What city is the worst to drive in?

[Rothman]

I also found that the tri-state area had the highest concentration of left lane hogs that I've ever experienced.

Interesting... based on what others have said, this seems to be a problem everywhere except New England. Maybe the region where it doesn't happen is smaller than I thought?

I rarely see it here in Colorado.  Kansas City isn't too bad but worse than here.  In Connecticut, it was particularly bad from the NY state line to Bridgeport.  From entering the NJ Turnpike to leaving I-95 at New Haven, probably had 12-15 egregious situations with no interest at all in moving over?  It's one thing to get stuck there for a minute, it's another to be literally driving the slowest of any car within a mile of you and hugging the left lane.

Chris

I suppose we're getting off-topic, but having grown up in New England, I still think Connecticut drivers are the worst in the country, giving MA and NY bad names.

That said, sure, there is some left lane blocking like anywhere else, but Ohio is much, much worse. 

[jaehak]

Delhi had probably the craziest urban surface street jam I've ever seen. Got a taxi to skip a couple mile walk. Sat in said taxi for 20 minutes without ever moving an inch. Paid the driver and got out in the same place and walked 40 minutes or so to my destination. For most of the walk (30 minutes or so) I never saw any traffic move on the street I walked down.

For the US - probably Austin. Feels like every time I've been on the road there to go somewhere further than the nearest convenience store has involved at least an hour of traffic.

[Road Hog]

Traffic in Dallas is what it is. You can expect a hard 30 minutes to get from the High Five to Woodall at all hours.

The funny thing about Central is the heavier traffic is always *inbound* at afternoon peak, rather than outbound. It's like the High Five is the focal point from where all traffic radiates, not the downtown area.

[webny99]

The funny thing about Central is the heavier traffic is always *inbound* at afternoon peak, rather than outbound. It's like the High Five is the focal point from where all traffic radiates, not the downtown area.

There's probably a bit of this going on in many metro areas. Here in Rochester, traffic radiates from Brighton/Henrietta/U of R area as much or more as it does from downtown.

[Max Rockatansky]

Had a random thought.  I never found myself enjoying trying to get around on the narrow streets and road network of Key West. 

[Rothman]

Had a random thought.  I never found myself enjoying trying to get around on the narrow streets and road network of Key West.

Heh.  Good one.  I do find it easier just to stay in town and walk around.

[Occidental Tourist]

DC.  The beauty of L'Enfant's layout is anathema to automobile movement.

[skluth]

DC.  The beauty of L'Enfant's layout is anathema to automobile movement.

I've always thought DC traffic wasn't bad outside of the freeways. It's easier than NYC or Boston. Worst I've experienced was Doha, Qatar and I wasn't even driving. I wouldn't even attempt driving in Rome or Naples. Italian drivers are nuts; I remember dodging mopeds on the sidewalk in Rome and witnessing two drivers leaving their cars to fight in the middle of the street in Catania.

[Brandon]

DC.  The beauty of L'Enfant's layout is anathema to automobile movement.

I've always thought DC traffic wasn't bad outside of the freeways. It's easier than NYC or Boston. Worst I've experienced was Doha, Qatar and I wasn't even driving. I wouldn't even attempt driving in Rome or Naples. Italian drivers are nuts; I remember dodging mopeds on the sidewalk in Rome and witnessing two drivers leaving their cars to fight in the middle of the street in Catania.

Sounds like Chicago.  And yes, I've seen cars driving on sidewalks, and the occasional fight.  Did I mention they shoot at each other too?

[interstatefan990]

I suppose we're getting off-topic, but having grown up in New England, I still think Connecticut drivers are the worst in the country, giving MA and NY bad names.

I think Connecticut is one of the hardest states to drive in.



I've always found it interesting how NYC gets a bad rap for being one of the hardest cities to drive in. Outside of the *ASSHOLE* double parkers, occasional annoying pedestrians and drivers, and tough lane changes, it's not so bad. Then there's the traffic, but that's a matter of patience, not difficulty.

[Bruce]

Any city with steep hills that continue through intersections. Nothing worse than being stuck on one and seeing the driver behind you inch closer and closer and risk a collision.

[paulthemapguy]

Having just gotten back from Los Angeles...Los Angeles.  Freeways that go from 70mph to 20mph to 50mph to 10mph, meaning the speed is always changing, the pitch/slope is always changing, the curves/yaw is always changing too.  I got stuck on the 60 without moving for a half hour because CHP closed the road to clean up a crash.  The traffic reports on the radio don't give you times or updates on previous incidents--the only things they have time to report on are the NEW crashes and incidents that arose in the 10 minutes since the previous report.  That, to me, was the most notable difference between L.A. and any other city I've driven through--there are so many widespread problems popping up constantly that the radio traffic reports only have time to tell you about new horrors invoked in the last 10 minutes (note: I've never really driven in the NYC area). And everyone in the area is relegated to this fate of traffic hell, because L.A. has no appreciable transit to speak of.

[Harvestman]

Inner-city Chicago made me shoot expletives out of my mouth at speeds of up to 150mph.  One of the only cities I've visited where the downtown traffic is worse than the highways (which are still nothing to sneeze at, in this case).

[empirestate]

I suppose we're getting off-topic, but having grown up in New England, I still think Connecticut drivers are the worst in the country, giving MA and NY bad names.

I think Connecticut is one of the hardest states to drive in.

Traditionally, I am in full agreement with this sentiment. I avoid CT like the plague whenever it falls on the most direct route to a destination farther into New England.

But, that being said, I work with great regularity in Connecticut, and I always commute via local roads, never on expressways (save the bit of I-84 from the state line to route 7). It is MUCH better this way–the commute time is far more predictable, drivers are actually quite disciplined at the many 4-way stop intersections, and the roads are narrow, fun to drive, and quite beautiful. Yes, there's the occasional maniac who'll pass you across the double yellow on a two-lane, but this is mostly relegated to the later night hours, and the upside is you don't have to put up with them for long.

But just don't get stuck having to pass through the streets of Danbury. Danbury has let me know on more than one occasion that I am simply not welcome there.

[Bruce]

One of the only cities I've visited where the downtown traffic is worse than the highways (which are still nothing to sneeze at, in this case).

Isn't that most cities?

Seattle is about even because I-5 is very jammed, but most streets leading up to the freeway are just as bad.

Vancouver's freeways do flow better than downtown streets, because they are set far from the city center.

[Rothman]

Inner-city Chicago made me shoot expletives out of my mouth at speeds of up to 150mph.  One of the only cities I've visited where the downtown traffic is worse than the highways (which are still nothing to sneeze at, in this case).

I spent three weekdays driving around Chicago a few weeks ago, both downtown and on its freeways.  I didn't think it was that bad.  Worst thing that happened was almost hitting a pedestrian who snuck out from behind an L support.