 
Ocean2026
Member
Username: Ocean2026
Post Number: 129
Registered: 11-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:22 am: |    |
I wonder how is the traffic situation in Detroit?
Can you get from one side to another without gridlock? Does traffic flow smoothly at all hours?
I ask this because I know Buffalo ( rated the 2nd most drivable city in the US ( Corpus Christi 1st) having lost so many people is actually easy to get anywhere at almost anytime. THe infrastructure was made for 600,000 people and it only has 282,000. Is this similar for Detroit?
Are there hours or streets that hardly move?
More specifically is East Jefferson always flowing? |
East_detroit
Member
Username: East_detroit
Post Number: 1877
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:35 am: | |
It takes a really long time to drive from anywhere in Detroit to where the seafood comes from. |
Tkshreve
Member
Username: Tkshreve
Post Number: 721
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:42 am: | |
Not too bad if you know alternative routes when the situation calls for it.
Rush hour can get bad in spots on the freeways. not like L.A., but much worse than an average city. Traffic does not flow smoothly at all hours.
E Jefferson and its traffic lights flow into the city all morning, and the flow switches to out of the city sometime before 3:00pm I would guess. Going against that grain is a cumbersome process. Going with it is not bad. |
Baselinepunk
Member
Username: Baselinepunk
Post Number: 45
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:47 am: | |
Personally, I think that traffic is not really all that bad. I drive for part time work and what I have noticed is that environment issues tend to tie things up more than needed.
One thing that should be said is that we have a very large number of road repair around these parts -- that screws people just trying to get across town. We do not put down enough material on the roads for them to handle the amount of weight and use. For example, parts of 696 that were redone just after it opened are slated to be shut down again for repair. I don't think we even got 10 years between repairs on that one. |
Eastsideal
Member
Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 218
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:56 am: | |
Except for some of the freeways though, there is hardly ever heavy traffic on City of Detroit streets the way there is in other cities of comparable population. The major Detroit surface streets were built extra wide for traffic flows that they no longer carry. Also, people in Detroit, on average, tend to drive faster than in any other city I've been in in this country (sometimes crazy fast, like the people you'll see trying to go 70 mph in a snowstorm). The lights can slow you down like Tkshreve says, especially at certain times of the day, but I can almost always get from Indian Village to downtown in 10 minutes or so. |
Tkshreve
Member
Username: Tkshreve
Post Number: 723
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:58 am: | |
Baselinepunk,
You are right to say repair and construction is terrible out here. It has been stated that these contractors get ther first check when the barricades go up. So they go up and sit there.
On the other hand, heavy salting and plowing will deteriorate the roads at an quicker rate. But I think Ocean2026 knows about that if he's from Buff. |
Otter
Member
Username: Otter
Post Number: 509
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 12:05 pm: | |
Ocean,
The short answer to your question is that yes, Detroit is like Buffalo in that regard.
E. Jefferson can be fairly heavy going in in the morning and out in the afternoon, but even that is not very bad (you're doing 35 or so) and it moves pretty well if you're going with the lights. In my experience, the worst traffic to be found is on certain streets downtown either during a special event (e.g. Tigers game) or when the clubs are busy around 1-2 AM. Other than that roads are pretty empty by the standards of a big city. Traveling the same distance in, say, Chicago typically takes 2-3 times as long in a car.
O. |
Gazhekwe
Member
Username: Gazhekwe
Post Number: 2889
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 12:09 pm: | |
This is nothing like Chicago where you can run into stop and go traffic at any time, on or off the freeway. Accidents and construction issues aside, there is seldom a time when you can't just drive across town without gridlock or stop and go traffic. There are places where accidents cause terrible tie-ups and it is best to avoid these areas on bad driving days, like the Lodge M-10 between Wyoming and Seven Mile, my personal non-favorite stretch of road. |
Ltorivia485
Member
Username: Ltorivia485
Post Number: 990
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 12:26 pm: | |
I-94 in the city of Detroit is always congested during rush hour. I would try to avoid it if you're heading into the city.
