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National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: Plutonic Panda on July 14, 2016, 11:10:15 PM

Title: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Plutonic Panda on July 14, 2016, 11:10:15 PM
What city have you been to or heard of that has the fastest average driving speed? Doesn't have to be purely statistical, just maybe something you've noticed.

I'm guessing it's the biggest cities which leads me to a second question, what is the smallest city or town that has had the fastest drivers you've seen?
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 14, 2016, 11:35:02 PM
Phoenix since it doesn't seem to have the grid lock that a lot of other major cities have.  Even the busiest junction at I-10/AZ 51/AZ 202 doesn't really "stop" all that much but rather slows down.  I'm not saying they get the highest terminal speed but for what it's worth that was one city I lived in where I traveled above the speed limit more often than not.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: DevalDragon on July 15, 2016, 12:28:57 AM
The fastest US city I have drive in was Los Angeles CA. I had a Saturn SL2 as a rental car, and that poor thing couldn't keep up - even in the right lane.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: slorydn1 on July 15, 2016, 12:49:02 AM
Greensboro-Burlington stretch on I-40/I-85

When all the wrecks are cleared, people do 85-90 mph in both directions, until they get up to the next wreck scene which slows them down to a crawl. They make Chicago drivers seem almost polite.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Brandon on July 15, 2016, 06:34:33 AM
Detroit.  The limit is 70 on most of the freeways, even within the city limits.  The MSP can be running radar on them, with the flow going past them at 85.  Why?  They're only looking for those doing 100 or better.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: LM117 on July 15, 2016, 08:02:06 AM
I can confirm the I-40/I-85 stretch that slorydn1 mentioned. I'll also add I-440 in Raleigh. The 60mph speed limit signs on I-440 made me cringe. If I'd done 60mph, I would've gotten flattened. Traffic was flowing about 75-90mph. I-540 was much better, since it was less congested.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Rothman on July 15, 2016, 08:55:13 AM
Quote from: Brandon on July 15, 2016, 06:34:33 AM
Detroit.  The limit is 70 on most of the freeways, even within the city limits.  The MSP can be running radar on them, with the flow going past them at 85.  Why?  They're only looking for those doing 100 or better.

Yeah, Detroit's a good one, from my experience there as well.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 15, 2016, 09:25:12 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2016, 08:55:13 AM
Quote from: Brandon on July 15, 2016, 06:34:33 AM
Detroit.  The limit is 70 on most of the freeways, even within the city limits.  The MSP can be running radar on them, with the flow going past them at 85.  Why?  They're only looking for those doing 100 or better.

Yeah, Detroit's a good one, from my experience there as well.

It was sure easier to get around last year, amazing what a huge population drop will do to traffic problems.  Downtown was actually being almost completely repaved all at once which was surprising but then again it wasn't like there was a huge traffic flow even there.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: 8.Lug on July 16, 2016, 01:22:44 AM
I would most certainly vote for Detroit. My favorite is how people drive during the morning commute. One guy will be going 75 but if he's about to get passed by someone doing 85 - well that's not happening - and all of a sudden it's basically a street-race because 85 guy is damn sure passing 75 guy no matter how fast he speeds up. It's hilarious. It's pretty much like this in all of Michigan though.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: noelbotevera on July 16, 2016, 01:37:33 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on July 15, 2016, 12:49:02 AM
Greensboro-Burlington stretch on I-40/I-85

When all the wrecks are cleared, people do 85-90 mph in both directions, until they get up to the next wreck scene which slows them down to a crawl. They make Chicago drivers seem almost polite.
I actually remember those stretches of I-440 and I-40/I-85. You need a sports car if you want to keep up with the flow. It even makes Texas highways or crazy drivers seem like old people. I actually loved going fast on that stretch and I was amazed everyone else was going fast too.

