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It's not just you: The Katy Freeway is scientifically awful
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:14 pm
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:14 pm
quote:
The Katy Freeway consistently strikes fear in the hearts of Houston's commuters.
You'd think that because it's so wide, there wouldn't be as much congestion as other, less huge highways. But alas, that is not the case.
A video from Vox uses the Katy Freeway to explain how adding lanes to a highway doesn't automatically mean less traffic.
At its widest point, the Katy Freeway has 26 lanes including the feeder roads. It doesn't matter. Those 26 lanes at the Katy Freeway at Beltway 8 were ranked the second-worst bottleneck in the country in 2004.
Vox points out that adding more lanes just brought in more drivers that might not have used the highway before, making all efforts to mitigate the paralyzing traffic moot.
Yes, the Katy Freeway is not the place to relax or enjoy a pleasant morning commute. But it does bring us some other fame because of its ridiculous size.
The concrete monstrosity is reportedly the widest freeway in the world. It's wider than several Houston landmarks, including NRG Stadium, Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park.
No, adding lanes to a highway does not always mean less congestion.
21
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:23 pm to hikingfan
quote:
The Katy Freeway consistently strikes fear in the hearts of Houston's commuters.
That’s a bit dramatic.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:23 pm to hikingfan
quote:
You'd think that because it's so wide, there wouldn't be as much congestion as other, less huge highways. But alas, that is not the case.
It has been proven that simply widening highways does not improve congestion. It just creates more lanes of it.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:28 pm to 0x15E
Yep. They did the same dumb shite here with the 405
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:29 pm to hikingfan
I lived in Katy for 12 years. That freeway is still seen in my nightmares. frick that highway
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:29 pm to hikingfan
Just ride HOV lane regardless of being in a HOV?
Posted on 4/20/24 at 10:57 pm to BeachDude022
quote:
lived in Katy for 12 years. That freeway is still seen in my nightmares. frick that highway
I live at Wast end of Katy so I’m often on I-10 now. I prefer it over I -45 any day. I-45. Is the only freeway that scares me. I actively avoid it. 610 just sucks so bad from traffic.
This post was edited on 4/20/24 at 11:06 pm
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:02 pm to supadave3
Bunch of speed limit driving in the left lane candy asses.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:17 pm to 0x15E
quote:
It has been proven that simply widening highways does not improve congestion. It just creates more lanes of it.
Houston was expanding westward. More lanes had to be added. Adding lanes did not cause the westward population growth.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:19 pm to supadave3
quote:
I live at Wast end of Katy so I’m often on I-10 now. I prefer it over I -45 any day. I-45. Is the only freeway that scares me. I actively avoid it. 610 just sucks so bad from traffic.
45 and 610 are basically unusable except during the middle of the night. Constant parking lots. Unfortunately, Grand Parkway from I-10 to Westpark has become the same.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:22 pm to biglego
North loop is miserable. I avoid it way more than I10 at its worst moments.
And that still isn’t shite compared to what I feel approaching the new bridge in BR.
And that still isn’t shite compared to what I feel approaching the new bridge in BR.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:23 pm to biglego
quote:
Houston was expanding westward. More lanes had to be added. Adding lanes did not cause the westward population growth.
I think you are missing the entire point of the study. People are following the widened roads, not the other way around. Its moving west because thats where the access is being added/increased.
In other words, when Katy Fwy was a shitty three lanes each way, nobody wanted to move there or build there because it was such a nightmare commute. The highway was a deterrent.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:29 pm to supadave3
quote:
I live at Wast end of Katy so I’m often on I-10 now. I prefer it over I -45 any day. I-45. Is the only freeway that scares me. I actively avoid it. 610 just sucks so bad from traffic.
I live in central Houston, where if I get over 25 mph in my car its because its a holiday or there's some other apocalyptic event keeping people off the roads. Inner loop is a nightmare of congestion and construction. On the rare occasion I have to drive outside the beltway, 45 is definitely terrible, but the southwest freeway and Westpark toll road will get drag racers on them darting in and out of traffic going 120 in some dumb tricked out freaking Honda like asshats risking everyone's life on the freeway.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:30 pm to hikingfan
Katy is for the poors as are the hwys. You should be in memorial and take memorial to downtown if needed or live in river oaks and be downtown in 7 minutes. Or have up office near your own - OT rich solutions.
This is not a prob for the OT
This is not a prob for the OT
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:47 pm to PGAOLDBawNeVaBroke
I've never been to Houston. A 26 lane wide highway?!?!?! Holy frick
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:51 pm to hikingfan
This seems like hyperbole.
I've driven on it and it seems fine.
I drive I-45 the most frequently and it seems more "dangerous" than the Katy fwy.
I've driven on it and it seems fine.
I drive I-45 the most frequently and it seems more "dangerous" than the Katy fwy.
Posted on 4/20/24 at 11:55 pm to UKWildcats
quote:
I've never been to Houston. A 26 lane wide highway?!?!?! Holy frick
As they say everything is bigger in Texas
Posted on 4/21/24 at 12:05 am to TigerBaitOohHaHa
quote:
I think you are missing the entire point of the study. People are following the widened roads, not the other way around.
No, I understand the point. “If you build roads, people will come to fill them up.” But that’s not what happened in Katy. Katy didn’t grow because of the I-10. That’s nonsense. Katy was growing anyway. Just like the west and northwest of Houston is still growing. The I-10–and other road projects in the Katy area—are following the population growth that’s happening anyway.
People were absolutely moving west to Katy before I-10 was widened to 26 lanes.
This post was edited on 4/21/24 at 12:10 am
Posted on 4/21/24 at 12:07 am to dcrews
quote:
I drive I-45 the most frequently and it seems more "dangerous" than the Katy fwy.
I agree.
And none of them are more soul sucking as I-10 through BR. At least Houston has alternate routes and tries to keep traffic moving. Even when bad, the traffic at least moves slowly. BR seems to take pride in it’s traffic. Total standstill at the bridge every day.
Posted on 4/21/24 at 12:42 am to hikingfan
Just checking in to mention my biggest traffic challenge around the house here is a 4 way stop a few miles down the road.
Sometimes I've seen as many as 3 cars all at the intersection at the same time.
What a mess.
Sometimes I've seen as many as 3 cars all at the intersection at the same time.
What a mess.
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