Times of year when there is very little traffic

Started by hotdogPi, November 10, 2013, 05:05:23 PM

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spooky

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 12, 2013, 08:50:10 AM
Quote from: sammi on November 10, 2013, 10:22:13 PM
When propane plants explode. (That's the 401.)
That pic eerily reminds me of an afternoon shot of the Southeast Expressway (I-93) in Boston the day after the Marathon bombings a FB friend of mine posted.  It was probably the first time since the Expressway's initial opening that there was so little traffic at that time of day.

There were some remarkable pictures from the Friday when the shelter in place order was enacted. It looked like that "Life After People" TV show.


Takumi

The Virginia Beach oceanfront was pretty dead in late October last time I went, as were the Outer Banks around Thanksgiving in years past.
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HurrMark

Christmas morning...a few years ago I drove to my girlfriend's house in 17 minutes a distance that would normally take me 25 in light traffic...I was basically the only one on the road.

keithvh

#28
Quote from: 1 on November 10, 2013, 05:05:23 PM
For example, New Year's Eve, at about 9:00 PM.

Not sure if this is actually true, but I would guess during the Super Bowl.

New Year's Eve is pretty glorious for longer-distance travel.  On 31-December-2011, I left Detroit at 7 PM for Cincinnati, getting into town at 11:15 PM to still make my New Year's party before the Midnight hour.

There were numerous stretches on I-75 in western Ohio (normally a very busy stretch of highway) where I saw NO cars in either direction for multiple miles at a time.  I've done that drive in the 2-5 AM window a few times before, and it was still not even close to as deserted.

hbelkins

I drove into DC on MLK Day in 2004 and encountered little traffic that day for a very busy city.

Drove from home to Texarkana on New Year's Day a few years ago, which included going through Nashville, Memphis and Little Rock, and it was pretty lightly traveled that day as well.

Did Norfolk to Atlantic City on Christmas Eve more than 20 years ago and don't remember a lot of traffic on US 13, I-295, the NJ Turnpike and US 40. The next day it was Atlantic City to Cumberland, Md. by way of Washington DC, and I seem to recall very little traffic on Christmas Day.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

theline

Quote from: ET21 on November 11, 2013, 11:27:34 PM
Day after Christmas . . .

Not so where I live. That's the day everybody hits the mall to return all the stuff that didn't fit or that they didn't want. Lots of folks also want to hit the after-Christmas sales to spend the gift cards from grandpa and grandma.

Brandon

Quote from: ET21 on November 11, 2013, 11:27:34 PM
Day after Christmas

How often have you been around Woodfield or Oakbrook Court on that day?  It makes rush hour around those areas look nice.
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NWI_Irish96

For the last several years I've been on the road on Christmas Day, and there is a lower volume of traffic, but what is especially noticeable is the almost total absence of truck traffic.  On a road like I-65 that is usually choked by truck traffic, it is great to drive on Christmas.
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CNGL-Leudimin

During the soccer World Cup final match.

Sunday morning. I have driven a 10 lanes superhighway at that time and I felt like driving in North Korea.
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empirestate

I'm not really sure I'd count "Sunday" as a time of year.

formulanone

Quote from: empirestate on November 16, 2013, 01:28:03 AM
I'm not really sure I'd count "Sunday" as a time of year.

Not to be a nuisance, but do we also need seventeen folks to mention Christmas and Thanksgiving?

1995hoo

What amuses me on the day after Thanksgiving is the number of people who think it's a holiday and then get ticketed for disregarding rush hour parking rules and the like. DC makes a staggering sum of ticket money that day.
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deathtopumpkins

Quote from: PHLBOS on November 12, 2013, 08:50:10 AM
Quote from: sammi on November 10, 2013, 10:22:13 PM
When propane plants explode. (That's the 401.)
That pic eerily reminds me of an afternoon shot of the Southeast Expressway (I-93) in Boston the day after the Marathon bombings a FB friend of mine posted.  It was probably the first time since the Expressway's initial opening that there was so little traffic at that time of day.

There were some really eerie pictures of the empty MassPike that day too. Then again I've also seen pictures of the MassPike empty for a Presidential motorcade, for Superstorm Sandy, etc.