Loved North Carolina.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: vdeane on July 16, 2016, 05:49:29 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 16, 2016, 01:22:44 AM
I would most certainly vote for Detroit. My favorite is how people drive during the morning commute. One guy will be going 75 but if he's about to get passed by someone doing 85 - well that's not happening - and all of a sudden it's basically a street-race because 85 guy is damn sure passing 75 guy no matter how fast he speeds up. It's hilarious. It's pretty much like this in all of Michigan though.
Sounds like the Thruway.  I once had to accelerate up to 85 (had been going 72) in order to pass a jerk who was originally going slightly slower than me but sped up when I tried to pass.  Took a mile for him to get the picture and resume his previous speed.  It's amazing how many people I pass who suddenly decide they want to go faster, almost always slowing down 10 miles down the road and forcing me to pass them again.  I'm sick of it.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: LM117 on July 16, 2016, 09:23:08 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 16, 2016, 01:22:44 AM
I would most certainly vote for Detroit. My favorite is how people drive during the morning commute. One guy will be going 75 but if he's about to get passed by someone doing 85 - well that's not happening - and all of a sudden it's basically a street-race because 85 guy is damn sure passing 75 guy no matter how fast he speeds up. It's hilarious. It's pretty much like this in all of Michigan though.

As someone who grew up in North Carolina, this brings back memories. This used to piss me off to no end. Most of the people there HATE getting passed. I don't know what the big deal is about getting passed. It ain't NASCAR. I couldn't begin to tell you how many people passed me and I never lost sleep over it. Hell, I remember in high school back in 2005, one guy actually admitted that he deliberately sped up when someone tried to pass him and was laughing about it. How cute. Prick...

My most recent encounter of this behavior was a few months ago when I was heading south on US-29 heading towards Greensboro from Danville and a car was creeping in the right lane. I went to go around him and the S.O.B. sped up. I let him go ahead and got back in the right lane and I'll be damned if he didn't slow down again. Rinse and repeat. He finally got off at one of the Reidsville exits. I hope he knew how to read lips. :verymad:
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: DeaconG on July 16, 2016, 09:42:58 PM
Quote from: LM117 on July 16, 2016, 09:23:08 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 16, 2016, 01:22:44 AM
I would most certainly vote for Detroit. My favorite is how people drive during the morning commute. One guy will be going 75 but if he's about to get passed by someone doing 85 - well that's not happening - and all of a sudden it's basically a street-race because 85 guy is damn sure passing 75 guy no matter how fast he speeds up. It's hilarious. It's pretty much like this in all of Michigan though.

As someone who grew up in North Carolina, this brings back memories. This used to piss me off to no end. Most of the people there HATE getting passed. I don't know what the big deal is about getting passed. It ain't NASCAR. I couldn't begin to tell you how many people passed me and I never lost sleep over it. Hell, I remember in high school back in 2005, one guy actually admitted that he deliberately sped up when someone tried to pass him and was laughing about it. How cute. Prick...

My most recent encounter of this behavior was a few months ago when I was heading south on US-29 heading towards Greensboro from Danville and a car was creeping in the right lane. I went to go around him and the S.O.B. sped up. I let him go ahead and got back in the right lane and I'll be damned if he didn't slow down again. Rinse and repeat. He finally got off at one of the Reidsville exits. I hope he knew how to read lips. :verymad:

Ah yes, I remember being on I-95 in Fayetteville in the late 90s heading to Florida from Philly and I passed a red Cavalier doing the speed limit, I was running ten over and leisurely passed him on the left, then switched back to the right lane.  The first time he passed me I didn't think anything of it until he slowed down in front of me, the second time he passed me I realized I was being played with, and the third time he made the attempt I put my foot in the firewall and let my T-Bird SC have it's way, laughing at him in my rear view mirror as I pulled away in triple digits and he's desperately trying to catch up. And that was the end of that.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: RobbieL2415 on July 16, 2016, 09:49:03 PM
The NYS Thruway mainline from Albany to Buffalo usually averages 75-85mph with 65mph posted limit.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: 7/8 on July 16, 2016, 09:54:47 PM
In my area, the 407 has the fastest speeds. The speed limit is only 100 km/h, but I would say traffic easily averages 120-130. I'm sure I've seen several people go 150, which in Ontario gets your car impounded and your licence revoked for 7 days!

