Quotes Needed For Article: Worst Cities For Traffic In 2017 And Tips For Getting Through It

Fatsquatch and millionmiler24 - awesome! Thanks!

Sure thing Brett, its my pleasure to help out any way I can.

If outside of these times then those times are ok.

Above quote from my response should read:

If outside of these times then those roads/highways I mentioned are ok.

I guess thats what I get for posting responses on an android phone. LOL. Anyway Brett, I am surprised that considering that its the fourth largest city in this nation by population, why isn't Houston, TX on this list and also the sixth largest city by population: Phoenix, AZ not on this list either?

Anyway Brett, I am surprised that considering that its the fourth largest city in this nation by population, why isn't Houston, TX on this list and also the sixth largest city by population: Phoenix, AZ not on this list either?

They just have better traffic flow than others. It goes by how much time you waste sitting in traffic backups, not by population.

Anyway Brett, I am surprised that considering that its the fourth largest city in this nation by population, why isn't Houston, TX on this list and also the sixth largest city by population: Phoenix, AZ not on this list either?

They just have better traffic flow than others. It goes by how much time you waste sitting in traffic backups, not by population.

Maybe its because they have also more land area which can accommodate more traffic which in turn leads to better traffic flow?

Maybe its because they have also more land area which can accommodate more traffic which in turn leads to better traffic flow?

That makes a huge difference. Like any cities up against a large lake or ocean tend to be pretty awful because you still have a massive city but you only have half of the land area for everyone to come in from or leave from. That hasn't stopped Atlanta and Washington DC from being a mess, but it certainly makes places like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami much worse than they would be otherwise.

Maybe its because they have also more land area which can accommodate more traffic which in turn leads to better traffic flow?

That makes a huge difference. Like any cities up against a large lake or ocean tend to be pretty awful because you still have a massive city but you only have half of the land area for everyone to come in from or leave from. That hasn't stopped Atlanta and Washington DC from being a mess, but it certainly makes places like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami much worse than they would be otherwise.

I see now. Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

This article is getting posted in a few hours. Anyone else want to chime in at the last minute? We have til about 10:00 Eastern Time or so and then we'll have to wrap this up.

Oh, I wanted to ask - do any of you use the traffic flow feature of Google Maps to see how the traffic is moving ahead of you? I've used it a few times and it seems to be pretty accurate most of the time. It shows the roadways highlighted in green if traffic is flowing well, yellow if it's slow, and red if it's at a crawl.

I use apple maps and it always has traffic flow. Blue is good, yellow slow down, red is stopped. It also tells me of upcoming lane closures, accidents, and other hazards.

I use apple maps and it always has traffic flow. Blue is good, yellow slow down, red is stopped. It also tells me of upcoming lane closures, accidents, and other hazards.

Oh man.......I didn't know Apple Maps had that feature too. I kind of like the look of Apple Maps a little better than Google Maps, and I think it shows the appropriate information and options a bit better. The problem I run into around here is an utter lack of cell signal in a lot of places I go to, and Google makes downloading offline maps super easy. I'm not sure if offline maps works in Apple Maps or not. I'll have to look into that.

Some quick pointers on Philly...

Worst time ever was when the Pope was in town and they shut down parts of I-76 and I-95 around Center City Philadelphia. Incredibly difficult.

The primary point about Philly is that it's very spread out, and depending on which part, can be miles from the actual center of the city. This is especially true when delivering or picking up in Northeast Philly, easily accessible from the PA-Turnpike and Route 1. My suggestion is try to avoid entering the city during any of the rush hours, can take up to an hour to roll 10 miles. I-76 (AKA Schuylkill Expressway) through town is one of the worst, only two lanes each direction in many sections. If at all possible avoid it, especially M-F during rush hour.

If you are only passing through Philly, it's best to go around it using either the New Jersey or PA Turnpikes or I-295 through New Jersey. Although there is no beltway like DC or Baltimore, there are several interstates and US highways that will route either slightly to the east or west of the city if you need to go either north or south to avoid the city proper.

The Rand McNally truckers Atlas has an enlarged detailed view of the Philadelphia area. If you must pass through the city, keep in mind that most GPS systems will take the shortest route, not always the best way in this part of the world. Look for alternatives, either to the east or west and use Google Maps or other software to determine red-lined highways indicating heavy congestion.