CT Governor Malloy wants I-84 and I-95 widened in the state

[spmkam]

If you can get to the left lane, 80 is possible but not rush hour.

[Pete from Boston]

If you can even go the speed limit, even on the weekend, then it's your lucky day.

And to think the day I was in CT in 2011 I went 65 the whole way down 95 (speed limit 55).

Must have been at 4 AM on a holiday.

I was able to go 65-70 on I-95 on a Sunday morning last October.  Didn't get slowed down really until the construction at I-91.

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

There was a comment upthread about I-95 enforcement.  From experience heavily weighted to nights and weekends, I see very few cops on that road, leading me to believe that the experience reported was seasonal enforcement (weekends near holidays, summer flight/return times, etc.) or one of the announced specially-funded enforcement periods, which do indeed result in major increases in cop visibility.

As with anyplace, always be the second fastest car, and be discreet in general.

[signalman]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.  Also, all this talk about cops on I-95 in CT.  I didn't see one from the NY line until I exited at I-395.  Didn't see any cops on I-395 in CT either, for that matter.  Massachusetts had a decent police presence, but I did not hit their target speed apparently.

[empirestate]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.

Unfortunately, Connecticut drivers' attempts at this result in them simply being...Connecticut drivers.

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

[cpzilliacus]

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

Sounds like you have never experienced drivers in the District of Columbia. 

Bad drivers with an attitude, combined with no traffic enforcement (so many of those bad drivers are behind the wheels of "hoopties" or "summer cars" that have tags from another vehicle and absolutely no insurance).  Because they are not registered, their drivers don't worry at all about D.C. automated red light and speed limit enforcement.

[signalman]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.

Unfortunately, Connecticut drivers' attempts at this result in them simply being...Connecticut drivers.

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

Thanks for the kind words, empirestate.  We New Jerseyans have become masters at driving living in the most densly populated state.  Although, we cetrainly have our fair share of crummy drivers too.

[jeffandnicole]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.

Unfortunately, Connecticut drivers' attempts at this result in them simply being...Connecticut drivers.

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

Thanks for the kind words, empirestate.  We New Jerseyans have become masters at driving living in the most densly populated state.  Although, we cetrainly have our fair share of crummy drivers too.

Yes.  Those drivers are people that recently moved here from other states, and probably have no clue what "Keep Right Except to Pass" means.

[Duke87]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.

Unfortunately, Connecticut drivers' attempts at this result in them simply being...Connecticut drivers.

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

I'm not sure I follow the stereotype of "Connecticut driver" here. There are only two stereotypes of Connecticut drivers that I can think of, and they are:
1) drive in the center lane if there are three lanes, no matter what speed you want to go
2) obey the ridiculously low speed limits on back roads

[spmkam]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.

Unfortunately, Connecticut drivers' attempts at this result in them simply being...Connecticut drivers.

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

I'm not sure I follow the stereotype of "Connecticut driver" here. There are only two stereotypes of Connecticut drivers that I can think of, and they are:
1) drive in the center lane if there are three lanes, no matter what speed you want to go
2) obey the ridiculously low speed limits on back roads

First one: Mostly true.
Second one: Largely untrue in my experience.

[empirestate]

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

Sounds like you have never experienced drivers in the District of Columbia. 

'Course I have, but I didn't rank them in comparison to Connecticut and New Jersey because they're not a group I'm likely to encounter en masse in the greater NYC area. But yes, they're even more abysmal.

I'm not sure I follow the stereotype of "Connecticut driver" here. There are only two stereotypes of Connecticut drivers that I can think of, and they are:
1) drive in the center lane if there are three lanes, no matter what speed you want to go
2) obey the ridiculously low speed limits on back roads

I don't know if it's a stereotype at all, just my own observation, but in Connecticut you get the same bad habits and sheer dickheadedness you expect in any major metro area, except it's somehow more entitled and personal. Or maybe it's just that we expect better of Connecticut and are that much more disappointed when it doesn't live up to our expectation.

[spooky]

I don't know if it's a stereotype at all, just my own observation, but in Connecticut you get the same bad habits and sheer dickheadedness you expect in any major metro area, except it's somehow more entitled and personal. Or maybe it's just that we expect better of Connecticut and are that much more disappointed when it doesn't live up to our expectation.

I've noticed that there are certain similarities and yet distinct differences in the drivers in the three southern New England states. I characterize it like this:

Massachusetts drivers are fearless.
Connecticut drivers are reckless.
RI drivers are clueless.

[jp the roadgeek]

There's 2 types of CT drivers, and there's 2 types of MA drivers.  CT can be divided into Fairfield County, and non-Fairfield County. MA is Inside 495, and Outside 495. Fairfield County drives at 80 MPH no matter what, even if it means treating the highway like a slalom course and weaving in and out of traffic sans signal like a skiier.  The non-Fairfield and Outside 495 drivers can actually be grouped together, oftentimes setting their cruise control 3 MPH below the speed limit, even if that limit is only 25.  The left lane is also considered a travel lane, even at 55 MPH with the rest of the traffic doing 65.  Passing on the right is also encouraged.  Inside 495 is, of course Masshole territory.  Weave in and out, drive in the breakdown lane, and God forbid you leave yourself a car length between you and the car in front of you; that will be filled no matter what.

[Brandon]

^^ Sounds like Illinois.  There are also two main types of drivers: Chicago and Downstate.  Downstate drivers will often enter a freeway at 40 mph, travel at the limit or just below, and have a habit of not always entering an intersection on a green ball to turn left.  Chicago drivers have habits that lead to complete anarchy on the road.  They are very similar to Massholes, and seem to think driving is a full-contact sport.  Take note of the number of dented vehicles if you visit.  They will run red lights en masse and pull Pittsburgh lefts rather commonly, even at four-way stop signs. 

