What was with all the traffic?
Was it her fault?
So, yesterday wasn't exactly the best traffic day in the Capital Region.
Part of Rt 9 was shutdown near the Crescent Bridge during the morning commute because of the Saratoga Winners fire. Salt filming tied up things downtown in the evening -- and apparently Dane Cook's appearance at the TU Center didn't help. I-90 was apparently jammed, too. And Western Ave was backed up.
The downtown tie-ups are understandable. But why I-90 and Western? Anyone know the scoop?
By the way: what we call "traffic" here is what most metropolitan areas call "a few people on the road." Albany/Schenectady/Troy ranked 75th among the 100 biggest metros last year for traffic congestion. The rankings are from a firm called INRX, which uses GPS data to measure traffic. According to their data, Thursday from 5-6 pm was the worst travel hour in the Capital Region in 2007.
Here's what Google's traffic map says a typical Thursday evening commute looks like.
Traffic reports via @rmadeo, @justincresswell, @johnbulmer, @tenner, and @brianzimmel.
photo: World Economic Forum
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Comments
I'm so glad I ride my bike.
... said ethan on May 1, 2009 at 12:50 PM | link
I don't know anything about I-90 or Western Ave, but the city's Dept. of Water was investigating a sink hole in the middle of Spring Street (just above Lark) that "mysteriously appeared" Tuesday night according to neighbors standing around watching the Water guys break open the road with a sledge hammer.
In these end days of swine (yeah, that's right… I used the MSM's forbidden label) flu, early heat waves, and disappearing gnomes, I can only attribute it to one thing: Morlocks!
... said Sandor on May 1, 2009 at 12:54 PM | link
Traffic's been fine up here my way. I haven't even needed to pass a tractor this week..only a four-wheeler or 2.
... said Jeff Stannard on May 1, 2009 at 1:02 PM | link
My tweet wasn't as nice as @tenner's (I saw his after I got home). Mine was posted as I was on the I-90 parking lot as "f'ing rubberneckers."
Both sides were insanely packed. East bound between exits 5 & 6 had an accident on the shoulder with trucks, police, cars, etc. No blocking of the road, so lots of rubbernecking.
West bound as no explanation. Signage said "long delays to thruway." Nothing on AM540 either. I got to my appt late and very frustrated ( had to take Western also).
Western was backed up (westbound) until 6:15pm and later, when I left my appt.
... said Kari on May 1, 2009 at 1:08 PM | link
The "GPS" data used is actually data that is "probed" from passing cell phones etc.You can see this in real time in Google Earth if you turn on the real time traffic data layer. Gives speed of passing vehicles at many different locations.
Glad my commute was not affected. Used to drive to Albany every day but now my commute is a simple four mile run over the Hudson to Troy.
... said Bob F. on May 1, 2009 at 2:07 PM | link
I was on I-90 yesterday eastbound between 5-530, and it seemed like the reason for the rubbernecking was that right after the exit for 787 there was one of those oversized whatever convoys that underestimated the height of the overpass and couldn't make it through.
It moved pretty slow, but it wasn't awful.
... said Katie on May 1, 2009 at 3:19 PM | link
I "live" on Long Island but I've been going to school for 4 years and working summers here for 2 years and I can attest to what people calling traffic here is what I consider a few people on the road. I can remember times being on Troy Schnectady road and my friends from up here moaning about the traffic, and me thinking this was about as light as any of our roads get.
NYC is far worse than even that...if you want to never hate traffic up here again, just go on the Cross Bronx during rush hour and you will appreciate Albany area traffic.
... said Andrew Starr on May 1, 2009 at 3:36 PM | link
@ Andrew: Agreed! I was just thinking that. I lived in NY metro area and Stamford CT. That traffic is the everyday reality of 95 in southwestern CT. So now I live in Albany!
... said Lucy on May 1, 2009 at 5:08 PM | link
DANE COOK tied up traffic????? I don't get these kids today, they don't know from funny. He's the kind of comic where you sit and politely wonder when the jokes start, but then it's all over and you realize that, "wait a minute, I get it now, I was the joke for not throwing rocks at his head to make him stop!"
... said tim on May 1, 2009 at 6:35 PM | link
@ Andrew - I grew up on Long Island and moved up to Albany to escape the traffic! They don't call the Long Island Expressway the world's largest parking lot for nothing, but seeing I-90 yesterday gave me flashbacks to commutes I had to make on the LIE.
It seems like a lot of things came together Thursday for the perfect storm of traffic - Hollywood, accidents, big trucks, and the onset of summer traveling.
... said Brian Zimmel on May 1, 2009 at 7:34 PM | link
The trailer is out. Albany gets its close-up at the 1:18 mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_gttJK8oc8
... said JMc on Nov 4, 2009 at 4:53 PM | link