But the 100 speed limit in Ontario is way too low, and we don't have many cops enforcing the speed limits.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: mariethefoxy on July 17, 2016, 03:59:40 AM
surprised noone mentioned Boston area drivers, people think NY and NJ drivers are crazy, they got nothin on Boston area drivers in terms of speed and crazy antics.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: LM117 on July 17, 2016, 05:55:58 AM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 16, 2016, 09:42:58 PM
Quote from: LM117 on July 16, 2016, 09:23:08 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 16, 2016, 01:22:44 AM
I would most certainly vote for Detroit. My favorite is how people drive during the morning commute. One guy will be going 75 but if he's about to get passed by someone doing 85 - well that's not happening - and all of a sudden it's basically a street-race because 85 guy is damn sure passing 75 guy no matter how fast he speeds up. It's hilarious. It's pretty much like this in all of Michigan though.

As someone who grew up in North Carolina, this brings back memories. This used to piss me off to no end. Most of the people there HATE getting passed. I don't know what the big deal is about getting passed. It ain't NASCAR. I couldn't begin to tell you how many people passed me and I never lost sleep over it. Hell, I remember in high school back in 2005, one guy actually admitted that he deliberately sped up when someone tried to pass him and was laughing about it. How cute. Prick...

My most recent encounter of this behavior was a few months ago when I was heading south on US-29 heading towards Greensboro from Danville and a car was creeping in the right lane. I went to go around him and the S.O.B. sped up. I let him go ahead and got back in the right lane and I'll be damned if he didn't slow down again. Rinse and repeat. He finally got off at one of the Reidsville exits. I hope he knew how to read lips. :verymad:

Ah yes, I remember being on I-95 in Fayetteville in the late 90s heading to Florida from Philly and I passed a red Cavalier doing the speed limit, I was running ten over and leisurely passed him on the left, then switched back to the right lane.  The first time he passed me I didn't think anything of it until he slowed down in front of me, the second time he passed me I realized I was being played with, and the third time he made the attempt I put my foot in the firewall and let my T-Bird SC have it's way, laughing at him in my rear view mirror as I pulled away in triple digits and he's desperately trying to catch up. And that was the end of that.

Well in my defense, I was driving an old Jeep. I didn't have any birds in my driveway the cage. :-P
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: DeaconG on July 17, 2016, 08:31:33 AM
Quote from: LM117 on July 17, 2016, 05:55:58 AM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 16, 2016, 09:42:58 PM
Quote from: LM117 on July 16, 2016, 09:23:08 PM
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 16, 2016, 01:22:44 AM
I would most certainly vote for Detroit. My favorite is how people drive during the morning commute. One guy will be going 75 but if he's about to get passed by someone doing 85 - well that's not happening - and all of a sudden it's basically a street-race because 85 guy is damn sure passing 75 guy no matter how fast he speeds up. It's hilarious. It's pretty much like this in all of Michigan though.

As someone who grew up in North Carolina, this brings back memories. This used to piss me off to no end. Most of the people there HATE getting passed. I don't know what the big deal is about getting passed. It ain't NASCAR. I couldn't begin to tell you how many people passed me and I never lost sleep over it. Hell, I remember in high school back in 2005, one guy actually admitted that he deliberately sped up when someone tried to pass him and was laughing about it. How cute. Prick...

My most recent encounter of this behavior was a few months ago when I was heading south on US-29 heading towards Greensboro from Danville and a car was creeping in the right lane. I went to go around him and the S.O.B. sped up. I let him go ahead and got back in the right lane and I'll be damned if he didn't slow down again. Rinse and repeat. He finally got off at one of the Reidsville exits. I hope he knew how to read lips. :verymad:

Ah yes, I remember being on I-95 in Fayetteville in the late 90s heading to Florida from Philly and I passed a red Cavalier doing the speed limit, I was running ten over and leisurely passed him on the left, then switched back to the right lane.  The first time he passed me I didn't think anything of it until he slowed down in front of me, the second time he passed me I realized I was being played with, and the third time he made the attempt I put my foot in the firewall and let my T-Bird SC have it's way, laughing at him in my rear view mirror as I pulled away in triple digits and he's desperately trying to catch up. And that was the end of that.