Michigan is a bit different, having about four types of drivers: Detroit, West Coast, Mid-Michigan, and Yooper.  West Coasters will go the speed limit and obey most traffic laws.  Mid-Michigan drivers are similar, but will go 5 mph over the limit.  Detroit drivers will go fast; limit, what limit?  85-90 mph is not uncommon on the freeway.  They do have respect, unlike the Chicago driver, for stop signs and red lights.  They also have a belief that one should enter a freeway at 70 mph or better.  Lane discipline seems to be very much better than Chicago.  Yooper drivers will go fast on two-lanes outside of towns.  70 mph is not uncommon.  They will also keep going fast with snow on the ground and in snowstorms.

[agentsteel53]

yep, the typical Masshole driver (and I'm proud to say I am one) grew up learning to drive in Boston - a very specific subset of Massachusetts.

I'll take them, and the metro NYC/NJ drivers, any day over the bovines which clog the left lane, and are proud of their inattentiveness and indifference.  to those, I say: "if you don't want to go, stay home!"

[Alps]

I've averaged 70 MPH all the way down I-95. Gotta drive like a New Jerseyan. And no, there's really no enforcement.

Jersey drivers do it best.     If we're motivated to move, we'll find a way to cruise, unless all lanes are stopped dead.

Unfortunately, Connecticut drivers' attempts at this result in them simply being...Connecticut drivers.

As a New Yorker it pains me to say this, but I'll take a New Jerseyan over a Connecticutian on the road any day, and that's saying something!

I'm not sure I follow the stereotype of "Connecticut driver" here. There are only two stereotypes of Connecticut drivers that I can think of, and they are:
1) drive in the center lane if there are three lanes, no matter what speed you want to go
2) obey the ridiculously low speed limits on back roads

First one: Mostly true.
Second one: Largely untrue in my experience.

Second one's true in my experience. I'll add 3) Going nightmarishly fast on freeways least equipped to handle it. (Edit: noticed that seems to be covered under "Fairfield County drivers")

[jp the roadgeek]

Fourth thing stereotypical about CT drivers: When there's only one lane on a road and no specific left turn lane, get all the way to the right to make a left turn so no one can squeeze by on the right.

[signalman]

Fourth thing stereotypical about CT drivers: When there's only one lane on a road and no specific left turn lane, get all the way to the right to make a left turn so no one can squeeze by on the right.

I've seen CT drivers do this manuver and it's extremely obnoxious.  There's a reason why many folks in North Jersey refer to them as Connectic**ts.  (I won't use the dirty word on here, so use your imagination to fill in the missing letters.)

[Alps]

Fourth thing stereotypical about CT drivers: When there's only one lane on a road and no specific left turn lane, get all the way to the right to make a left turn so no one can squeeze by on the right.

I've seen CT drivers do this manuver and it's extremely obnoxious.  There's a reason why many folks in North Jersey refer to them as Connectic**ts.  (I won't use the dirty word on here, so use your imagination to fill in the missing letters.)

What's a cwxt?

[Duke87]

A cwxt is a baby kwyjibo.

[Alps]

A cwxt is a baby kwyjibo.

So a small, dumb, hairy, North American ape?

[Duke87]

That certainly describes plenty of drivers, so yes.

[bluecountry]

It's not just that I-95 has too few lanes, it has too many exits and is not built to freeway standards in many spots.
Shoulders are small, curves too big, to support high speed traffic.
If it were my call I'd:

1) Improve I-95 at the very least to have more high speed interchanges and to be at interstate standards

and

2) Finally build the mid-Suffolk bridge from East Haven to Long Island so there would be viable alternative from Long Island traffic going to the northeast to avoid I-95 in western CT.

[connroadgeek]

It's not just that I-95 has too few lanes, it has too many exits and is not built to freeway standards in many spots.
Shoulders are small, curves too big, to support high speed traffic.
If it were my call I'd:

1) Improve I-95 at the very least to have more high speed interchanges and to be at interstate standards

and

2) Finally build the mid-Suffolk bridge from East Haven to Long Island so there would be viable alternative from Long Island traffic going to the northeast to avoid I-95 in western CT.

What shoulders? The exits aren't going anywhere and Connecticut is not unique in having closely spaced interchanges. The problem isn't with shoulders, or exits, or any of that stuff that people use as excuses. It's just simply overmatched for the amount of traffic trying to use it - and not just in lower Fairfield County. If they built a Long Island Sound bridge, how would that help? It would likely extend I-91, but for what? It's not like the new terminus would be with an underutilized highway with excess capacity in the middle of nowhere. I guess it would conceptually be a NYC (Bronx/Manhattan) bypass, but still not sure if you're actually saving much time if you're traveling through the NYC metro area to points south. Since more lanes are never going to happen I'd rather just put money into more mass transit options at this point. The Merritt Parkway has room for expansion but they will never do it, so let's add trains that serve Connecticut residents working in Connecticut (rather than NYC).

[vdeane]

By eliminating many of the interchanges, you'd force local traffic onto US 1, thereby taking traffic off of I-95.  There'd also be a lot less merging, which is a major slowdown for traffic.  Think about a lane closure for a work zone.  The backup happens before the merge point.  Once everyone has merged, traffic flows freely again, despite the closed lane.

[spmkam]

But how many interchanges could you eliminate without drastically reducing the effectiveness of the highway for CT residents?