Living right on the edge of Back Bay at the time though, what the roads looked like were the least of my worries then!
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Pete from Boston

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention, all of Greater Boston was strongly urged to go on vacation.   It was great.  The roads were clear sailing at all hours.

Traffic here greatly drops off after the 4th of July, and picks up again with the dreaded back-to-school period in late August.

Christmas Eve is deader than Christmas Day.  On Christmas, people travel to family gatherings far more, and by the night of Christmas Eve nothing's open anyway.

Thanksgiving's a really busy travel day in my experience. 




Alps

Quote from: deathtopumpkins on November 20, 2013, 06:00:47 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on November 12, 2013, 08:50:10 AM
Quote from: sammi on November 10, 2013, 10:22:13 PM
When propane plants explode. (That's the 401.)
That pic eerily reminds me of an afternoon shot of the Southeast Expressway (I-93) in Boston the day after the Marathon bombings a FB friend of mine posted.  It was probably the first time since the Expressway's initial opening that there was so little traffic at that time of day.

There were some really eerie pictures of the empty MassPike that day too. Then again I've also seen pictures of the MassPike empty for a Presidential motorcade, for Superstorm Sandy, etc.

Living right on the edge of Back Bay at the time though, what the roads looked like were the least of my worries then!
I took the MassPike the day after Irene. Pretty much deserted, and a free ride. I bet the SE Expwy. was similarly dead.

andy3175

I can say that the majority of the traffic-free pictures I've posted on AARoads for Los Angeles (which has a very busy, well-traveled freeway network) were taken on a Saturday or Sunday, with Sunday morning being optimal. There's never a guaranteed good day to drive I-5/Santa Ana Fwy, mind you.

During the summer, when (IMO) lighting is best, I am relegated to the weekend days when driving in urban areas with rush hours. During the holiday season, when lighting is worst (except maybe when traveling due north), traffic is lower, but days are short and shadowing is prevalent. People have asked me over the years whether I took pictures during the week, and the answer is usually "nope."

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Mr_Northside

Quote from: Pete from Boston on November 20, 2013, 07:01:06 PM
Thanksgiving's a really busy travel day in my experience. 

I've also found Easter evening to be really busy. I usually go out to my parents/other relatives for dinner during the day, and almost every year there is a significant backup trying to get back into the city (Pittsburgh) at the tunnels.  I've always chalked it up to being because it's still a big enough holiday for family gatherings that people want to go places, but not big enough (and no associated "official" holiday) that people have Monday off.
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roadfro

Quote from: 1995hoo on November 19, 2013, 08:59:17 PM
What amuses me on the day after Thanksgiving is the number of people who think it's a holiday and then get ticketed for disregarding rush hour parking rules and the like. DC makes a staggering sum of ticket money that day.

I was going to refute this, but just learned that the day after Thanksgiving is not considered a federal holiday. It is recognized as a legal holiday in many states, such as Nevada (where it is officially called "Family Day"), but not all.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

hbelkins

There's really no name for the holiday in Kentucky, unless the state considers Thanksgiving to be two days. Language always says "...plus an extra day" for for the two-day Christmas and New Years holidays, but not Thanksgiving.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Kacie Jane

Relatively certain Friday is not an official (i.e. parking) holiday in Seattle.  Bus service is reduced slightly, but not all the way down to a weekend schedule (although that means nothing, that's also how they operate on MLK and Veteran's Day I think).

tdindy88

Looking at the INDOT website, I just found out that Indiana's state government celebrates "Lincoln's Birthday" on the day after Thanksgiving and "Washington's Birthday" on Christmas Eve. Next year Washington's Birthday is the day after Christmas. No holiday for President's Day. Here's the details: http://www.in.gov/spd/2555.htm

NE2

Quote from: tdindy88 on November 26, 2013, 11:28:04 AM
Looking at the INDOT website, I just found out that Indiana's state government celebrates "Lincoln's Birthday" on the day after Thanksgiving and "Washington's Birthday" on Christmas Eve. Next year Washington's Birthday is the day after Christmas. No holiday for President's Day. Here's the details: http://www.in.gov/spd/2555.htm

That has to be an error. Thanks, Obama!
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agentsteel53

Quote from: NE2 on November 26, 2013, 06:56:25 PM

That has to be an error. Thanks, Obama!
http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title1/ar1/ch9.html

the shift in days is appallingly consistent with the use of an Islamic calendar.

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