Traffic, traffic, and more traffic

[95metro]

The city I live in is going through a major boom right now, but our traffic system just can't keep up with the population growth. It seems like everytime I drive there is more construction and new traffic lights going in on intersections that used to be simply controlled with yield signs.

Driving to work this morning, my typical gentle acceleration driving was foiled as I was stopped at light after light. There were a few times when the jack-rabbit starters actually made it through while I didn't...and for once I didn't catch up to them at the next light.

Everything is out of synch and it's driving me crazy...I'm starting to see red, red, red, red, red.

[mtbiker278]

That sounds like my commute to work on some days. It's usually on the Highway though. DC area traffic is second only to LA

[95metro]

This city is not large - 80,000+ population, but when you consider that there were only 40,000+ people here 12 years ago that tells you something about the growth.

However, the physical size of the city has barely changed in comparison to the population. A lot of businesses have moved to what is called "Gasoline Alley" (because of all the truck stops and gas stations) along the highway, but the city's actual "footprint" or corner to corner measurements have hardly changed. Housing availability is around 2-3%. It's 80,000 people shoehorned into a city built for 65,000.

I'm beginning to hate the daily drives to work. I need to look at getting my bike fixed and see how long it would take me to pedal to work.

[philmcneal]

the only thing i hate about driving for high mileage it requires a lot of luck, and prediction.

If I had an EV none of these things would ever matter to me.

Yeah i was thinking about a bike too... beat the traffic but the traffic can crush you if your not careful... plus cold weather and rain

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

If I had an EV none of these things would ever matter to me.

Unless it was powered by totally renewable, clean electricity, I bet we'd still be at it, comparing watt hours/mile, etc...

[95metro]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

the only thing i hate about driving for high mileage it requires a lot of luck, and prediction.

If I had an EV none of these things would ever matter to me.

Yeah i was thinking about a bike too... beat the traffic but the traffic can crush you if your not careful... plus cold weather and rain

Luck and prediction - absolutely. It is so rare that I actually get to pulse and glide the Metro. There is one 3 km stretch where I can almost always do it (gentle incline to slight sharper decline), but traffic was so dense and fast this morning that I couldn't do it.

The only thing to worry about with the EV is your overall range I guess.

Yeah, the bike is bad in the cold weather. Especially once it snows and that lasts for 6 months of the year here (Oct - Mar). Gees, I remember one year in snowed at the end of August (stuck around for a few days), was 25?C in the beginning of Oct and plummeted to -25?C at the end of Oct.

[philmcneal]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Unless it was powered by totally renewable, clean electricity, I bet we'd still be at it, comparing watt hours/mile, etc...

haha maybe, although the efficencies of an EV is so great I wouldn't even care if all the lights on my way to work turned red. With my car, one light makes me go

Plus I've read reports (like Darrel EV home page) that he managed to install solar panels to make up the energy used to aid his daily travels! Now that's too crazy! I guess comparing watt hours/mile would be something nice to keep track of and less of wowing people

Yeah, the bike is bad in the cold weather. Especially once it snows and that lasts for 6 months of the year here (Oct - Mar). Gees, I remember one year in snowed at the end of August (stuck around for a few days), was 25?C in the beginning of Oct and plummeted to -25?C at the end of Oct.

there are some e bike stores that sell full fledged scooters but they are considered as a bike due to their speed limit of 32km/h (20mph?). But the reviews I've read says that they are fanastic no matter what weather condition (due to the stable suspension, weight and wide tires). Their ranges can vary from 40 to 60 miles depending on how much you pedal and depending how much you use assist. And they include a magic rain coat so that you won't even feel a single drop no matter how hard it is pouring outside.

It was interesting but they didn't offer financing so bah!

[95metro]

Drive to work was much better this morning. I left 10 minutes earlier! Hit most of my lights and got in one seriously long coast (red light and no one behind me allowed me to coast down to a stop...probably around 1 mile engine off).