Whenever you're passing through an urban area on your way to somewhere else and a three-digit interstate bypass is available, do you go ahead and take the bypass or do you go straight through the city? Whenever I travel to Georgia, I normally take I-459 to bypass Birmingham to the south and east, but through Atlanta, I just stay on I-20, since it's shorter to stay on it than taking I-285. It might be shorter to stay on I-20 through Birmingham, but the scenery is nicer on 459 and I hate that sharp curve after the interchange with I-65.
I usually take whatever's fastest and more direct. Like taking I-95 straight through Baltimore as opposed to all the other various 3dis. Though I do change it up sometimes just so I've driven both.
Generally if I'm going from a north-south to east-west direction I'll use the beltway, but if I'm staying the same direction I'll just go through
I do both, whatever is faster, I guess. Sometimes it's neat to go through all the old downtown areas.
When going to Philadelphia, Mississippi, I usually take 459 South to bypass Birmingham, because there's less weaving. A friend of my dad's said staying on 20/59 through Birmingham is quicker, but, yeah...
Although 285's a bypass, it's not that much quicker to get to the other mainline Interstates. Just depends on how I feel, if I take 285 or stay on 20, 75 or 85.
Be well,
Bryant
Usually, we go straight through the cities, with the exceptions of Washington DC, and Richmond. Going around Richmond blocked me from clinching 95 in VA! :pan:
Quote from: Bryant5493 on September 07, 2009, 09:19:55 AM
Although 285's a bypass, it's not that much quicker to get to the other mainline Interstates. Just depends on how I feel, if I take 285 or stay on 20, 75 or 85.
I know that's the case with I-20. If I would've taken the southern part of 285 between the I-20 interchanges to get to Augusta, it would've added at least ten more miles rather than going through the city. When I lived in Gwinnett and I was driving to or from Mississippi, I would take I-285 going towards Marietta and Greenville rather than going through downtown Atlanta. Added about five more miles, though.
I tend to use whichever one the two-digit interstate route is, as I don't much care about clinching three-digit ones. This is usually the through route, except in Boston, where 95 is the beltway, and 93 is the through route. Luckily I grew up there, so I had those clinched by 1986!
If possible, I get off the freeway and take the surface streets to see if I can find something interesting.
If in a rush, I'll obviously take what is likely to be fastest. Otherwise, I prefer taking a route I have never taken before (especially since getting into clinched highway mapping), or at least a route haven't taken in a while. For example, I like all three options when going by Baltimore on I-95 where I tend to pass through a few times a year. I'll probably wind up on each one at least once over the course of a year.
It depends on the time of day. During rush hour I stay as far away from downtown areas as possible but during quieter periods I'll take the most scenic route. I often drive between Pittsburgh and Springfield, OH so when I get to Columbus there's a choice of routes. I remember coming back at 1am on one occasion so I stayed on I-70 which was deserted. At night I'd rather drive through the urban sections as there's less chance of deer.
When i drive east to New England, i prefer to jump off I-78 or 80 and take the GSPKY north to I-87/287 around NYC and either catch the Merritt or Conn TPKE into New England....
Driving through the Big Apple = Big Hassle
Although if i am going towards MASS and VT< i prefer I-81 to I-84, and i'll drive through downtown Hartford
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 07, 2009, 11:48:03 AM
Driving through the Big Apple = Big Hassle
Tell me about it, I went from Newark to Hartford and all was fine until I got to the George Washington Bridge and suddenly the traffic stopped moving. It took about 1/2 hour to do a mile so in the end I turned round and headed up the river to join 287. In a few weeks I'm doing the same journey but this time I'm flying into JFK so at least I'll be on the right side of the river :colorful:
I always wonder why the Cross Bronx is THAT terrible. Traffic counts are not extraordinarily high for a six-lane freeway. (max. 150,000). Maybe it's the design of the interchanges and offramps that cause waiting lines starting at the mainline lanes, then you're screwed...
The problem with the northbound GWB is that there is very little room for the approach lanes to the toll booths. It bottlenecks as so many cash payers are in the left lane leading up to where the road widens for the booths. I've taken it many times, and hate it every time. I still find, if not rush hour, it faster to go through NYC. Just stay to the left if you have EZ-Pass and you'll make it through good.