I-75 beyond 10 Mile is congested too. |
Gsgeorge
Member
Username: Gsgeorge
Post Number: 677
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 12:34 pm: | |
Yes, the freeways can be congested during rush hour. But keep in mind our metropolitan area has 5.6 million people, and many of these people are commuters coming in and out of the city. When that happens, traffic can be pretty bad on the freeways. But if you live in Detroit you know to avoid the freeways when this happens. Major east-west and north-south thoroughfares like MLK/Mack, Rosa Parks, 14th, Warren, etc all offer very fast ways to navigate the city. Combined with the huge 'radial roads' that cut diagonal swaths through our grid, you can get anywhere you need to get to pretty quickly.
And know this: when traffic is not bad on the freeways, you'll never have a better drive. Lots of elbow room and regular traffic speeds between 65-80 MPH.
Last point: people disregard speed limit signs here like they don't exist. The Lodge has a posted speed limit of 55 MPH but I don't think anyone goes below 70. Surface streets are similar; I take 14th a lot, the posted speed limit is 35 but usually everyone goes 45. |
Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 4369
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 1:37 pm: | |
Detroit streets? Traffic? Haha never. The city was built for the car. Now take those ten-lane roads and cut the population and work force in half, and you have a pleasure-cruise for a commute. And if one street is a bit too hectic, you can shift up to a parallel street and be in peace (maybe they'll be a couple other cars within sight).
Nothing could be easier then getting around Detroit in a car, and that's why people throw their arms up at the notion of transit for this city. But the people who can't afford it or refuse to do it routinely lose out.
As to freeways, I don't drive them much, let alone at rush hours times, but they only have heavy traffic at rush hours, and they rarely back up except for certain ramps/interchanges because they are so huge. Again, driving in Detroit is a pleasure cruise because these roads are straight and wide...nothing like the amazing snaking, narrow highways of the east. In Detroit they just took a bulldozer through a half-mile wide swath of perfectly nice neighborhood and built the ultimate ease-of-use freeays. Totally worth it, in hindsight. Nobody would exchange snaking, congested roads for quality urban neighborhoods. [sarcasm alert] |
Hamtragedy
Member
Username: Hamtragedy
Post Number: 364
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 1:45 pm: | |
I was on Woodward Monday night heading out of downtown at 5:45 pm. Absolutely no traffic, made every green light into highland park.
I've also noticed that the freeways at night are extremely barren. Part of that I'll attribute to lack of third shifts at the factories. |
Dtowncitylover
Member
Username: Dtowncitylover
Post Number: 455
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 2:03 pm: | |
M-59 sometimes can be heavy traffic during evening rush hours like one can see in Chicago. But unless there is an accident, most freeways are usually flowing quite well. |
Macknwarren
Member
Username: Macknwarren
Post Number: 109
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 3:31 pm: | |
Detroit's lack of big-city traffic on surface streets is great for bicycling. Imagine how busy it was in, say, the early 1950s with 2 million residents, almost no freeways and streetcars. |
Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3834
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 3:44 pm: | |
Last time in the area, I left New Hudson at 7:00 in the morning to catch a 10:00 a.m. flight back home. It was raining hard. I-696 was stop and go all the way from New Hudson to the I-275 split, and not much better beyond. Got to the airport just before 9:00 a.m., a two hour drive.
But I suppose in good weather its not near as bad. Nice thing about being retired is I don't have to drive in rush hour traffic. Usually. Vegas traffic can be a real bitch at those times, and we always have good weather. Usually. |
Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed
Post Number: 3677
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 3:44 pm: | |
quote:Imagine how busy it was in, say, the early 1950s with 2 million residents, almost no freeways and streetcars.
I would imagine that it looked like most other major cities do today. |
Busterwmu
Member
Username: Busterwmu
Post Number: 487
Registered: 09-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 3:45 pm: | |
They don't call the Southfield "the parking lot" for nothin'!
E. Jefferson should be fine, the lights are timed as already written, unless something is getting out from Chene Park.... Then all hell breaks lose and you're best bet is Larned or another parallel farther inland. |
Gsgeorge
Member
Username: Gsgeorge
Post Number: 679
Registered: 08-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 4:32 pm: | |
Actually I notice worse traffic in the suburbs than I do in the city. Try driving down Orchard Lake Road at 15 mile at 4:00PM and you'll see what I mean. |
Eastsideal
Member
Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 227
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 5:06 pm: | |
Oh yes, the suburbs are much worse for traffic. One of the reasons I try to avoid going out there, particularly at certain times of the day. I think 696 has the worst traffic throughout the day of any freeway in the area. |
Eastsideal
Member
Username: Eastsideal
Post Number: 228
Registered: 10-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 5:31 pm: | |
quote:"Imagine how busy it was in, say, the early 1950s with 2 million residents, almost no freeways and streetcars."
