Anyone live in or near the Memorial area and have to take I-10 East into downtown or beyond the 610 loop? How bad is the traffic going towards work and what's it like on the way home? Is it a nightmare?
If you live in the Memorial area, I would make every effort to commute via Memorial Parkway to downtown. It is about 1,000x better than I-10 East.
I've only gone that way a couple of isolated times during rush hour, but I get the impression that it's not bad at all since it's like 8 lanes wide now. Nowhere near the nightmares on 59, 290, and 45. I think it's actually worse once you get further out to the Beltway and Katy but still not too bad. Edit: I could be wrong though, I don't drive it everyday.
I work right off of I-10 right outside of the east loop, so Memorial Parkway wouldn't be a good route for me.
I take I-10 into work (basically from Wilcrest) at about 6:40 in the morning. It is smooth sailing. I go home around 5:30 and it is more crowded, but not horrible. If there is a wreck or a large back-up, then I will pay the toll or take side streets. It is incredibly fast in comparison to 5 years ago. A traffic jam now means a 45 minute trip. 5 years ago a traffic jam meant 90 minutes.
Like others have said, I-10 W is MUCH better since they added those 63 new lanes. But once you hit the west loop, it kind of slows down again, especially between the Heights and 59N ramp. It's pretty much a cluster between those 2 points because of the construction.
I live basically by Memorial City Mall. It may take me between 25-30 mins to get downtown during rush hour. Normally, you'll go at least 40 MPH, but you hardly ever have any stop and go traffic. Not really a nightmare at all, probably the easiest commute in town (maybe living on 288 is easier?)
dude, I don't live off 288 but that's a nightmare, all that development and still a two lane each side highway
I will assume when you say "I-10 East" you mean "eastbound" (I-10 East is from downtown to Channelview). Are you going from Memorial City to Downtown and past downtown to the Budweiser brewery area, or just to Downtown? I'd suggest taking I-10 all the way into downtown with various options like exiting Post Oak, right and onto Memorial Drive into downtown and out to I-10, take I-10 and hop on the last toll to pay about $1.20, or take I-10 all the way through town, it's not that bad, really Congestion and traffic load also can vary at different times of the morning, with the stretch between 610 and downtown being the heaviest. Once you get past 45 it's a breeze.
When I have to go downtown during rush hour, I normally drop off of I10 at Studemont and then ride Allen Parkway the rest of the way.
I haven't had to go downtown during rush hour yet this year. May end up down there next month though, so thanks for the warning.
No trouble past Santa Monica... run into the beach? Been down there only once (that's not what SHE said).
Dudes, he works outside the east loop, so it's not about just getting downtown. He has to go past downtown. With that in mind, I don't think you have much choice but to stick it out on I-10. Actually, there's less traffic going eastbound than westbound once you get downtown, so it might not be so bad. It will be even better once they finish the construction (in another 50 years or so). That ramp opens up this weekend. Ooops.
Did you even click the link, or no? Also, "right now" isn't this weekend. Where do you get that information?
Thanks guys! Sounds like it won't be too much of a nightmare. I live in Kemah right now and it's about 45 minutes to get home and I'm gonna be new to that area. Kinda have relief now. I loathe traffic, especially driving a car with a heavy clutch. Ugh.
I don't know what these guys are talking about. When I used to drive to The Woodlands for work the ONLY area that sucked balls was I-10, and I only had to deal with it from Yale to 45 N. It continued to suck far further than that ie. the assholes would use the 45 N lane to stop and cut back into I-10.
