i4 is it really that Bad??

[Gary Perrin]

Hi all, been watching lots of content regarding travelling around Orlando, It constantly comes up in conversation i4 is terrible!!

When are the road works due to finish??

 

[vacationer1954]

They claim that the project will be done in 2021. I'll believe that when I see it.

Also, keep in mind that the project investigated ideas for increasing capacity that they eventually decided against strictly because of cost, so even when the project is done there is more work to do.

 

[JimMIA]

Everyone thinks their home town has the worst traffic on the planet, but that's not always true. And it also depends on what you are used to. Someone from a big city may find traffic fine; someone from a rural area may find that same traffic horrendous.

We were in Orlando (not WDW area) this weekend and I didn't think the traffic was bad at all. Of course, that's a holiday weekend -- so it may have been lighter than normal.

That said, I-4 traffic is very bad during rush hour on weekdays -- but it's worse around downtown than out by WDW.

I would use Google Maps. If there is a major slowdown, Maps will alert you and offer you an alternate route if that will save time. You just tap "Accept" and it automatically re-routes you.

 

[Gary Perrin]

Everyone thinks their home town has the worst traffic on the planet, but that's not always true. And it also depends on what you are used to. Someone from a big city may find traffic fine; someone from a rural area may find that same traffic horrendous.

We were in Orlando (not WDW area) this weekend and I didn't think the traffic was bad at all. Of course, that's a holiday weekend -- so it may have been lighter than normal.

That said, I-4 traffic is very bad during rush hour on weekdays -- but it's worse around downtown than out by WDW.

I would use Google Maps. If there is a major slowdown, Maps will alert you and offer you an alternate route if that will save time. You just tap "Accept" and it automatically re-routes you.

Thank you
Top Tip

 

[KCMA]

I took I4 leaving last time I was there and didn’t find it bad at all and I will be taking it on our way there Friday morning . I also live in the greater Toronto area which has the worse traffic in Canada...

 

[Sunelis]

Honestly the I4 is bad but it's not the worst thing. And it really depends on the time of the day you cross Orlando proper.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Depends where you're from. Compared to Chicago traffic it's not bad at all. Although, people drive pretty bad in Orlando.

 

[JimMIA]

Although, people drive pretty bad in Orlando.

They do. I thought Miami and Boston had the most aggressive drivers, but Orlando's are right up there.

*****
A note on using ANY map system to drive by:

Try it at home first, and play around with it a little, including working with and without audio turn-by-turn instructions.

Turn-by-turn sounds so cool...until you actually try to drive in traffic with it. If you're driving down Avenue A en route to an address on 4th Street, audio instructions are fine. Shortly after you pass 3rd Street, you'll get, "In 400 feet, turn right on 4th Street." Just before 4th Street, you'll get, "Turn right on 4th Street." Cool.

But...if you are driving on I-4, you will get, "In a quarter mile, stay left," because there is an exit you don't want on the right. As soon as you pass that exit, you'll get, "In 1.3 miles, stay right," because there's another road forking off to the left. By the time you've driven 5-6 miles with verbal instructions every 1/4 mile, you'll be babbling to yourself.

If you know what to expect and can tolerate the constant chatter from the GPS, it's fine. If you don't like it, you can turn the audio off and just follow the display (although those same instructions will appear).

What you decide is not important. Not being surprised by the constant stream of instructions IS important. So do some test runs at home to get used to how it works.

 

[peteykirch]

People who complain about I4 traffic never been on the DC Beltway at rush hour. or the Garden State Parkway heading south to the shore during Memorial Day weekend.

It's traffic, but it's far from the worst in the US.

 

[OKW Lover]

The work on I-4 is more in the downtown Orlando area than the WDW area. Even when they finish the I-4 work, I'd still expect traffic issues.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I drive in Atlanta everyday so I-4 feels like a Sunday drive in the country.

 

[rg35]

I have driven from NYC to WDW three times over the last 4 years. We usually get on I4 around 11 am on a Sunday. Personally, I haven't found it all that bad. Some of that is probably due to I4 being the home stretch to arriving at vacation after a long drive.
There's a bit of a slowdown in the downtown area, and a little bit by Universal, but nothing I would consider awful. I'm sure during weekday rush hours it's a lot worse.

 

[DLgal]

The D.C. area is home to the absolute worst traffic and drivers anywhere in this country. It is just a complete nightmare. It makes L.A. rush hour traffic seem quaint. I have driven I4 during trips over the last 10 years at all different times of day, and have never even thought it was somewhat bad traffic. It is not bad at all, IMO.

 

[vacationer1954]

People who complain about I4 traffic never been on the DC Beltway at rush hour. or the Garden State Parkway heading south to the shore during Memorial Day weekend. It's traffic, but it's far from the worst in the US.

Having moved around a lot in my life, I've been on all three, plus the Central Artery in Boston. The DC Beltway is bad, but nothing can compare to the Central Artery before it was replaced. (For the record, Boston has the most aggressive drivers. New York metro has faster drivers but they're far more skilled. And here in Atlanta, we take the prize for the most pointless traffic. There's simply no good reason for it.)

 

[pahoben]

Houston has three of the top 20 bottlenecks in the US but not even in the top 10 for worst traffic. Houston drivers tend toward courtesy but I think that may be because most drivers are armed and no one wants to be a road rage statistic by enraging a fellow driver.

However all bets are off if a few snow flakes fall because then the average driver immediately gets snow psychosis.

I never found i4 particularly bad.

 

[jarestel]

Just because there may be areas of the country with worse traffic shouldn't lead anyone to believe Orlando's I-4 is a walk in the park. I've seen worse traffic but that doesn't console me when I'm in stop and go traffic and the speed limit signs seem to exist for the sole purpose of mocking the hapless drivers.

As with any congested area, if you can time your travel to coincide with the lighter volume times you'll be much better off. But if you can't, just relax and stay safe.

 

[Sara_H]

I think it depends on what portions of I4 you are on and when. We often drive from the Gulf Beaches to Disney for a day or even just to Disney Springs for a few hours if the weather is bad at the beach and there are definitely portions of I4 that are horrible. It's not just the traffic, the drivers are crazy! Weaving in and out flying down the road. We were almost picked off one year by someone not paying attention and weaving in and out of traffic. However, leaving Disney at night and heading back to the beach is typically no big deal...so again, it all depends.

 

[Eeyore daily]

I live on the Gulf coast outside of Tampa and I absolutely hate taking I-4. There's always traffic for some reason or another, and will always take me way longer to get to Disney than I'd like. I've driven in DC and either way traffic is traffic and miserable. The best times are late at night or early in the morning.

 

[GoofyPrincess]

The problem with I-4 is that you just don't know. I've driven it with no issues and I've sat for 4 hours in "moving construction". No rhyme or reason. And once you're on I-4, there's no real alternate route - you're committed.

 

[Disneypro1]

Its hit or miss. We always use a toll road to avoid it. We come from Ohio and cut across from Daytona Beach area. I can't remember the road...but google maps will show it. The toll is worth it, its longer but faster....much less traffic.