Well in my defense, I was driving an old Jeep. I didn't have any birds in my driveway the cage. :-P

Understood! It was the damndest thing I'd ever had happen to me...apparently he couldn't stand up to my 231 turbo 6  :-D

In any case, the city with the fastest drivers in my experience was in DC on the Capital Beltway; it was not unheard of for folks to run 20-25 over the limit especially the through traffic.

I would say that the Beachline between Cocoa Beach and Orlando is no place for the faint hearted during the AM rush hour, I've run 85 and had people blow past me like I was standing still.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: pianocello on July 17, 2016, 12:36:13 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 17, 2016, 08:31:33 AM
In any case, the city with the fastest drivers in my experience was in DC on the Capital Beltway; it was not unheard of for folks to run 20-25 over the limit especially the through traffic.

What part? On the Maryland side, I'm lucky to be able to go 10 over the speed limit, and that's in the rare moment when traffic isn't at a standstill. In my experience, there's something about the curves and the words "Photo Enforced" that makes some drivers think "Oh hey, better slow down to 45." Pair that with the fact that people drive too close to one another, and it's a snowball effect that slows down the entire road.

Also, to give my own contribution to the thread, I'm going to put in a vote for the entire state of Michigan.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: DeaconG on July 17, 2016, 02:51:23 PM
Quote from: pianocello on July 17, 2016, 12:36:13 PM
Quote from: DeaconG on July 17, 2016, 08:31:33 AM
In any case, the city with the fastest drivers in my experience was in DC on the Capital Beltway; it was not unheard of for folks to run 20-25 over the limit especially the through traffic.

What part? On the Maryland side, I'm lucky to be able to go 10 over the speed limit, and that's in the rare moment when traffic isn't at a standstill. In my experience, there's something about the curves and the words "Photo Enforced" that makes some drivers think "Oh hey, better slow down to 45." Pair that with the fact that people drive too close to one another, and it's a snowball effect that slows down the entire road.

Also, to give my own contribution to the thread, I'm going to put in a vote for the entire state of Michigan.

When I lived there in the early 80s it was the Maryland side, I left in '84 and passed thru while visiting family in Philly over the next 20 years.  The last time I was up that way was in 2008 (in three inches of snow), so I'm pretty sure it's not that way now.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Rothman on July 19, 2016, 10:02:39 AM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on July 17, 2016, 03:59:40 AM
surprised noone mentioned Boston area drivers, people think NY and NJ drivers are crazy, they got nothin on Boston area drivers in terms of speed and crazy antics.

Because there's not many hours of the day where Bostonians can go as fast as they want.

I do remember one particularly crazy driver trying to flip a ewie in the middle Park Street.  And, of course, there's the fun madness that occurs once a Fenway game starts (all lanes and sidewalks lead to Fenway!).
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: sparker on July 20, 2016, 01:46:16 AM
More than just aggregate fast speed, my driving experiences in Boston lead me to believe that 0-60 mph times are more important to them -- especially when they demonstrate that speed in order to block you when you're trying to merge into traffic!  Been there over a dozen times, and it's happened each & every time!
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: bassoon1986 on July 21, 2016, 11:02:43 AM
Houston, especially on I-45
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: AsphaltPlanet on July 21, 2016, 11:04:51 AM
I'd add another vote for Detroit.  Particularly the 696.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: hm insulators on July 21, 2016, 01:42:53 PM
Quote from: DevalDragon on July 15, 2016, 12:28:57 AM
The fastest US city I have drive in was Los Angeles CA. I had a Saturn SL2 as a rental car, and that poor thing couldn't keep up - even in the right lane.

