Roots in Alpharetta

Something that has always puzzled me about Atlanta traffic is how we are courteous when we shouldn’t be and rude when we should be courteous. Here is how I see this paradox manifest itself.

The Four Way Stop

“It is your turn to drive to lunch,” I say to my co-worker as we leave our cubicles and head toward the parking lot. “Nope. There are four way stops on the way to that restaurant. You’re driving.”

Yeah, I have co-workers who are deliberate in avoiding four way stops. I can sorta understand this. The four way stop is perhaps the worst traffic control device ever. The idea is simple; first to the intersection is the first to go through. Ties go to the person on the right. The problem with four way stops is that people are too damn nice! Often I find that the first person will kindly wave another driver through, out of turn. This creates confusion because that driver is following the rules and is waiting. There is a hesitation. Eventually the friendly driver starts to timidly enter the intersection at the same time the other driver races into it. They both stop and say four letter words to themselves. Meanwhile traffic is backing up behind them.

Merging onto GA-400

Contrast this to merging onto the highway during a busy time. There is no room for courtesy here. If traffic is moving at all, people will speed up to close gaps so you can’t merge. Other times a merge lane is hopelessly crowded such that traffic is backing up onto surface streets.

In traffic there is a time for courtesy and there is a time for being expeditious. Know when to do each! Four way stops are simple. Keep alert for other drivers, knowing when they stop. Look out for hidden Milton PD as well (they love to prowl four way stops). If none are present and you’re first, then Cali stop and take off! Also keep in mind that two drivers can be in the intersection at the same time if they are not crossing paths. Don’t hesitate, be confident and clear your car through these fast! Save your kind deeds for the merging madness.

I wish I had a silver bullet I could share, or some unheard of trick to beating traffic. I don’t. So the subject of this post is a little of a misnomer I guess. Maybe these are just general observations I’ve made after living here for a dozen years.

GA-400

I used to commute down 400 in a previous life/job. I believe the traffic situation here is a lot better than it used to be. That’s probably not a comfort to those fighting it these days. The widening effort of a few years ago has helped, but I think it just moved the bottleneck from Haynes Bridge north to McFarland.  In cases of major backup, GA-9 can be an alternative for limited distances.

Traffic Reports on the Radio

Practically worthless. Unless there is a traffic catastrophe, you’re better off tuning out Captain Herb et al. I’d suggest checking the Georgia Navigator website before you hit the interstates. Leave the radio off or put on something soothing to calm your road-raged nerves.

MARTA

More worthless than the traffic reports. Suburbanites know how much of a time killer MARTA truly is. And on top of that, we would never go sans auto for the entire day!

The most ridiculous part of MARTA is these park and ride lots. What a waste of real estate. So I’m supposed to get in my car, fight traffic to the Windward lot, get out and wait, hop a bus to North Springs, wait, then get on a train which will only take me most of the way to work? I don’t think so. MARTA ain’t smarta, its just plain stupid.

Surface Streets

Do not underestimate the amount of traffic you’ll face once leaving GA-400. I find this particularly true in Forsyth County where the number of four lane roads is very small. Forsyth is probably fifteen years behind north Fulton on road building and widening efforts.

Surface streets always broke up the monotony for me. It was like a game trying to find the quickest path from home to GA-400. My tip here is to look for “No Thru Trucks” signs. These signs should really say “hidden two lane road that leads somewhere else”.

Schools

Everyone knows traffic lets up in the summertime once school gets out. That first Monday of the summer break is beautiful. It is like Moses parting the GA-400 traffic. Speed limit drives in the morning! Hallelujah!

Watch the schools on the surface streets. You don’t want to be driving through active school zones. This is especially true on rainy days when every SUV in the county is waiting to turn left into the one school on your commute. If necessary, adjust your commute times to avoid schools.

East/West Commutes

I’m amazed at how many people commute east/west across the northern burbs. I work with a lot of people who live in Gwinnett or Cherokee and commute to Alpharetta. My best advice here is to watch the river! There are a limited number of places to cross the Chattahoochee River, many of which are still two lane roads. The “No Thru Trucks” trick ain’t gonna help you here! My advice… cross the river as far to the south as you can.

Best Way to Win is Not to Play

Beating Atlanta’s traffic is a myth. The best you can really hope for is to break up the monotony. My advice it to simply reduce or eliminate your commute all together. Easier said than done? Not really. I mentioned in a previous post that we choose where we live and we choose where we work. Don’t choose to have those far apart! If you think you’ve found the ideal location for work, then move closer. I live five miles from my Windward office and I love it! On the other hand, my father-in-law has worked for the same company in Lawrenceville for twenty years. He has commuted from Conyers, on surface roads, that entire time. This takes a tremendous toll after a while and I don’t know why we continue with it.

If you think you’ll be switching jobs every few years but will remain in Atlanta, you should live in Dunwoody or Sandy Springs. I believe this is the ideal spot for commuting. You’re within easy reach of downtown, midtown, Cobb, Gwinnett or North Fulton.

If you’re gonna move based on commute, do your homework! My wife and I once considered a neighborhood on McGinnis Ferry road. On the weekend we were house hunting, it seemed like a great location. Then I thought about 5:00 traffic. Turning left out of this neighborhood was impossible at rush hour. Before you get any house under contract, go visit the neighborhood during the morning commute!

Move Your Commute Times

Most companies that are even mildly progressive with their employee relations will let you adjust work hours. If you cannot move your job or home, this is your best alternative. Hitting GA-400 before sunrise, and again at 3:00 or so will all but insure you a speed limit drive. If this gets to be too much, then fall back to a more normal 8-to-5 commute once school lets out. Combine this with a semi-regular work-from-home regiment for maximum traffic busting!

The new year marks the start of the Super Speeder Law. If you’re like me, you didn’t know anything about this until Governor Sonny Perdue appeared on the radio. In his Gomer Pyle-like voice, Perdue outlined the terms of the new law. Going 85 mph will tack on an additional $200 fine. This is on top of whatever fine the local municipality hits you with. The bill will come in the mail from the state at some point after the ticket.

The Alpharetta Autobahn

This law is of particular interest to those of us traveling on GA-400 everyday. Finding drivers going 85 mph on 400 is commonplace. This is especially true in Sandy Springs and Roswell, between exits 5 and 7. I welcome the new deterrence to driving this fast.

“He’s in Pieces”

If you need an example of why this law is needed, check out this gruesome example. A little more than a year ago, someone managed to get their Hyundai Sante Fe up to about 120 mph on GA-400. Fortunately he missed everyone else, taking only himself out of the gene pool in dramatic fashion.

Okay, I shouldn’t make fun of this fella’s misfortune. But my family travels on GA-400 everyday. The fewer drivers like this guy on the road the better.

Will the law make a difference? Hard to tell. My father used to say that only swift and certain punishment will make someone change their ways. But the threat of an extra $200 may not make a difference to someone living in an affluent burb. I suppose if it eliminates just one catastrophe on GA-400 then it’s all worth it. I just don’t expect the insane driving on this road to end anytime soon.