- "I would imagine that it looked like most other major cities do today."
If you look at old pictures and films, the Detroit of that era certainly looked a lot more like major cities of that time than the Detroit of today looks like other present-day major American cities. Of course, car ownership and use of cars for commuting was not as universal in 1950 as it is today, so it didn't really look like what a midwestern city of 2 million people would look like now. It sure as hell did look a lot more like an actual major city though back then.
It always strikes me when I go to cities smaller than Detroit that they have much more traffic than we do. Places like, say, Atlanta or Washington have major traffic all day long despite being much less populous cities than Detroit, with about the same overall regional population. Even a place like Minneapolis/St. Paul, with a much smaller population than metro Detroit, and much better public transit, seems to have more traffic than we do. |
W_chicago
Member
Username: W_chicago
Post Number: 91
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 8:19 pm: | |
In rush hour it takes forever to get anywhere in Detroit. And who knows any time of the day with construction and all. The best way to travel within the City is on major avenues such as the radial roads and north-south/crosstown corridors. There is rarely backup and its still relitively fast. As for going in and out of the city, it depends on where. Royal Oak for instance from Wayne State is easier to get to via Woodward than taking a gamble with I-75. Besides, the view is better. But for Southfield, the best possible route from Wayne is the Lodge Freeway. |
Detroitrise
Member
Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 3757
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 9:10 pm: | |
quote:Atlanta or Washington
Regionally, both cities are the same size as Detroit.
Plus, both cities have a higher return rate during rush hour (everyone in the region is commuting to one downtown area). |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4037
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:55 pm: | |
Save for a few rush-hour choking points, for a metro the size of Detroit, the "traffic" is comparably down-right light. You get into the city and it's even less most of the time. Detroit's road infrastructure was large even in the city's glory years, and now its especially oversized given the population shifts. Now, some of the suburban arterials in the northern suburbs, in particular, are a totally different story. |
Baselinepunk
Member
Username: Baselinepunk
Post Number: 46
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 10:56 pm: | |
Yeah, M-1 is really a good choice to go to get down to downtown during the rush. WSU campus area is a mess for 5 o'clock classes. However, exit clay, zig zag and get to Cass through New Center and bam -- no issues.
I flipped through a copy of "Hour" mag today when I was sitting around getting some new specs. They had a ditty about the roads around here and the claim was that it would takes about 300+ millions just to keep the roads in a "crumbling" condition. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 4038
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 11:05 pm: | |
Does anyone call Woodward M1, anymore? I can count the number of times I've heard anyone use the letter and number marker. |
Ronaldj
Member
Username: Ronaldj
Post Number: 85
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 11:06 pm: | |
Street lights operated by monkeys on psychotropic drugs and alcohol. Anyway, as a West/East sider, Jefferson, Kercheval, Charlevoix, Gratiot, Michigan, Ford Road, Van Dyke (at Points below Eight Mile), Outer Drive (East and West side)and Grand River will get you where you need to go.
Might take a while but beats the nonsense on the freeways. |
Ronaldj
Member
Username: Ronaldj
Post Number: 86
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 11:08 pm: | |
Street lights operated by monkeys on psychotropic drugs and alcohol. Anyway, as a West/East sider, Jefferson, Kercheval, Charlevoix, Gratiot, Michigan, Ford Road, Van Dyke (at Points below Eight Mile), Outer Drive (East and West side)and Grand River will get you where you need to go.
Might take a while but beats the nonsense on the freeways. |
Young_detroiter
Member
Username: Young_detroiter
Post Number: 64
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 5:01 pm: | |
Hey people!
I currently live in Lansing, and I find it amazing how people around here can't seem to navigate. There is always congestion on the couple freeways here. At least Detroit has a reason to have traffic jams.
Considering that the metropolis has traffic from throughout the region - Lansing, Flint, Toledo, and Windsor, a lot of people descend upon the Metro area.
Driving from anywhere in the Metro area to Downtown Detroit can be a breeze - even in stop and go traffic. However, driving to and from other areas can be hell. Driving 696 during rush hour can be a parking lot. And during rush hour certain parts of the straight, three-lane Southfield Freeway can definitely test one's patience.
