The traffic in Atlanta...!!!

[Free4Life11]

I can't even imagine!

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Atla...ear=Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&t=m&z=10&layer=t

Reading the FB updates...yikes! https://www.facebook.com/11Alive

 

[dakcp2001]

Awful!

 

[Robinrs]

It's a nightmare, everywhere. I have co workers and friends who left 5 hours ago who are STILL not home.

All the hotels are filled and teachers in some areas are sleeping overnight with stranded students.

So happy to be home....

 

[North of Mouse]

I can't even imagine!

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Atla...ear=Atlanta,+Fulton,+Georgia&t=m&z=10&layer=t

Reading the FB updates...yikes! https://www.facebook.com/11Alive

Well, I 'can' imagine! We lived there several years ago when they were building 'spaghetti junction' on the north side with I-85. It was 'miserable' even then. DH worked in Midtown - we lived near Lawrenceville - and he had to leave at 5:30am to keep from sitting in traffic, then had to wait until 6:30 pm to do the same to come back home.(all that for an 8 hr. job) Were only there 2 1/2 years thankfully before we were transferred again. Hated it!!!!

 

[Robinrs]

Well, I 'can' imagine! We lived there several years ago when they were building 'spaghetti junction' on the north side with I-85. It was 'miserable' even then. DH worked in Midtown - we lived near Lawrenceville - and he had to leave at 5:30am to keep from sitting in traffic, then had to wait until 6:30 pm to do the same to come back home.(all that for an 8 hr. job) Were only there 2 1/2 years thankfully before we were transferred again. Hated it!!!!

I live in Lawrenceville and work in Buckhead... It would be HORRIBLE if I didn't make my own hours. I drive in at 11am and leave at 7pm so I miss most of the bad traffic. I also use the hot lanes and even though they cost they're well worth it!

 

[Lanshark]

My husbands twenty minute drive took five hours and he still parked two miles from home and walked the rest. I've lived her thirty years and I've never seen the roads freeze this fast. I'm fifteen minutes from school and it took two hours. I was lucky

 

[willowsnn3]

I was lucky enough to leave work at 1:30 & only live 4.5 miles from work so it didn't take too long but passed by 2 accidents on the way. The roads were already getting bad. My sister lives 15 miles from her job & it took her almost 4 hours to get home. Not getting out tomorrow. It'll be nothing but ice!!

 

[Shutterbug]

Just saw this on Weather Channel. They showed how it went from free flowing tafffic to gridlock in just an hour. Crazy
Even now still there is gridlock.

 

[Squirlz]

In the mid 80s I lived in Stone Mountain and worked in Tucker. I moved there from Illinois. It snowed one day...so what huh? I got to work and was one of 2 people who showed up.

 

[Tazicket]

I have a friend over there that's been stuck in traffic for 9 hours trying to get home from work. Not exaggerating at all. She's still nowhere near home.

 

[Shutterbug]

Is it because everyone left work, school, etc all at once all in the same minutes?

 

[minkydog]

It is truly terrible. The Weather Channel predicted only a dusting for Atlanta and points north. Instead, we got 2-3 inches and the roads iced up almost immediately. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late. EVERYONE got on the road at the same time, including the school buses. I have friends who have not made it home yet and they left work at 1pm, almost 9 hours ago. Some of my friends had to abandon their cars and walk home, one of them had to walk almost 5 miles in 20 degree weather. This is waaaaay worse than the usual snow we have once or twice a year!

 

[Sadie Chez]

Its just mind boggling, my husband didn't make it home today he ended up at a Comfort in and it took me four try's to find someplace that wasn't full.

My daughter left work at noon today and her 20 minute ride took 3 hours and she passed too many wrecks to count on I-20.

My son carpools and ended up having to hike 3 miles into the neighborhood because they just weren't moving for hours and the other guys had kids at home and they could turn around and go the other way.

What I can't understand is how it gets this bad here, I've never lived anywhere where it snows before, I'm from AZ so this is all new to me, but I see all the people from up north handle the snow just fine they go to work every day kids go to school, etc. etc.

Now I know you need special tires for your car or truck, and I suppose they treat the roads constantly(?) I do know the roads in Atlanta are in no way equipped for the amount of traffic that it gets each day, really poor planning and just really bad roads.

Like I said, I don't know, but if I was stuck in a car for 9 hours or my kid was not able to come home from school overnight I'd be wanting answers and changes.

Oh and I just heard an official from Gdot say the problems on the road were the fault of the drivers because they should have heeded the warnings and stayed off the roads today. I don't remember anyone saying it was going to be this bad. The reporter layed into her though.

 

[Katelly]

My aunt lives in Stone Mountain so I called her earlier. She arrived home ok but it took her longer than usual.

I'm concerned about my best friends dd20. She's from upstate New York and just moved to Lithonia three weeks ago for a college internship. She works in Atlanta and I don't think she's home yet.

I checked her Twitter and she's in traffic that is completely stopped and is tweeting things like "LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!". She also tweeted that she is scared to death of the other drivers. I just hope she takes it easy and realizes that people down there aren't used to driving in these conditions and she needs to keep her road rage in check!

Edited to add: just checked her Twitter at 10:50pm and she tweeted that she's now been trapped in her car for seven hours and is surrounded by sheets of ice.

 

[OhMari]

Me and my dh were almost in a 30car pileup the first snow of the season. There was - a 60 car pileup 3 miles behind the first one.
We live in Wisconsin, no one is ever ready for snow and ice.