Another fun way is taking the Goethels or Outer Crossing Bridge, follow I-278 across Staten Island and Brooklyn, to I-495 towards Throngs Neck back onto I-95. I did that once when Cross Bronx was closed due to a big accident.
Sykotyk
Well, when we're (as in the family) in a rush, or we want to get to our destination quickly, we like taking whichever is faster. Though if not, I really like driving through some towns and cities and see them because I really like the look of some cities. For example, I like taking I-95 through Providence, RI rather than I-295, because Providence is really neat looking.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on September 07, 2009, 08:50:23 PM
Well, when we're (as in the family) in a rush, or we want to get to our destination quickly, we like taking whichever is faster. Though if not, I really like driving through some towns and cities and see them because I really like the look of some cities. For example, I like taking I-95 through Providence, RI rather than I-295, because Providence is really neat looking.
Which is why I normally take the route around Birmingham. Better scenery.
I usually take the mainline route, whether it's the bypass or not. The only time I'm deviating from that is if I have already clinched the mainline or if the bypass offers significant time/mileage savings (Ten minutes aren't enough justification for me.)
I usually stay on the main route, unless I'm strapped for time.
I only bypass when I need to avoid a known or suspected bottleneck. When I was en route to Wisconsin I took the bypass of St Louis so as to avoid getting in a jam on the Poplar Street Bridge. (Though the PSB probably would have been quicker anyway because I got into two jams on I-270.)
A lot of times I like to go through the city cause you get to see the skyline and often times older roadways. Though, traffic can be annoying.
Whenever i'm driving I go through the CBD...doesn't even matter if that's the quickest way, I LOVE driving on downtown freeways. Unless i'm on a toll road, which then of course I have to bypass..like the PA turnpike and Pittsburgh
it depends
First - if the highway isn't clinched - it will be when i'm done. (if time, double back). Second - I have preferred the thru-the-city route (even with a city like Chicago.) as it gives me a chance to see the city up close. However, if the through route is confusing or non-existent, then I take whatever's there.
When making the annual pilgrimage to Louisville for Lebowskifest, we always take I-71 straight thru Cincinnati, as opposed to I-275.
Though we usually are passing thru around 11pm on Friday (heading down), and Sunday afternoon on the way back north, traffic has never been bad enough to warrant the extra miles of that beltway.
Regarding Birmingham, as a general rule, if time or ease of traffic is the concern, it's better to take I-459 around...in part because it stays 6 lanes until Exit 6, and is 70 MPH, vice 60 MPH and much more traffic on I-20/59.
On a related note, when I was making regular Norfolk-Syracuse runs, I stuck with I-476 around Scranton instead of I-81, even with the tolls. It was 3 miles shorter, didn't involve a surface road transfer, had a 65 MPH limit, and *MUCH LESS* traffic than I-81.
Wilmington, DE traffic on I-295, Jersey Turnpike traffic (especially 6 to 8A), and of course NYC and the Tappan Zee vs. GWB mess, are all reasons why I now dip north into PA and cross the Hudson at Albany/Troy when I make my Vermont runs.
Quote from: froggie on September 08, 2009, 03:30:59 PM
Regarding Birmingham, as a general rule, if time or ease of traffic is the concern, it's better to take I-459 around...in part because it stays 6 lanes until Exit 6, and is 70 MPH, vice 60 MPH and much more traffic on I-20/59.
On a related note, when I was making regular Norfolk-Syracuse runs, I stuck with I-476 around Scranton instead of I-81, even with the tolls. It was 3 miles shorter, didn't involve a surface road transfer, had a 65 MPH limit, and *MUCH LESS* traffic than I-81.
Wilmington, DE traffic on I-295, Jersey Turnpike traffic (especially 6 to 8A), and of course NYC and the Tappan Zee vs. GWB mess, are all reasons why I now dip north into PA and cross the Hudson at Albany/Troy when I make my Vermont runs.
