ATTN: The Houston Traffic Jam is BS, NOT Happening except on I-45N

[Up2Late]

They are routing the evacuation through a Road Construction work Zone. Most of the Houston Highways, especially the Toll Roads around the city are almost empty.

Just avoid Downtown I-45

Check out this thread I started

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4858141>

and this Texas DOT interactive sensor map and cameras below.

<http://www.transguide.dot.state.tx.us/Traffic/ccmap.php>

<http://www.transguide.dot.state.tx.us/Traffic/dtmap.php?cc103>

and these traffic cameras:

<http://www.transguide.dot.state.tx.us/Traffic/allcameras.php>

Tell them to use the Toll Roads, they are empty

[liberal N proud]

1. That is the media for you!

[Up2Late]

2. Yup, well I've got to get some sleep now.

I hope I've given enough info here and at my other post (link in original post).

[moc]

3. If you don't know Houston, be careful what highways you

are posting about. I can't say for sure why there are certain images in that tracker you have, saying they're from Houston. However, I grew up 90 miles northwest of Houston. For example, you posted a pic from I-35. As I pointed out in the other thread, there's no such thing as I-35 in Houston. I know it's confusing, but I-35 runs from Dallas to San Antonio. I-45 runs from Dallas to Houston. I-10 runs from Houston to SA. I-35 doesn't go anywhere near Houston. Also, I've never heard of I-37 (your other pic) at all.

I can tell you what the word *on the ground* is. My friend in Bellaire (sw of downtown) tried to get to San Antonio yesterday morning. They couldn't make it and turned around and went home. They even tried the back roads. So yes, as of yesterday afternoon, the routes from Houston to SA were clogged as well.

I heard from another person trying to get out of Jersey Village (NW of Houston but a bit further west than I-45. He was along 290, and it was bumper to bumper.

So no, it's not b.s. I-45 is the worst but other routes out are bad too.

eta: As for the tollways, as far as I know, all of the tollways on the west/northwest side of Houston circle the city. So yes, they may be empty, but getting on them isn't going to get you away from Houston.

I'm also laughing at your "avoid downtown I-45" comment. The congestion they're showing at I-45 and the Woodlands is probably 30 miles NW of Houston. My cousins live in Spring (a little further north than the Woodlands) e-mailed to say they are staying put, and that I-45 is a parking lot near them. I even saw photos late last night of congestion/heavy traffic at I-45 in Corsicana which is about 200 miles north of Houston (50 miles south of Dallas).

[tlmorris]

4. That's NOT Houston

Those maps and images are from San Antonio. Loop 410 goes around SA. Loop 610 goes around Houston.

[moc]

5. LOLOL! I didn't catch the 410 shot.

:eyes:

Of course, 610 is probably a ghost town right now in many parts as well. No point is going on a big circle around the city.

[tlmorris]

6. Here's Houston Traffic Cams

They are showing the highways pretty much empty.
http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/cameras/camtext.aspx

[moc]

7. I heard last night around 11 that the traffic on 45 had picked up to 55mph

They had contraflowed I-45 all the way to Ennis (about 30 miles south of Dallas), if you can believe that. I guess the effects were finally felt near Houston late last night.

[Mortos]

8. Maybe I should call my family

who are traveling in two different convoys. One has made it from Lake Charles Louisiana to Lufkin Texas in 18 hours, the other is on fumes stuck in traffic in Port Arthur, Tx. They will be glad to know that the traffic jams are BS.

[hlthe2b]

9. Let's see now...

responding posters have noted that the OP has mistakenly:
1. referred to San Antonio highways
2. linked to San Antonio traffic reports
3. referred to downtown traffic patterns when the clogging is 20-30 miles north, outside of downtown Houston, according to responding posters' onsite friends/family
4. downplayed the entire problem--including the reported 100s or 1000s that were out of gas

all with apparently no real knowledge of the situation? :shrug:

[crispini]

10. Yep. OP is FULL OF BULL.

Every single one of those traffic maps is from SAN ANTONIO. What complete and utter BS.

Be careful about what you read on the internets, folks.

[Rockholm]

11. Why do you keep posting this crap?

Not Houston. Repeat NOT HOUSTON. I went to college in Houston. Jeez. I had to correct a local station yesterday when they kept showing clogged hoghways and they kept saying "this is traffic leaving Galveston."

[Igel]

12. I went to Intercontinental last night. N. Houston.

The media were reporting massive backups, hundreds of dead and dying cars. The media were reporting long delays and chaos at the airport. This was 5 pm.

The cameras showed empty roads. I still gave myself 3 1/2 hours to get to the aiport. It took 35 minutes; we saw few cars. There were towtrucks already clearing the cars on the side of the road.

I-45 was empty in Houston. I-10 near downtown was empty. The EastTex was empty. The loop highways were empty. We're talking 4 am Sunday empty.

The airport was mostly empty. My wife's flight was half empty.

On the way back from the airport it was unnerving to hear an interview with some poor woman whose elderly mother was passing out from heat exhaustion, and who had spent all night on the highway, almost out of gas, no food or water. Then she said where she was: 30 seconds later, at 70 mph, I went by that spot. If her car died, it had already been towed away. And I realized they gave me a clue: the interview said she spent all night there; at 6 pm, I'd have expected her to say 'all day', but she didn't. The interview was many hours old. News, 24/7, with information to fill up 3/4.

[Rockholm]

13. Nice to see you calling IAH "Intercontinental"

I wretch every time some asshat calls it "Bush" airport. Actually, on GMA this morning, they called it "Bush International." Did Houston drop all references to "Intercontinental?"
Eventually, it will come down to people calling things by their old names. I know a number of Vietnamese folks who call Ho Chi Minh City "Saigon" and always will. They said many in Vietnam call it Saigon, although they are not supposed to.

Edit: Spelling

[Igel]

15. No. Most people call it Intercontinental.

I take that back. Most of the people I know call it Intercontinental.

I guess the media mostly call it Bush International or Bush Intercontinental. IAH is a lot easier.

[Rockholm]

16. Are you still in Houston?

I went to college at U of H. I miss Houston sometimes. I thought it was an very cool city. Really liked Galveston too. Bolivar Peninsula, Jamaica Beach.

[GOPAgainstGW]

14. This Thread is Totally Bogus. I live in Houston & am still here.....

running a command post.

HURRICANE RITA: Galveston/Houston "On the Ground" Reports

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4846706&mesg_id=4846706

[WiseButAngrySara]

18. It IS bogus! Someone should delete it...Confusing SA maps with Houston

maps, in this time of major catastrastrophy, is unconscionable! I know the initial intent was good, BUT it should be CORRECTED, or REMOVED!


Thanks for your "On the Ground" links! I'm bookmarking it. I have many friends and family in Houston.

[txaslftist]

Thanks.

[txaslftist]

17. Thanks.

[maddezmom]

19. locking

looks like the maps in the OP are from SA not Houston