I cannot image how that gridlock is going to start moving again.

 

[Squirlz]

I have a friend over there that's been stuck in traffic for 9 hours trying to get home from work. Not exaggerating at all. She's still nowhere near home.

Yeah I just heard from a friend who's Wife has been stuck in traffic for 7 hours and is planning on spending the night in her car. And she's an off-duty cop for whatever that's worth.

 

[EmJay2001]

Its just mind boggling, my husband didn't make it home today he ended up at a Comfort in and it took me four try's to find someplace that wasn't full.

My daughter left work at noon today and her 20 minute ride took 3 hours and she passed too many wrecks to count on I-20.

My son carpools and ended up having to hike 3 miles into the neighborhood because they just weren't moving for hours and the other guys had kids at home and they could turn around and go the other way.

What I can't understand is how it gets this bad here, I've never lived anywhere where it snows before, I'm from AZ so this is all new to me, but I see all the people from up north handle the snow just fine they go to work every day kids go to school, etc. etc.

Now I know you need special tires for your car or truck, and I suppose they treat the roads constantly(?) I do know the roads in Atlanta are in no way equipped for the amount of traffic that it gets each day, really poor planning and just really bad roads.

Like I said, I don't know, but if I was stuck in a car for 9 hours or my kid was not able to come home from school overnight I'd be wanting answers and changes.

Oh and I just heard an official from Gdot say the problems on the road were the fault of the drivers because they should have heeded the warnings and stayed off the roads today. I don't remember anyone saying it was going to be this bad. The reporter layed into her though.

I am in southwestern Ontario and yes we have salt on the road constantly. They are always out sanding and salting. Even on "dry" days our roads are white because of the salt. I just went thru a car wash today because my van was caked with it. And most have snow tires on as well, they make a big difference. Plus we are use to driving in it. Sometimes too "use to it" that we become reckless. I have to admit to ending in the ditch and hitting snowbanks myself in my youth .

 

[garneska]

I made the decision to leave work at 11:45. Am so glad I did. In normal conditions my drive is 50 min and I was home in an hour. However I made that decision about 45 minutes before everyone else in the state. I think the issue was the volume all at once. During my drive there was snow blowing but nothing on the roads.

Just a note about why atl any people can't drive in snow. I am a northern. I learned to drive in the snow and I hate to say this but half of Atlanta people are transplants from the north. The issue in general is everyone thinks they can drive in it and drive too fast and follow too close. Same reason why my drive takes over an hour when it rains.

I realize the storm was not predicted to be this bad but you have to think about how many people will be on the road. I left at 11:45 because I was afraid a mass exodus would happen at lunch and I wanted to avoid that.

BTW, I had a friend in traffic for 7 hours and then walked an hour and a half to get to a friends house. It sucks here. I also feel bad for all the kids stuck on a bus for 5 hours.

 

[Shutterbug]

Its just mind boggling, my husband didn't make it home today he ended up at a Comfort in and it took me four try's to find someplace that wasn't full.

My daughter left work at noon today and her 20 minute ride took 3 hours and she passed too many wrecks to count on I-20.

My son carpools and ended up having to hike 3 miles into the neighborhood because they just weren't moving for hours and the other guys had kids at home and they could turn around and go the other way.

What I can't understand is how it gets this bad here, I've never lived anywhere where it snows before, I'm from AZ so this is all new to me, but I see all the people from up north handle the snow just fine they go to work every day kids go to school, etc. etc.

Now I know you need special tires for your car or truck, and I suppose they treat the roads constantly(?) I do know the roads in Atlanta are in no way equipped for the amount of traffic that it gets each day, really poor planning and just really bad roads.

Like I said, I don't know, but if I was stuck in a car for 9 hours or my kid was not able to come home from school overnight I'd be wanting answers and changes.

Oh and I just heard an official from Gdot say the problems on the road were the fault of the drivers because they should have heeded the warnings and stayed off the roads today. I don't remember anyone saying it was going to be this bad. The reporter layed into her though.

Experience helps. As far as gridlocking, it only takes one car to slip and slide go sideways and all traffic comes to a stand still behind it.
In one of the videos I have seen today, I saw people trying to push a Mustang(rear wheel drive) that had big huge wide tires(my guess performance tires). Thats a car that should never have been on the road today to begin with. You dont necessarily have to have snow tires but a good overall tire with good tread helps. Even up here I have seen people driving with all season tires that have next to no tread. As for me, I have been putting on snow tires each winter for the past few years.

 

[Sadie Chez]

Yeah I just heard from a friend who's Wife has been stuck in traffic for 7 hours and is planning on spending the night in her car. And she's an off-duty cop for whatever that's worth.

I can't imagine sleeping in your car in this weather. I feel awful for all those poor people stuck out on the road, and the kids at school what a nightmare.

I'm glad I was able to talk my husband into staying on the other side of Atlanta he was going to just try to come on home but I kept telling him how bad the roads looked on Google, after it took him so long to come down the east side of the perimeter he decided to find someplace to wait it out till it clears up. He might try to make his way on I-20 tomorrow afternoon if it clears enough. I'll be worrying all day though because he can't sit in one place too long and he hates to be alone, so I could see him trying to drive through ice to get home or parking his truck and hiking in like my son did, but he's not 20 and in fighting shape any more.....