Where do you go in Vermont, and what route do you use to get to Albany when you go? Reason I ask is that next month I'm doing Frederick/Gettysburg area to Bennington, although I'm taking a more scenic route once I get all of the 11 counties I need to clinch Pennsylvania and leave the Lehigh Valley area. I hope to get to cross the Tappan Zee but if traffic's a mess, I won't bother.
Northeastern Vermont off I-91 is where I go. Typically, from Baltimore I'll take an I-83/US 30/US 222/I-78 routing. Then, depending on how I'm feeling and what time it is, I'll either stay on I-78 to I-287 to the Thruway, or I'll take a PA 33/US 209/I-84 routing to the Thruway. Pretty much the same routing and routing option on the return trip.
My philosphy is thus:
Since bypasses are usually longer than the through route, they are to be avoided unless traffic on the through route is worse. Though, the through route having been clinched but the bypass having not has in recent times also become a valid excuse to go the other way. I can do that when I'm behind the wheel. Anyone else in the family would think it silly. As my father has quipped, I am "the master of finding longer alternate routes for no good reason."
QuoteI always wonder why the Cross Bronx is THAT terrible. Traffic counts are not extraordinarily high for a six-lane freeway. (max. 150,000). Maybe it's the design of the interchanges and offramps that cause waiting lines starting at the mainline lanes, then you're screwed...
Tight geometry of the highway and its on and offramps certainly plays a role, but the biggest killer is the combination of a high truck count and hills.
QuoteAnother fun way is taking the Goethels or Outer Crossing Bridge, follow I-278 across Staten Island and Brooklyn, to I-495 towards Throngs Neck back onto I-95. I did that once when Cross Bronx was closed due to a big accident.
Or just stay on I-278 over the Triborough. Or take the Grand Central Parkway I-678 to the Whitestone. There's lost of ways to vary that detour, but I-278 has its own traffic problems that the Jersey Turnpike typically does not, and it'll cost you about $3 extra in tolls.
It's good as a thing to do for fun, or to clinch some new lengths of road, but it's probably not a better route for most purposes.
The classic route to avoid the Cross Bronx is to take I-87 to the Cross County to the Hutch. Puts you in a little traffic southbound with that crazy ramp, but the alternative to avoid that, using the Henry Hudson Parkway instead of I-87, involves an extra toll. A truck version of this is I-87 to I-287, although that is longer.
When coming from points west, picking up I-287 in New Jersey is also a viable option.
QuoteWhen coming from points west, picking up I-287 in New Jersey is also a viable option.
Coming from points west, yes. Coming from points south (to include Philly/Trenton), it's usually easier to pay the tolls along the GSP, at least in my experience.
I generally go whatever is quicker unless one is substantially easier.
I take I-71 through Columbus and Cincinnati as I-270 and I-275 are WAY too long to make an effective bypass.
My brother like to take I-65 and I-71 through Downtown Louisville though I prefer I-265/KY 841. I-265 has a higher speed limit and you don't have to mess with Spaghetti Junction (I-64/65/71), especially the SB ramp from I-71 SB to I-65 SB.
Now that the work is done, I-40 through Knoxville and not I-640.
Around Chicago, to/from Milwaukee, the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294) is much less hassle that trying to go through Chicago despite the tolls.
Around Wheeling, it's hard to say, I-70 has the tunnel and I-470 has the long hill on the WV end, so pick your poison!
Going to/from Philly airport or even the stadiums in South Philly, I prefer I-476 to the Sure-kill Expressway.
US 222/422 around Reading is much easier than trying to go through the town. (Connecting PA 61 to I-176)
I disagree with Froggie on using I-476 as a Scranton bypass. It may be shorter but stopping for the tolls slows you down. And, the NE Extension is too claustrophobic for my taste!
No more claustrophobic than squeezing between trucks on I-81... :spin:
I timed it several times. The shorter distance and higher speed limit more than made up for the toll slowdowns, which really weren't that bad. Though to be fair, having an EZPass helped. And it was much more consistent than the unpredicatable slog along I-81.