Outside of rush-hour, traffic traditionally flows 15-20 above the speed limit. As aforementioned, traffic on the Lodge (M-10) and the Southfield (M-39), which has posted max speeds of 55 mph, the majority of drivers travel over 70 mph; and occasionally reach speeds in excess of 90.
That being said, despite the light and heavy traffic... Detroiters drive crazy. In my opinion, worse than Chicagoans. Nevertheless, considering how reckless and fast people are behind the wheel, it is amazing that there are so few accidents. And in spite of how furious people drive, they are overwhelmingly courteous. |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 9294
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 5:15 pm: | |
The worst traffic around here is in the Lakes area. You can get from Downtown to the end of M-5 in 30 minutes, but it will take you another 30 minutes to go 2 miles from there. That is some crazy ass gridlock. (but minus the grid, since the roads all weave around in random directions) |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6096
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 5:52 pm: | |
As an eastsider, I-94 is the way to go if there's no accidents, and it's not exactly 5PM.
Alternate routes. If you're headed to Macomb County a good alternate is Gratiot (moves quite well during rush hour, even though it's crowded, same for Jefferson). For those not intimidated on driving thru the 'hood... Lafayette, Vernor, Charlevoix, and E. Warren/Forest. For some of those roads, once you hit the Chrysler plant, just go up to Mack. But be VERY careful with your speed going thru the Pointes. |
Baselinepunk
Member
Username: Baselinepunk
Post Number: 81
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 6:48 pm: | |
I blasted out of the inner tonight right in the middle of what used to be rush hour. Only slowed down once before Baseline (70 mph). |
Baselinepunk
Member
Username: Baselinepunk
Post Number: 83
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 6:57 pm: | |
I blasted out of the inner tonight right in the middle of what used to be rush hour. Only slowed down once before Baseline (70 mph). |
Sludgedaddy
Member
Username: Sludgedaddy
Post Number: 276
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 7:06 pm: | |
One of the advantages to living in the City Proper is it's lack of the grid-locked, four wheel hell,that makes up most of Suburbia. Driving on the surface streets of Detroit is almost comparable to the almost car-less roads of Michigan's Thumb. Stick to driving the "scenic Ghetto" routes, pop in the Travis Bickle monologue from "Taxi Driver" some Pharaoh Sanders or a couple of Battle Songs of the Luftwaffe and enjoy a leisurely commute. |
Bobl
Member
Username: Bobl
Post Number: 450
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 8:56 pm: | |
Yes to Pharoah Sanders!!!
The roads themselves are atrocious this time of year. The traffic volume is not all that bad. Know the alternate routes. |
Dtowncitylover
Member
Username: Dtowncitylover
Post Number: 477
Registered: 02-2008
| | Posted on Monday, February 02, 2009 - 9:40 pm: | |
Rereading this thread, I realized that calling Woodward "M-1", really does f-ing annoy me Baselinepunk. Say what you want, but geez how annoying!
(I jokingly blasted him for calling Woodward, "M-1" in another thread, but it's not a joke anymore.) |
Kensingtony
Member
Username: Kensingtony
Post Number: 53
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 2:56 pm: | |
A couple of things I've noticed about city driving:
1)Even at rush hour,Gratiot lights(in the city proper) aren't timed very well.On the weekend it's even worse no matter what time you try driving it.Outbound traffic through Eastpointe is dyspeptic.Those lights are timed and if you can do about 45 you'll make them but there's always a bunch of cars doing right dead on 40 to bottleneck the traffic.
2)The traffic density on the freeway(I-94 to be specific)at night(after commuter hours) is about what it was during the daytime back in the 70s-with the same amount of slow pokes jamming things up. |
Kensingtony
Member
Username: Kensingtony
Post Number: 54
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 2:58 pm: | |
A couple of things I've noticed about city driving:
1)Even at rush hour,Gratiot lights(in the city proper) aren't timed very well.On the weekend it's even worse no matter what time you try driving it.Outbound traffic through Eastpointe is dyspeptic.Those lights are timed and if you can do about 45 you'll make them but there's always a bunch of cars doing right dead on 40 to bottleneck the traffic.
2)The traffic density on the freeway(I-94 to be specific)at night(after commuter hours) is about what it was during the daytime back in the 70s-with the same amount of slow pokes jamming things up. |