Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[KJHburg]

4 hours ago, MarcoPolo said:

@KJHburg Charleston's congestion has less to do with the number of freeways present, or lack thereof, but rather the number of rivers and marshes present that surround and separate the City's urban area.  Charleston spreads across a series of small islands/peninsulas.  Everyone has to funnel into and out of a handful of pinch points and confined corridors to accomplish just about all day-to-day activities.   These are woefully inadequate for "connecting" the regions thoroughfare network sufficiently enough to help disperse the region's origin and destination trip demand across the metro area.  That's why I-526, Savannah HWY 17, and I-26 are a cluster....rain or shine   

If Charlotte had a second Catawba river snaking through it, the existing freeway/highway network would be a crap-show, and our ranking not TomTom would be much worse.   But, the City would be more beautiful 

Of course their geography has a big part to do with it funneling people into a few crossings.  (almost like our Gaston county I-85 congestion)  However the state of SC has greatly contributed to the congestion.  Case in point the Wando River SC Ports cargo terminal in Mt Pleasant is ONLY accessible by roads no railroads.  So every container coming off every big ship docked there has to be put on a truck and that is plain stupid.  Look at the GA Ports they have multiple railroad lines to every port facility and GA DOT even built highways to deliver trucks right to the front door of the port.  Now the newer Navy Yard terminal does have rail access.  Savannah is much less congested even with a bigger port.  

My friends live in Mt Pleasant and her mother lives on James Island and it always 45 minutes to hour every day.  

[KJHburg]

The new I-485 and I-85 interchange by the airport improvements.

NCDOT: I-85/I-485 Interchange Improvements, West of Charlotte

""The proposed project by the N.C. Department of Transportation proposes to build a new road allowing vehicles to exit I-485 to I-85 with more room to improve traffic flow. The proposed improvements include:
Widen the existing bridge from the I-485 off-ramp to I-85 South, located over the I-85 southbound off-ramp to Sam Wilson Road
Build a new roadway along I-85 South to carry the I-485 off-ramp traffic to I-85 South
Build a new bridge on Sam Wilson Road over the new roadway
Relocate the existing Sam Wilson ramp to I-85""

Edited February 4 by KJHburg

[tozmervo]

On 2/1/2024 at 9:03 AM, KJHburg said:

TomTom came out with their list of congested cities and you can see how they measure it.  

Traffic Index ranking | TomTom Traffic Index

Not too many surprises but Charlotte is way down the list and that is a good thing.    Charlotte came in at #46. 

Charleston is #19 most congested city in the country and if you ever driven around downtown or even the suburbs you will believe this.  They really have few freeways and what they have are very congested like I-526.  

Greensboro and Winston Salem are some of the least congested cities and that is the truth for NC both those cities are the least congested over 50,000 people.  

Also notable. People never believe me when I tell them the worst part of my drive between Charlotte and Atlanta isn't the end points: it's the middle. 

[DCMetroRaleigh]

21 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Also notable. People never believe me when I tell them the worst part of my drive between Charlotte and Atlanta isn't the end points: it's the middle. 

Ranking L.A. that low greatly undermines the credibility of that ranking 

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

On 2/6/2024 at 2:48 PM, tozmervo said:

Also notable. People never believe me when I tell them the worst part of my drive between Charlotte and Atlanta isn't the end points: it's the middle. 

SC road construction is the worst I've ever seen. Georgia has built about 60 miles worth of new lanes in 3 years. SC has been building 60 miles for 15 years. 

[XRZ.ME]

There is a lot of land clearing around Union county part of Old Monroe Rd.

Probably the widening will start soon

[nicholas]

Was stunned to see a speed trap set up by the Mecklenburg Sheriff Dept on I-485 yesterday afternoon out by Harrisburg Rd.  Again though I have to ask what the point even is, because speeding is the only law I have ever seen enforced, and it's only enforced at the most pointless times at literally the most meaningless locations.  Rea Rd in Ballantyne?  Sure.  Tryon St through Uptown/South End?  Absolutely.  Central Ave in Plaza-Midwood?  Definitely.  I-277?  Probably.  But I don't see what is accomplished by posting up a row of cops along an interstate, located far outside of a city, designed for speeds well in excess of its 70 mph posted speed limit, on a random Thursday afternoon when traffic is fairly light.  Especially when people continue to do actually dangerous things like clog up traffic in the passing lane, tailgate, text, refuse to use turn signals, etc, or go racing down crowded city streets lined by pedestrians.

Edited February 16 by nicholas

[Nathan2]

On 2/16/2024 at 1:46 PM, nicholas said:

Was stunned to see a speed trap set up by the Mecklenburg Sheriff Dept on I-485 yesterday afternoon out by Harrisburg Rd.  Again though I have to ask what the point even is, because speeding is the only law I have ever seen enforced, and it's only enforced at the most pointless times at literally the most meaningless locations.  Rea Rd in Ballantyne?  Sure.  Tryon St through Uptown/South End?  Absolutely.  Central Ave in Plaza-Midwood?  Definitely.  I-277?  Probably.  But I don't see what is accomplished by posting up a row of cops along an interstate, located far outside of a city, designed for speeds well in excess of its 70 mph posted speed limit, on a random Thursday afternoon when traffic is fairly light.  Especially when people continue to do actually dangerous things like clog up traffic in the passing lane, tailgate, text, refuse to use turn signals, etc, or go racing down crowded city streets lined by pedestrians.

