To think it shouldn't take me over an hour to drive five miles

[glowingemberfire]

Traffic in my hometown is famous for being bad but lately with the bad weather it's an utter nightmare. Using the car for anything - DCs hobbies, the supermarket or even going to work! - involves creeping along stopping starting stopping starting.

I feel close to screaming with it today and feel like I can't go anywhere as we get stuck in a jam.

Is it this bad everywhere!?

[ilovesooty]

It took me two hours to drive 11 miles this morning. The weather doesn't help and a major set of traffic lights was faulty.

[BackforGood]

Fraid so - if it's the wrong time of day, you can crawl through any journey.

[LunchpackOfNotreDame]

I hear you. I have an 8 mile commute on an A road. Last week it took 2.5 hours to get to work.

[VodkaJelly]

When the road is clear it can take 4 minutes to drive from my house to my works car park (takes 45 minutes to walk) but today it took me 20 minutes to do the same journey, traffic was horrendous.

[glowingemberfire]

It's so frustrating! I don't dare venture outdoors between 8 and 9 and between 3 and 7 in the evening.

[karalime]

It took me an hour to get out of the town I work in today, should take 15 minutes.

I would get annoyed but what's the point, I can't get annoyed at other people trying to do the exact same thing I'm doing.

[StarlingMurmuration]

Oxford? I've just come back from maternity leave and it's even worse than it was before I left, and it was awful then. Seems like they're digging up half. the roads in the city.

[PippaFawcett]

Cambridge? I am doing a bus, train and bike to work thing now to save me driving the 15 miles to work which would take me 1.5 hours. I often think that more people should work flexible hours where possible - there are obvious exceptions - to help reduce rush hour.

[pinotblush]

Try living in London

[glowingemberfire]

No thanks pinot I live in Warrington, do any of you know it? I'm considering emigrating!

[BikeGeek]

I was going to guess Oxford too...

Biking is immensely more satisfying when you're faster than all the cars though, and so much easier to motivate yourself in all weathers if the alternative is a car journey that takes 3 times as long.

[Palomb]

Same here. An hour and 54 minutes to do 13 miles last week I could have cried. It's so frustrating :(

This week I'm leaving 20 minuted earlier.

[StarDustMonkey]

I'm guessing Cambridge? It takes me almost an hour sometimes to crawl the 2.5 miles to my work...I have to drive in because I live quite a way away and have the school drop to do before commuting. I can understand your frustration!

[StarDustMonkey]

Ooops, x-post!

[PippaFawcett]

StarDustMonkey, I fancy one of those Dutch bikes that look like a wheelbarrow. Cambridge is bloody awful. OP, I do know Warrington, I used to swim for Warrington Warriors a long time ago but I don't remember the traffic being too bad.

[glowingemberfire]

It's dreadful - when did you move? It's been bad as long as I've lived here (ten years) but it is getting steadily worse.

[VodkaJelly]

I have been caught up in Warrington traffic a few times, it's awful (fellow northwesty) we were sat for ages not moving

[PippaFawcett]

Oh over 20 years ago and I was a child so I probably didn't notice the traffic at all!

[glowingemberfire]

We've probably passed each other vodka

[StarDustMonkey]

oooh yes Pippa! The number of unusual bikes that I see in Cambridge is amazing! I would love wheelbarrow one I could stick the kids in Grin

[StarDustMonkey]

bah was meant to be !

[PippaFawcett]

They are a lot of money though and look heavy to me but I could be wrong. My other bright idea was to buy a Brompton - or cheap alternative - and ditch the car as soon as I hit stationary traffic but that could still mean 10 plus miles of biking each way!

[Purplestarssparkle]

I feel your pain op also live and work in warrington it took me 2 hours once to go from 21a junction m6 to my home which is 3 miles away i work elsewhere now but still hate driving when its rushour dont even try to drive anyway near the big tescos on a saturday after 11 am

[ohtheholidays]

Thankfully no,the only time it's that bad where we are is when it's snowed.

Two years ago was awful,there were people leaving they're cars in rows of traffic,getting out and walking they're children home because they'd been stuck in the traffic for over 2 hours and hadn't moved at all and it was freezing.

All of the buses were cancelled as there was nearly a massive accident in the area we live in with a bus and a local supermarket.

[ForalltheSaints]

If it rains traffic is always worse.

Take away those making journeys under a mile who are able bodied and too lazy to walk, and then disqualify from driving all those who should never be allowed to drive because of previous conduct. Follow that up with proper management of roadworks. Don't put the clocks back in winter (those who are bad at getting up in the morning and have flexible hours would start later and fewer people would travel pre 9am). Then perhaps then congestion on the roads will be reduced.