Another vote for Los Angeles, plus they're the most idiotic. Some have mentioned Boston drivers as the most idiotic but they have nothing on L.A. drivers! :banghead:
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: sparker on July 21, 2016, 04:41:07 PM
Hey now -- don't put all LA drivers in the same barrel!  There are those of us who were born & raised in the area who actually grew up at the same time as the regional freeway system.  Yes, we tend to drive faster than folks from other areas, but we at least developed the skill set to do it safely (first rule: be aware of everything around you!).  I first left LA in '75 and came back in '97; and was aghast at just how much the aggregate driver skills in the region had deteriorated over that period (likely due to mass population influx from elsewhere).  I'd get on I-10 westbound in Redlands every morning and take it into work in Ontario; most of the drivers I'd pass (or even be passed by) never seemed to ever turn their heads, keeping their stare locked into a forward-only position.  I'm just surprised that the overall accident rate wasn't even higher than reported.  When the opportunity came to relocate back to the Bay Area in '12, I was actually quite relieved.  After being up here almost 4 years, I'd say the situation is, to my "guesstimated" quantification, about 15% better -- until I get anywhere near the 101/880 interchange in north San Jose, a location at which all evaluation criteria go flying out the window!  The best-ever road-racers in Nascar -- Gordon, Stewart, Truex, or even the "ringer" Boris Said -- would throw up their hands when trying to negotiate that underpowered piece of shit in traffic (and there's ALWAYS traffic there)! 

Bottom line -- we old-timer LA natives seem to get into situations less frequently than drivers "broken-in" elsewhere;  we developed the basic skills to survive that environment.     
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: paulthemapguy on July 22, 2016, 04:40:18 PM
I've found west coast drivers to be slow typically, but I drove the stretch of I-80 from Vallejo to Berkeley--people there were very fast!

Also, I like that Chicago is being used as a standard for fast, aggressive drivers XD.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: mariethefoxy on July 23, 2016, 02:54:31 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 19, 2016, 10:02:39 AM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on July 17, 2016, 03:59:40 AM
surprised noone mentioned Boston area drivers, people think NY and NJ drivers are crazy, they got nothin on Boston area drivers in terms of speed and crazy antics.

Because there's not many hours of the day where Bostonians can go as fast as they want.

I do remember one particularly crazy driver trying to flip a ewie in the middle Park Street.  And, of course, there's the fun madness that occurs once a Fenway game starts (all lanes and sidewalks lead to Fenway!).

I meant the entire metro area, not just the city of boston.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: roadman65 on July 23, 2016, 08:20:40 AM
Orlando has the fast drivers on I-4 except for the Disney area where you not only have the volume of out of state tourists visiting the theme parks clogging up that stretch, but the "OMG I am going to miss my exit" paranoia and drive obnoxiously slow.

JYP used to be that way before all the stop lights were added that it now has.  It was 55 mph, but everyone did 70 mph average then, and it was the site of many accidents as well because of all the aggressiveness.

I found Atlanta to be that way on the multi lane I-75 & I-85 freeway.  In fact I once did the posted 55 for fear of GA Troopers giving their usual tickets to out of state drivers, however when I almost got run over being much slower than the other motorists, I said the hell with it all and drove the 65 to 70 that everyone else was doing.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: kalvado on July 23, 2016, 05:52:41 PM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on July 23, 2016, 02:54:31 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 19, 2016, 10:02:39 AM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on July 17, 2016, 03:59:40 AM
surprised noone mentioned Boston area drivers, people think NY and NJ drivers are crazy, they got nothin on Boston area drivers in terms of speed and crazy antics.

Because there's not many hours of the day where Bostonians can go as fast as they want.

I do remember one particularly crazy driver trying to flip a ewie in the middle Park Street.  And, of course, there's the fun madness that occurs once a Fenway game starts (all lanes and sidewalks lead to Fenway!).

I meant the entire metro area, not just the city of boston.
Another vote for Boston. That feeling when you go speed limit +30 - and everyone is passing you, apparently doing triple digits..
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: pumpkineater2 on July 23, 2016, 08:54:03 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 14, 2016, 11:35:02 PM
Phoenix since it doesn't seem to have the grid lock that a lot of other major cities have.  Even the busiest junction at I-10/AZ 51/AZ 202 doesn't really "stop" all that much but rather slows down.  I'm not saying they get the highest terminal speed but for what it's worth that was one city I lived in where I traveled above the speed limit more often than not.