It amazes me there are never speed traps or DUI checkpoints along Central. The number of speeding and drunk drivers on that road every weekend is astounding. I see a drunk driver crash into other cars at least once a week here.

[KJHburg]

Look at this peanut shaped traffic circle coming to Raleigh's Lake Wheeler Road which is becoming a major corridor with apartments and so forth between I-40 and downtown Raleigh.

I am sure if Raleigh is getting one of these we will too somewhere in the Charlotte area.  This ought to be fun to drive on LOL.   That is the state Farmers market with the red roofs at the top of the rendering. 

 

Edited February 20 by KJHburg

[nicholas]

Are we run by stupid people, or is there some other actually legitimate reason why Sugar Creek Rd is STILL restricted to one lane in each direction next to the old Tryon Mall?  It took me 45 minutes to get from Plaza-Midwood to Graham/Sugar Creek because 36th St was also (for no apparent reason) chocked off next to Amelie's, which had backed up traffic to the light rail tracks.

[DMann]

Try driving through the Asian Shopping Center lot!!!!!!!   Yikes

[nicholas]

7 hours ago, DMann said:

Try driving through the Asian Shopping Center lot!!!!!!!   Yikes

Try driving through the Asian Shopping Center lot, in a low European coupe

[FLOSC843]

Shots fired. ATL has had enough Wasn't sure where to put this but I guess here is just as good a place as any. "Atlanta mayor claps back at Charlotte" courtesy of house speaker Tim Moore's comments on transit.  Also included the  Axios article that featured Moore's original comments.
 

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/02/28/atlanta-mayor-claps-back-at-charlotte

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/02/26/berger-moore-transportation-plan-transit-roads-first

 

Edited February 28 by FLOSC843

[MarcoPolo]

@KJHburg you should hope that such a traffic engineering folly does not happen in Charlotte.  The one outcome guaranteed from such bullcrap is a permanent state of low density, anti-pedestrian, sprawl.   Alas, knowing the transportation engineering contingent well here in NC, I hold out little hope that Charlotte will be spared this cancer. 

As for @FLOSC843 post linking to the incredibly backward statement and mentality of house speaker Tim Moore, all one can be is horrified!    

I think he should also start pitching for a return to burning witches at the stake, so that we can be free from bad people who make us do bad things, or better yet, promote smoking, because as all those 1950's ad's said certain brands of cigarettes actually hurt you less.....  "over 20,000 Physicians say, Luckies are less irritating", or "reach for a Lucky and protect your throat".   Both sound pieces of advice, no?  

[nicholas]

3 hours ago, MarcoPolo said:

@KJHburg you should hope that such a traffic engineering folly does not happen in Charlotte.  The one outcome guaranteed from such bullcrap is a permanent state of low density, anti-pedestrian, sprawl.   Alas, knowing the transportation engineering contingent well here in NC, I hold out little hope that Charlotte will be spared this cancer.

Is this in regard to the peanut-shaped traffic circle?  I think it is probably the most ideal solution for that situation, especially with its completely separate cycle track.  Both of those side streets are very very lightly traveled, but the alternative would probably be traditional traffic signals which is extremely annoying when intersecting roads are offset like that. 

Hillsborough St has several roundabouts in close proximity to each other, and is now much more pedestrian friendly than I remember it being prior to the road diet.

Edited February 28 by nicholas

[Eastern]

10 hours ago, FLOSC843 said:

Shots fired. ATL has had enough Wasn't sure where to put this but I guess here is just as good a place as any. "Atlanta mayor claps back at Charlotte" courtesy of house speaker Tim Moore's comments on transit.  Also included the  Axios article that featured Moore's original comments.
 

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/02/28/atlanta-mayor-claps-back-at-charlotte

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/02/26/berger-moore-transportation-plan-transit-roads-first

 

All's not lost on the referendum. Isn't he running for US House district 14 which includes part of Northern Mecklenburg County? People there have a chance to send him  back home with a loss in November.

[tozmervo]

9 hours ago, Eastern said:

All's not lost on the referendum. Isn't he running for US House district 14 which includes part of Northern Mecklenburg County? People there have a chance to send him  back home with a loss in November.

Not really. 14 is currently Jeff Jackson's seat, but the district has since been gerrymandered to make it a lock for the republican candidate running for that seat in November. The NC legislature basically rolled us backward to where we were before the 2022 elections, so there is only one seat that's remotely competitive. 

[CLT Development]

Going on WSOC to respond to Speaker Moore's comments, so send your well wishes and any verbal ammo you have.

Edited February 29 by CLT Development

[Eastern]

13 hours ago, tozmervo said:

Not really. 14 is currently Jeff Jackson's seat, but the district has since been gerrymandered to make it a lock for the republican candidate running for that seat in November. The NC legislature basically rolled us backward to where we were before the 2022 elections, so there is only one seat that's remotely competitive. 

