysburg and it's fine. I've even walked across it as a pedestrian and that worked fine as well.

 

[Ronstar]

Just drove I95 through New York City area. Traffic wasn't bad. But it was on a Sunday, so maybe that's why. We've driven through every state and every major US city. IMO, LA is the worst. Houston and Dallas are bad. Chicago can be real bad if the roads are snow covered or icy. Took me 3-4 hours to get home (60 miles) from downtown once in a snowstorm

 

[JoeWras]

Ohio DOT has built a few of these around the state.

I've driven through the one at I-475 and SR-25 in Perrysburg and it's fine. I've even walked across it as a pedestrian and that worked fine as well.

The pedestrian thing concerns me. There is a section where traffic is running on the "wrong" side. In my opinion, the DOTs need walls up in these areas to stop drunken pedestrians from trying a crossing.

In the one they are building nearby, they have controlled pedestrian crossings where traffic is running "correctly." The place where it runs wrong side is under a bridge, so it isn't a place a ped would normally cross.

But when alcohol is involved, who knows?

 

[PatrickA5]

In the 50s, cloverleafs were considered the state-of-the-art solution of solutions.

What a disaster.

There's too much conflict in the short on-off zone.

So the fly-over was invented, but so many bridges, so much concrete, so much maintenance.

My state tried SPUIs for a while. These work well, but confuse people. The slow wide turns cause people to end up on the wrong side of the road.

So now, my state is on a "diverging diamond" kick. These are SPUI's, with a twist. You cross over with a traffic light so the on-off is free flowing, but may be on the "wrong" side of the highway. They work, but they are an adventure. I'm not sure it is better.

This picture shows it well. Until you actually get on one, though, it is hard to envision.

They're building one of these about a mile from my house. Maybe it will help with the congestion at that intersection. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure it out.

 

[Koolau]

They're building one of these about a mile from my house. Maybe it will help with the congestion at that intersection. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure it out.

If we don't hear from you for a while, we tell the police to look for you in an infinite loop on the highway.

 

[splitwdw]

Floridajim57, I was talking to my mother and grandmother and they said it's not a "timid vs confident" driver as I posted. They both said they had friends that this happened to, that didn't have this problem when they were younger. They said it was something that developed over time and not due to any accident. Their friends never got over their fear and those that kept driving had to force themselves to do it when necessary. Sorry, I hope you find an answer.

 

[MichaelB]

A year ago we got a diverging diamond along a section we use frequently. The objective was to reduce congestion and transit time. It may have helped some but it just added more time and traffic light wait time to our drive.

They can build, reconfigure, and / or widen all the roads they want, but in developed urban areas I think there is no solution to congestion and heavy traffic other than reducing the number of cars on the road.

 

[audreyh1]

I understand the concept of looking ahead vs right in front of you, but when you drive a compact sedan and everyone from 18 to 90 is driving massive SUVs and pickup trucks, not to mention the commercial vehicles, it's almost impossible to see anything beyond the rear of the car in front - even allowing for a little distance between my vehicle and theirs.

Few people seem to drive cars anymore. I see many younger kids driving gigantic SUVs and pickups their parents bought them and have no clue or training on how to safely operate a much larger, heavier vehicle. They slam their brakes at the last min, tailgate aggressively and just make the roads 1000x more hazardous for those of us who have smaller cars.

I prefer sedans over SUVs, but not sure that's a wise choice anymore.

That’s a big reason why we don’t drive sedans. Plus sitting low makes getting in and out harder.

 

[audreyh1]

You just defined driving in Houston. If you see a couple of car lengths gap between cars in Houston in heavy traffic, it's usually because they are talking on their cells phone or they are from out of town.

I guess Houston drivers just don't like to waste space since they will fill those gaps without any notice.

Sounds like Bay Area driving to me. I was nervous as we had to drive from San Jose airport to Monterey this spring and I remembered the horrible bumper to bumper 101 rush hour traffic back in the 80s and 90s. Fortunately we were near the south end of Silicon Valley, not at rush hour, and got out of dense urban area quickly. It was overall an enjoyable and scenic drive.

 

[braumeister]

I remembered the horrible bumper to bumper 101 rush hour traffic back in the 80s and 90s.

OMG!!, what a memory. Yes, I had a consulting gig at Apple in Cupertino back then, and the 101 was one of the worst traffic situations I've ever had to deal with.

 

[Car-Guy]

That’s a big reason why we don’t drive sedans. Plus sitting low makes getting in and out harder.

Exactly why I quit buying Corvettes some years ago. It got to the point where I literally had to crawl out of them. Then I had to stand up, somehow. Not so bad when I was at home and parking in the garage but pretty embarrassing in a public parking lot.

I'm sure folks that saw me either said, hey look at the old guy getting out of that sports car, or, hey look at that drunk. Or maybe both?

 

[audreyh1]

^^we’ve never been to a Buccees, but we’ll be bearing down on one in southern Alabama around noon. Just in time for a gas fill-up and recon to see what else I need.

I’ve been to several out of state Buc-ee’s and they are about the same except maybe even busier because the novelty still hasn’t worn off. Heck it may last for years! Weekends can be nuts. The busiest I ever experienced was Warner Robbins GA store on I-75 on a Sunday. But I hear about others even worse such as the new Kodak/Sevierville TN location on I-40 - like no parking spots at all, and the exit completely backed up.

Buc-ee’s has definitely tapped into some kind of irresistible Americana. It’s a tourist destination: pile the whole family into your biggest vehicles and go visit!

 

[audreyh1]

OMG!!, what a memory. Yes, I had a consulting gig at Apple in Cupertino back then, and the 101 was one of the worst traffic situations I've ever had to deal with.

Ha ha, I was visiting Apple in Cupertino too, someone in Mountain View, and I think HP in Santa Clara.

 

[PatrickA5]

I’ve been to several out of state Buc-ee’s and they are about the same except maybe even busier because the novelty still hasn’t worn off. Heck it may last for years! Weekends can be nuts. The busiest I ever experienced was Warner Robbins GA store on I-75 on a Sunday. But I hear about others even worse such as the new Kodak/Sevierville TN location on I-40 - like no parking spots at all, and the exit completely backed up.

Buc-ee’s has definitely tapped into some kind of irresistible Americana. It’s a tourist destination: pile the whole family into your biggest vehicles and go visit!

We usually stop at a Buc-ee's near Dallas when we go down that way. Last time it was so crowded I couldn't even get in the parking lot. Nothing like exiting a 12-lane congested highway only to get in a worst traffic jam at the gas station.

 

[aaronc879]

Just drove I95 through New York City area. Traffic wasn't bad. But it was on a Sunday, so maybe that's why. We've driven through every state and every major US city. IMO, LA is the worst. Houston and Dallas are bad. Chicago can be real bad if the roads are snow covered or icy. Took me 3-4 hours to get home (60 miles) from downtown once in a snowstorm

It definitely makes a difference when you go thru. I have gone thru Houston with no stopping, no traffic issues at all. It was around 4 or 5 in the morning. I have had no issues and I have had major issues with both Chicago and Atlanta depending on timing. Los Angels was hell on a Saturday afternoon going towards Santa Monica Beach on a beautiful February day but was empty going towards San Diego on a Sunday at 7 or 8 in the morning.