Quote from: froggie on September 09, 2009, 06:08:26 PM
No more claustrophobic than squeezing between trucks on I-81... :spin:
I timed it several times. The shorter distance and higher speed limit more than made up for the toll slowdowns, which really weren't that bad. Though to be fair, having an EZPass helped. And it was much more consistent than the unpredicatable slog along I-81.
You must use I-81 at different times than I have recently. I have never, ever encountered any traffic issues on I-81. However, as I am only up that way on vacation anymore, I tend to go through at off peak times. I'm not saying there's no traffic issues just that I've been fortunate enough not to have encountered them. :sombrero:
Of course, if you're actually going to Scranton or headed for US 6 East or I-84 then I-81 is still a better choice which is the case with me. I can't remember the last time I went past the Clarks' Summit/I-476 exit on I-81.
Also, neither I nor my Dad have an EZPass so we'd have to pay cash and given Rendell and company trying to put tolls on I-80, I want to give the PTC as little money as possible. :poke:
81 has had horrible construction traffic in the W-B/S area. Slow speed limits, limited lanes, shifting, etc.
Sykotyk
Quote from: Sykotyk on September 09, 2009, 10:04:01 PM
81 has had horrible construction traffic in the W-B/S area. Slow speed limits, limited lanes, shifting, etc.
Sykotyk
Ah, there's the rub. :ded:
I haven't been up to Wilkes-Barre since last Christmas.
Most of my I-81/Scranton experience was late evenings (well after rush hour). It's not that there's congestion-type traffic...it's that the route is a heavily used truck corridor and the trucks tend to slow things down even more than the 55 MPH speed limit does.
I-81 is a big truck corridor for trucks bypassing NYC via I-84 into Connecticut. Which is why that super-tight cloverleaf at I-80/I-81 is so poorly planned. Many trucks take those too fast and roll.
Sykotyk
Quote from: Sykotyk on September 11, 2009, 04:58:45 PM
I-81 is a big truck corridor for trucks bypassing NYC via I-84 into Connecticut. Which is why that super-tight cloverleaf at I-80/I-81 is so poorly planned. Many trucks take those too fast and roll.
Sykotyk
Especially since US 209 North out of Stroudsburg was closed to trucks. I remember when trucks still used that as a shortcut from I-80 to I-84. As a byproduct of the creation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, local officials were able to get trucks banned on the part of US 209 in the Recreation Area. After that happened, all that traffic moved to I-81.
I do the "quicker" route as well.
If I'm using the I-75 to I-74 corridor in the Cincinnati area, I usually take I-275 and clip the corner of Indiana instead of going through downtown Cincinnati.
Right now I'm trying to figure out whether I-95 or I-495 south from New Hampshire to I-295 near Providence would be the best way to navigate Boston. Most advice I'm getting says I-495 is about 10 miles longer but traffic on 95 will actually make 495 the faster route.
There are bypasses that are actually bypasses like I-285 at Atlanta, I-294 and I-355 at Chicago, I-275/US 23 around Detroit, I-465 at Indy, and I-695 at Baltimore but most loops actually slow you down. And then you have 3dis that actually go through cities like I-290 in Chicago, I-675 in Saginaw and I-275 in Tampa-St. Pete. Want to take the Tampa Bay Bypass? Take I-75.
Quote from: leifvanderwall on October 14, 2009, 11:55:39 PM
There are bypasses that are actually bypasses like I-285 at Atlanta, I-294 and I-355 at Chicago, I-275/US 23 around Detroit, I-465 at Indy, and I-695 at Baltimore but most loops actually slow you down. And then you have 3dis that actually go through cities like I-290 in Chicago, I-675 in Saginaw and I-275 in Tampa-St. Pete. Want to take the Tampa Bay Bypass? Take I-75.
I'm old enough to remember when I-75 in Tampa actually took the route of today's I-275, and I-75 ended at I-4.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 15, 2009, 10:18:56 AM
I'm old enough to remember when I-75 in Tampa actually took the route of today's I-275, and I-75 ended at I-4.
I just remember once getting deked at the northbound, southern 75/275 split. 275 goes to the *left* because that is the originally built through road. I was on 275 for about four miles before I realized my mistake!