Atlanta DUers: I-85 traffic question.

[trof]

Miz t. and I will be transiting Atlanta mid-week in early May.
Southwest to northeast.
Would 2 p.m. be a good time, trafficwise?
And take the bypass or go through the city?
We've had some hair raising experiences in the past.
And hair raising is something I'm definitely handicapped at.
;-)
Thanks.

[CottonBear]

1. I'm in Athens but drive on the interstates in Atlanta a good bit.

Mid-day is probably the least congested time of day during the work week.

Take your choice of I-285 or I-75/85 through downtown. Both routes are equally as dangerous. My family and I came upon a roll-over accident that had just happened (Mexican dudes trapped in an overturned pickup truck, people running across the interstate to help them...) the last time we went to the airport. We've had equally scary near misses on I-285.

My advice for either route: Drive about 60-65 MPH and stay at least 4-5 car lengths behind the closest car in front of you. All of the crazies will pass you en masse leaving you mostly alone as they tailgate each other at 80+ mph.

Good luck and be really careful.

[Flaxbee]

2. Maybe a little bit earlier, if you can.

It starts getting congested around 3 so if you could start moving thru the city area around 1pm you might have less chance of getting caught. You want to be on the northeast side of the city - on the outskirts -heading out of town on 85, no later than 3pm. I don't drive in the area regularly anymore but several years ago, if I wasn't out of metro Atlanta by 2:30-3, I'd wait until 7.

And the advice about driving a little slower than usual and keeping a lot of distance between you and the other car (though people will constantly cut into the safety space you create) is extremely good advice! It seems to me somehow that the downtown area traffic lanes are also narrower than lanes as you head out of the city, so it'll seem like drivers in the other lanes are really close to you. And I don't think that's just my claustrophobia talking...


You gonna be in Asheville NC at all? If so, let some of us Asheville-area DUers know!

[trof]

3. I can always count on DU. Thanks y'all.

Yeah, we're somewhat flexible on our Atlanta ETA. We could make the southwest outskirts by 1 p.m.
And thanks for the info about speed to drive.
We're not on a "time is of the essence" trip.
I figure next-to-right-hand lane at a speed where they'll blow by us.
Last time we went through we got mildly rear ended in one of those "who the hell put their brakes on and why?" pile ups.
It's a damned scary stretch of road and I and my reflexes ain't as young as we used to be.

[EstimatedProphet]

4. From my experience in Atlanta

2 pm shouldn't be too bad. Also, at that time of day it should be just as easy to go straight through, rather than get off on 410, which for that route is out of the way.

[ForrestGump]

5. A few years ago, the AVERAGE speed on the 285 was reported as

85 mph. I'd believe it. That means, for every person putting along under the speed limit, someone was doing 100 mph or more.

It's fast, unless it's slow. I'm familiar with the eastern half of I-285...it jams up in about the middle of that half, if it jams anywhere.

Going through the city tends to, in my experience, be slower...or, at least, harder to predict in terms of traffic conditions. I'd take 285 and just watch for idiots...as in many places, just when you've got a halfway safe following distance clear in front of you, some doofus will swiftly pull in and reduce the margin of error to near zero. :grr:

Be careful, as always...it's not that bad, certainly not by the standards of places like Chicago, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles.

[trof]

6. Jesus! AVERAGE 85?

Smokin'.

I used to drive in Boston, and figured that was the acid test, but no more.
In my recent experience Atlanta is a close second to all the interstates in Connecticut.
Now THAT place is dangerous.

[ForrestGump]

9. Never had the dubious pleasure of driving in Connecticut, and you

couldn't pay me to drive in Boston, NYC, or DC... :scared:

Here in Vegas, on the 215 (local freeway) as well as on parts of the I-15, my informal pacing surveys indicate that 80-85 is probably close to an average speed, too. I have to go 100-110 mph on my motorcycle just to keep away from them... :D

[trof]

11. I-84 in CN.

Got rear ended TWICE on that stretch.
My nerves and reflexes ain't what they used to be and I'm only 64.
;-)

We visit our daughter and family in Boston regularly.
I got so snakebit about I-84 through CN that we now take the Taconic up to the very western end of the MassPike. It's a little farther, but MUCH less nerve wracking.

[RebelOne]

7. Do not go through the city on I-75.

It's like the Indianapolis Speedway. Unless you are traveling 80 miles an hour, you will be tailgated. Best way is to take 285 around the city. You should be OK if you hit it around 2 p.m., but any later and you hit heavy traffic when the schools are letting out. But of course, traffic around the Atlanta area is always hell, even during weekends.

[trof]

8. MANY THANKS! We'll take 285.

Outside lane, 65 mph.
Maybe I should turn my emergency flashers on?

[Elidor]

10. I used to drive a taxi there

Many moons ago. The downtown connector was usually moving pretty good in the middle of the day. And I hate every inch of 285. That has to be one of the most dangerous interstates in America. I avoided it wherever possible. Just be sure you clear the north end of Gwinnett County before 3:00.

GAH! Thank god I left Atlanta! I don't miss it a bit! Small-town living is the life for me.