I can attest to Phoenix being a city with fast drivers. I think its partly because the freeways are so well built here, people are comfortable driving well above the limit (I'm one of them).  Also many of the speed limits here are too low, I think.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 23, 2016, 10:32:03 PM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on July 23, 2016, 08:54:03 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 14, 2016, 11:35:02 PM
Phoenix since it doesn't seem to have the grid lock that a lot of other major cities have.  Even the busiest junction at I-10/AZ 51/AZ 202 doesn't really "stop" all that much but rather slows down.  I'm not saying they get the highest terminal speed but for what it's worth that was one city I lived in where I traveled above the speed limit more often than not.

I can attest to Phoenix being a city with fast drivers. I think its partly because the freeways are so well built here, people are comfortable driving well above the limit (I'm one of them).  Also many of the speed limits here are too low, I think.

About the only ones I ever found fault in was the 55 MPH zones on I-17 and AZ 51.  If anything the ramp with AZ 202 to I-10 is the one that ought to whoa down to 55 MPH within the last three miles...that's one ramp that is kind of a crappy design since so many people cut over the last second to AZ 51 north.  The 65 MPH zones are largely appropriate and I could see them being pushed out to AZ 85 on I-10 with all the growth in Buckeye someday.  AZ 143 I'm okay with the 55 MPH limit due to the lack of a full interchange ramp with I-10 and the short nature in general. 
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Rothman on July 25, 2016, 09:50:42 AM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on July 23, 2016, 08:54:03 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 14, 2016, 11:35:02 PM
Phoenix since it doesn't seem to have the grid lock that a lot of other major cities have.  Even the busiest junction at I-10/AZ 51/AZ 202 doesn't really "stop" all that much but rather slows down.  I'm not saying they get the highest terminal speed but for what it's worth that was one city I lived in where I traveled above the speed limit more often than not.

I can attest to Phoenix being a city with fast drivers. I think its partly because the freeways are so well built here, people are comfortable driving well above the limit (I'm one of them).  Also many of the speed limits here are too low, I think.

Yeah, good point about Phoenix.  Still, for some reason, Detroit's really sticking out head-and-shoulders above everywhere else I've been to.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Max Rockatansky on July 25, 2016, 10:47:56 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 25, 2016, 09:50:42 AM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on July 23, 2016, 08:54:03 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 14, 2016, 11:35:02 PM
Phoenix since it doesn't seem to have the grid lock that a lot of other major cities have.  Even the busiest junction at I-10/AZ 51/AZ 202 doesn't really "stop" all that much but rather slows down.  I'm not saying they get the highest terminal speed but for what it's worth that was one city I lived in where I traveled above the speed limit more often than not.

I can attest to Phoenix being a city with fast drivers. I think its partly because the freeways are so well built here, people are comfortable driving well above the limit (I'm one of them).  Also many of the speed limits here are too low, I think.

Yeah, good point about Phoenix.  Still, for some reason, Detroit's really sticking out head-and-shoulders above everywhere else I've been to.

It's because of the population drop.  Back when I was living there it was still 1.2 million people down from a peak of 1.8 in the 1950s.  It's about 700k nowadays, so basically you have tons of freeway that was designed to handled a larger population commuting through the city.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Rothman on July 25, 2016, 11:21:41 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 25, 2016, 10:47:56 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 25, 2016, 09:50:42 AM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on July 23, 2016, 08:54:03 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 14, 2016, 11:35:02 PM
Phoenix since it doesn't seem to have the grid lock that a lot of other major cities have.  Even the busiest junction at I-10/AZ 51/AZ 202 doesn't really "stop" all that much but rather slows down.  I'm not saying they get the highest terminal speed but for what it's worth that was one city I lived in where I traveled above the speed limit more often than not.

I can attest to Phoenix being a city with fast drivers. I think its partly because the freeways are so well built here, people are comfortable driving well above the limit (I'm one of them).  Also many of the speed limits here are too low, I think.

Yeah, good point about Phoenix.  Still, for some reason, Detroit's really sticking out head-and-shoulders above everywhere else I've been to.

