Parkway East ranked 30th worst commute in the US (closing, free)

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by bethany12

Why does the government keep ignoring the horrible transportation infrastructure in the Pittsburgh area????

This ranking has nothing to do with infrastructure. It has everything to do with people not using smart strategy during their commute. It starts at the tunnel, and the people who are afraid to drive through it. They use their brake lights, which causes others to use their brakes coming downhill to the tunnel. People will not move over to let those trying to enter from Braddock merge. People come to a complete stop at the end of the on ramp. And then you have a mess. It took me one time to sit in that. I know drive up to Squirrel Hill and get on there, and it's like everyone is shot out of a cannon. The thing that is disgusting and upsetting is, there are hundreds of people who could care less and would rather sit in it every day, and have been doing so for years.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

It is a strange methodology they used. First they ranked the 75 worst metropolitan areas for peak congestion overall, and then identified the worst highway in each area, and then identified the worst congestion problem on each highway. So it isn't really a ranking of specific congestion problems.

Anyway, lots of the highways on that list were built on the theory they would relieve congestion, and they ended up just being congested themselves. The upshot is you can't really build your way out of highway congestion, although you can help moderate it by providing commuters with decent alternative options (e.g., rapid public transit, or even just more housing close to employment centers).

Well, all of these "lists" use some strange methodology to get their results. That's why I don't put a lot of stock in any of them, positive or negative for me.

[szug-bot]

i think i saw this presented on WTAE's news last week. typically for local news, it was greatly overhyped (like the "sitting all day can kill you" story).
30th worst??? thats not exactly a crisis.

ways to make it better, people asked? what CAN we do, without adding MORE infrastructure to strain the tax base?

how about some personal responsibility:

-when merging, dont tailgate the leading car. leave 2 car lengths. it would allow zipper-style merging and prevent the right laners from hitting their brakes, thus sending a shockwave from edgewood to monroeville. there are a few northern VA refugees here who woulld understand this peeve of mine.
-smaller cars
-live closer to work, if possible (the city aint THAT bad, despite what you see from behind the glass of your Santa Fe. properties along highways like the Boulevard, Route 28, etc tend to be the most ill-maintained)
-slow down - yes, its an act of discipline when you want to bolt, but you will eventually have to hit the brakes hard anyway for merging traffic or for stalled traffic.

but of course the acceleration lanes on the Parkway East are sometimes not long enough - merging is difficult, so maybe all these suggestions are for naught! i LOVE that one that is approx. 1/4 mile prior to the Churchill interchange (westbound side). i see people speed along the township road, knowing damn whats coming when they try to merge there going in excess of 60mph.

[BrianTH]

Given that we have the 22nd largest metro area by population, I agree that having the 30th worst peak-hour congestion isn't exactly a crisis--in fact arguably we are doing better than average in that sense.

[bethany12]

I love that instead of coming up with ways to improve the city of Pittsburgh, the posters would rather make personal attacks against me. No wonder the city never moves forward and is stuck in the 70s. What is so attractive about moving to a city where the traffic, including parking, is so backwards and inconvenient? Instead of making negative comments about me, maybe you should be coming up with POSITIVE ways to improve the city.

[BrianTH]

Speaking just for myself, I did in fact address what I think Pittsburgh could do that would actually improve peak-hour transportation, at least in broad outline, and I would be happy to add some detailed suggestions. I am also willing to consider substantive responses to those suggestions, but I don't consider anecdotal and easily falsified claims offered by people who apparently have very limited circles of acquaintances to be substantive.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by bethany12

I love that instead of coming up with ways to improve the city of Pittsburgh, the posters would rather make personal attacks against me. No wonder the city never moves forward and is stuck in the 70s. What is so attractive about moving to a city where the traffic, including parking, is so backwards and inconvenient? Instead of making negative comments about me, maybe you should be coming up with POSITIVE ways to improve the city.

I'll agree that parking downtown for a day is ridiculous, way, way too much.

As to commuting to the City via the Parkway East. Get on Google maps and look at the terrain coming from Monroeville to the SH tunnels. How do you improve that? Add an additional lane to inbound and outbound? Blow up the SH tunnels and make it 3 lanes wide? Never gonna happen, way, way, too much money. I drove that route back in the 80's, back then I don't recall anyone complaining about it, you know why, CUZ THEY WERE MAKING MONEY.

You want to see inconvenient traffic, move to Phoenix. Even on Saturdays you have to plan your routes due to so many cars and limited highways.

Bottom line: The commute time in Pgh is laughable. Work downtown, live in the South and take the T. Or live in the East and take the bus-way.

It's so EASY to get around in this town. Maybe I should start teaching classes. To anyone, call me when you have no class.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by bethany12

I love that instead of coming up with ways to improve the city of Pittsburgh, the posters would rather make personal attacks against me. No wonder the city never moves forward and is stuck in the 70s. What is so attractive about moving to a city where the traffic, including parking, is so backwards and inconvenient? Instead of making negative comments about me, maybe you should be coming up with POSITIVE ways to improve the city.

Oh pipe down lady, nobody attacked you. And not only did people provide suggestions for what to do to improve the situation, but when asked twice to elaborate on your suggestions, you have ignored the opportunity to do so. But alas, it appears that trying to coax you into a productive dialog was a fool's errand. So don't bother with the "boo hoo, everyone's attacking me" pity fest when you're not glowingly received after starting a thread that was meant to agitate rather than stimulate.

[BrianTH]

To elaborate on one specific suggestion: we have a ton of capacity for additional residents in the Uptown/Bluff area, which would be convenient for both Downtown and Oakland without adding demand at our worst chokepoints. So in addition to that likely meaning billions of dollars for the region, encouraging such a development pattern would be smart for local transportation.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by bethany12

I love that instead of coming up with ways to improve the city of Pittsburgh, the posters would rather make personal attacks against me.

You always have something negative to say about Pittsburgh. I'm afraid you get what you ask for.