It's not a guaranteed win for him if a candidate can pin the fate of the Red Line on him. After over 12 years of saying no, Norfolk and Southern is finally willing to negotiate and now Moore is snatching that opportunity away from the people in North Meck instead of letting them determine if they want a rail line in the near future.  That election has to be framed so that it becomes the issue a candidate doesn't want to be on the wrong side of the affected constituents, just like when Pat McCrory was running for governor and wouldn't stand against making I-77 in North Meck a toll road. He lost in a close election. Moore's opponent, people in the district and others with something to gain by winning it need to raise the stink level of being denied the Red line, because if there's no 1 cent tax referendum, the line is dead. And if the Red line is dead, so is any chance of the Silver line going into Gaston county, so it affects people there too. If there is a will there's a way.

[Eastern]

3 hours ago, CLT Development said:

Going on WSOC to respond to Speaker Moore's comments, so send your well wishes and any verbal ammo you have.

Moore claims Charlotte is not dense enough for rail. All of Charlotte isn't , so you start building from the areas that are high density now and build out. He mentions the blue line and it's success so he should know that can work. The city could run a line from Midtown through the Pearl district to the airport with a grand link at the blue line junction, then extend eastward from Midtown as neighborhoods get denser. Atlanta has wider interstates than Charlotte and still has worse bottlenecks, so does Houston and a lot of cities with plenty of miles of interstate. He should know we can't solve traffic issues by building highways alone.

Edited March 1 by Eastern

[TheMightyBK]

It’s shortsighted and thick-skulled to not believe rail benefits the entire region. Yes, cars will always be the choice for most people, especially in the burbs, but why wouldn’t all rail corridor residents want the option to skip traffic?  Let the localities decide if they want a stop or not, and if they do, really put some thought into what surrounds the station so the citizens are satisfied that it will help them and not hurt them.  Where I live outside of Baltimore, the heavy rail metro train ends about 10 miles away, and every now and then there’s crime and these country people will start facebooking about “ever since the metro…”, which is really just poorly veiled racism.  I mean, I have never actually heard of any incidents where a metro-riding criminal took a train to the burbs did some criming and then waited for the train to get back to the city. Anyway, point is, it serves people from my community, 10 miles away.  My county borders Balt Co and voters here enthusiastically rejected bringing the metro line here years ago and still would today.  But I know lots of neighbors that work in the city that use it, and yes it serves a great purpose to a large number of commuters…and that eases the load on the roads too.  People who take metro like it a lot more than sitting in traffic, 100%.  Before I moved here I was in Huntersville, and I guarantee a good number of people in the 77 corridor would LOVE a train option.  if I’m a politician and that is my district, I am going all-in for rail and I am dedicated to making sure it works for the localities that choose to have a station. 

[Third Strike]

Construction starts Monday to restore the bus lanes on Independence Blvd. Should take about two months to finish:

Independence Boulevard bus lanes reopen soon

[Eastern]

On 2/29/2024 at 11:40 PM, TheMightyBK said:

It’s shortsighted and thick-skulled to not believe rail benefits the entire region. Yes, cars will always be the choice for most people, especially in the burbs, but why wouldn’t all rail corridor residents want the option to skip traffic?  Let the localities decide if they want a stop or not, and if they do, really put some thought into what surrounds the station so the citizens are satisfied that it will help them and not hurt them.  Where I live outside of Baltimore, the heavy rail metro train ends about 10 miles away, and every now and then there’s crime and these country people will start facebooking about “ever since the metro…”, which is really just poorly veiled racism.  I mean, I have never actually heard of any incidents where a metro-riding criminal took a train to the burbs did some criming and then waited for the train to get back to the city. Anyway, point is, it serves people from my community, 10 miles away.  My county borders Balt Co and voters here enthusiastically rejected bringing the metro line here years ago and still would today.  But I know lots of neighbors that work in the city that use it, and yes it serves a great purpose to a large number of commuters…and that eases the load on the roads too.  People who take metro like it a lot more than sitting in traffic, 100%.  Before I moved here I was in Huntersville, and I guarantee a good number of people in the 77 corridor would LOVE a train option.  if I’m a politician and that is my district, I am going all-in for rail and I am dedicated to making sure it works for the localities that choose to have a station. 

Dealing with urban matters is above Moore's and Berger's skill set, so they hide behind the one size fits all notion that only building more roads will solve traffic problems.

 

Edited March 5 by Eastern

[KJHburg]

On 2/14/2024 at 9:12 AM, XRZ.ME said:

There is a lot of land clearing around Union county part of Old Monroe Rd.

Probably the widening will start soon

Just drove down Old Monroe Road from 485 to Sun Valley and it looks like a tornado hit both sides of the streets with the trees down and all.  I hope many of those homes in the way will be moved and older homes like that are affordable housing options and we don't need any less of that in this region.  

[nicholas]

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw actual live construction workers on Sugar Creek Rd next to the Tryon St intersection yesterday. I thought they had just closed off a couple of lanes and then somehow forgot to come back.