It's because of the population drop.  Back when I was living there it was still 1.2 million people down from a peak of 1.8 in the 1950s.  It's about 700k nowadays, so basically you have tons of freeway that was designed to handled a larger population commuting through the city.

Yep, totally agree.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: tradephoric on July 25, 2016, 03:00:09 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 25, 2016, 09:50:42 AM
Yeah, good point about Phoenix.  Still, for some reason, Detroit's really sticking out head-and-shoulders above everywhere else I've been to.

Detroit is also unique in that their surface streets are very wide and efficient.  I've gone 22 miles down Woodward Avenue from Pontiac to just north of midtown without hitting a red light.  I've gone over 30 miles down Telegraph without hitting a red light.  It's amazing how far you can drive without encountering a red light.  I've never done that in other cities.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: mrsman on July 30, 2016, 10:34:39 PM
Quote from: tradephoric on July 25, 2016, 03:00:09 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 25, 2016, 09:50:42 AM
Yeah, good point about Phoenix.  Still, for some reason, Detroit's really sticking out head-and-shoulders above everywhere else I've been to.

Detroit is also unique in that their surface streets are very wide and efficient.  I've gone 22 miles down Woodward Avenue from Pontiac to just north of midtown without hitting a red light.  I've gone over 30 miles down Telegraph without hitting a red light.  It's amazing how far you can drive without encountering a red light.  I've never done that in other cities.

Amazing and smart.  Well designed arterials will further limit the amount of traffic on the freeways.  Why go 1 mile out of your way to the freeway and 1 mile back when you can get there in reasonable time on a well-designed arterial.  A win-win for traffic.

Most other places that I've been the traffic signals are so poorly timed that the city almost encourages freeway use.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: dfwmapper on August 02, 2016, 12:30:06 AM
My vote is Chicago. Running with bumper-to-bumper traffic doing 85 in a 55 on the Tri-State is the most concentration I've ever had to put into driving.

Locally, the Dallas North Tollway has a reputation for being a bit of a speedway, but it rarely gets the combination of speed and congestion that I've seen in places like Chicago or LA. Most everything else in DFW finally has proper speed limits applied and people tend to stay within 10mph of the posted limit.

Phoenix has had a few mentions here, but in my experience (having lived there for 20 years), most of that is the 101 in Scottsdale, where the proper 85th percentile limit would probably be 75, and it's not uncommon to see some asshole in a Lexus doing 90+ weaving through traffic. In the rest of the Valley, the majority of people tend to keep it down to within 10mph of the limit.

And at the opposite end of the scale, is there anywhere worse than Portland and the rest of the I-5 corridor in Oregon? Artificially low speed limits to begin with, and they can't even keep up with that.
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: countysigns on August 13, 2016, 09:22:39 PM
Chicago was amazing to drive through.  I never had been in a place where you could go from 90 MPH to zero in about a mile (Dan Ryan Expressway).  The Tri-State was a rush - speed limit 55...yeah right - try 80-85 and it's a safe bet you were gonna get passed anyways.

Detroit - well, the whole state of Michigan - they build them and they can drive them!  I usually set my cruise around 75-78 in Michigan and I blend in.  Detroit, speed limits are merely a suggestion.  I love driving 696 aka Detroit's Autobaun.  Gives me a chance to "clean the carbon out of my car".  I think Ludacris was thinking of 696 when he wrote, "Move b***h, get out da way!"  I remember going 85-90 MPH on 696 and still getting passed!
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: Buffaboy on August 14, 2016, 01:30:11 AM
Like vdeane said, the Thruway around Buffalo (free section) is signed 55. While most people drive in the 60-65 MPH range, I have seen people going in the 70-80+ neighborhood on a number of occasions, and a select number of times I was on the lower end of that spectrum...
Title: Re: Cities with the fastest drivers
Post by: paulthemapguy on August 14, 2016, 03:32:57 PM
Quote from: Buffaboy on August 14, 2016, 01:30:11 AM
the 70-80+ neighborhood

I'm wishing that was an actual neighborhood where you drive 70-80+  :bigass: