Help with commute to the U of M from Plymouth? (Rockford: how much, house)

[jeremmed77]

I am considering commuting to the U of M from my grandparents house in Plymouth near Highway 55 and Rockford Road. The problem is that I have no idea which route is the quickest to take in the morning. I will have to be on campus at 8, 9, or 10, depending on the day, so I expect there will be some traffic. I was thinking of trying highway 55 to 94E, but I have heard that 94E can be pretty bad during rush hour. I am used to taking 35W with traffic, so I would like to avoid as much of that as possible. Does this sound like a good idea?

Google maps is saying the commute time will be around 30 minutes, but since that is without traffic, how much time will it actually be? What time is traffic heaviest in the morning and afternoon in general?

Any input on this would be great! Thanks.

[GBCommenter]

I'm not intimately familiar with Plymouth area into town, but my guess would be the route you suggested, 55 to 94E. City streets may not have the gridlock, but you'll hit a bunch of stoplights. I would guess the travel time, with traffic, will increase 10-15 minutes. I think your days you need to be on campus by 8AM will be your toughest. Traffic should start somewhat lightening up for the 9 and 10AM arrivals.

The other option to consider is an express bus from a park-and-ride near you. I don't know the routes, but you could check them out at www.metrotransit.org.

Hopefully others with more familiarity of the Plymouth area will chime in...

[danielle_pal]

I would give it an hour. Maybe a little earlier your first class. Parking and University Ave. will slow you down. Lots of construction going on around the U of M right now.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by GBCommenter

The other option to consider is an express bus from a park-and-ride near you. I don't know the routes, but you could check them out at www.metrotransit.org.

I second that. Getting across 494 itself might take 5-10 minutes. It's terrible in the evening.

[Kebinminn]

You could perhaps take 55 to Glenwood and take that downtown, that may not be as heavily traveled.

[jeremmed77]

Originally Posted by GBCommenter

I'm not intimately familiar with Plymouth area into town, but my guess would be the route you suggested, 55 to 94E. City streets may not have the gridlock, but you'll hit a bunch of stoplights. I would guess the travel time, with traffic, will increase 10-15 minutes. I think your days you need to be on campus by 8AM will be your toughest. Traffic should start somewhat lightening up for the 9 and 10AM arrivals.

How familiar are you with taking 394 to 94E? Some people have told me the lights on 55 can add a lot of time onto the commute. Having said that, I have also heard the 394/94E ramp can be pretty bad as well...

Originally Posted by GBCommenter

The other option to consider is an express bus from a park-and-ride near you.

Plymouth actually has an express bus that I will be taking a few days a week, but it only operates during rush hour times. Since I am only on campus 4 to 5 hours, I would prefer to drive. Thanks for the help!