Driving in Austin, TX?

Question

How is driving in and around Austin? We are considering a move (probably to south Austin or Dripping Springs). I know traffic can be bad, but I'm wondering more about safety. I've heard that drivers are very aggressive and there are lots of drunk college kids on the the roads. Is this true? We have kids who will be driving (years away, but never to soon to worry!) Are there more accidents than in your average city there? Also, he highway system seems a little frustrating and not well planned out - is this a a problem? Any comments or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

Driving here really is not to bad. Dripping Springs and South Austin are alot better than North Austin. just my opinion. I have lived in South Austin for almost 32 years and travel to Dripping often, it has gotten worse over the last few years and the highway system is way behind our growth but it is not any worse that Dallas and it is way better than Houston. I dont know about drunk collage kids I tend to stay away from places they would be. But Austin has strted to crack down on it alot in the last few years.

Answer 2

I've lived in Austin since 1981. The traffic has gotten much worse than it was 20 years ago, but it's nothing compared to Dallas, San Antonio or Houston. I live right off of MoPac and I do my best to avoid the high traffic times, but even at 5:30 PM I can usually get from one end of the city to the other in less than 45 minutes. I have to be somewhere (at the end of MoPac) every Wednesday at 6 PM and I leave my house at 5:30 and I've never been late.
I read someone say something about a 3 hour standstill, and I'm sure it's happened during bad weather or an accident, but I've never experienced that in all the years I've lived here.
I love living here and I am so happy to be able to raise my child here. Friends in Dripping Springs love their community and the schools and are very happy.
I hope this helps you in your decision making process. Best of Luck!

Answer 3

I don't think the drivers in Austin are any worse than any major metropolitan area. Actually, most Texas drivers are fairly courteous. Your fear of aggressive drivers and drunk college kids is pretty much unwarranted for that part of town. The problem is not the drivers, but the overall congestion due to poor planning and rapid growth. I've driven in a lot of major US cities and it amazes me that Austin doesn't adopt any of the traffic measures that major cities do to improve traffic flow. It's almost like they are in denial and trying to keep the small town feel without considering the large number of cars actually on the road.

You will be safe, but annoyed. The best thing to do is realize that there will be some spots that are congested and relax, listen to some good tunes and just realize that it's a small sacrifice for living in a place that is otherwise awesome!

Answer 4

Traffic in Austin is really bad for a city it's size (almost double the average of other cities its size, according to the newest study), and the roads are confusing as hell at first (especially if you are new to the "access road" layout). It really depends on what you're used to now...it's not as bad as Houston/Dallas/LA, but of course the difference is those cities are like 3+ times as populated as Austin. I moved here from Seattle (which is known for its polite drivers and good roads) several years ago, and it was a big change - the roads here are confusing as hell (and really, really badly planned), badly marked/signed, many roads have 2-3+ different names/numbers, so many badly timed lights you will swear this city has no transportation planners, there are several exits where you have to dive across 2+ lanes of traffic to get into the lane you need, there are "merge or die" lanes when entering i-35 - you have to merge almost immediately or you will hit the barricade (no shoulder). Being involved in an accident used to be a question of "if" for me, now I feel it is just a matter of time. Be prepared to spend a lot of time at first making u-turns and sitting in traffic.
There are also a fair number of drunks especially on UT football game days (or just bad drivers - it's hard to tell sometimes!), but they're pretty easy to avoid.

Here is a guide I found a while ago that seemed to sum it up really well:
http://travel.nytimes.com/frommers/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/texas/austin/frm_austin_0003020015.html?pagewanted=print

Answer 5

I have lived in Austin for 16 years and don't feel the traffic is any worse here than it is in any large city. I have driven in Denver, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, London (England) and a many, many other places... traffic sucks everywhere. Avoid Mopac and I35 during rush hour, otherwise, not a problem.

I do agree with the comment that the lights in Austin are poorly timed. I often take Parmer Lane in north Austin, and no matter what speed or what direction you drive you will get stopped at 70% of the lights... it sucks.

The drunk driving thing is a myth. Yes, there are incidents here, but they happen everywhere and it *is* a college town. But it is hardly a major issue.

Answer 6

Uh I dont know about the person above, but driving here is one of the worst things about the city. First none of the lights in the city seem to corrilate to any other ones. Mo-pac/ Highway 1 is a race to see who can go fastest. While rush hour only lasts like 3 hours at night which isnt to bad, it is a complete stand still for those 3 hours. The guy who designed the split level part of I-35 killed himself because of how horrible it is. That might be a local myth, but Ive heard it from a TON of people. Driving downtown at night SUCKS. I am a valet down there and people will jump out in the street under the false, and usually drunk assumption that pedestrion right away will protect them from your green light. But as for the drunk drivers, thats kinda not a problem. Yeah they come out at 3 in the morning and are centralized to downtown, but if your out then your probably a little drunk too.So that is not a problem. The traffic and roads for me are the worst part about a city I do love. Other traffic cities I lived in to give you a idea of what I deal with include: Houston, Chicago, and San Antonio.

Answer 7

I live in Chicago where the average speed on the tollway here is about 70-75....even tho the legal speed is 55. When I was in Austin I was the the slowest driver on the road.

I will say however that their roads are set up pretty nice --- They were all about 4 or 5 lanes in each directions and they had turn designated u-turn ramps which I found very useful since I wasnt familiar with the area.

Answer 8

there are areas that have tons of construction. There are some illegals that drive like they are still in Mexico sometimes...just telling the truth.

the roads are confusing to anyone. not the best planned city.

corn fed country boys in 4x4 diesel trucks with no manners whatsoever sometimes tail gait you etc. just telling the truth.

IH 35 lower level is a death gantlet.

other than that, it's great.

on drunks....people in Texas like to drink, but there are not as many Bubas here. the student population makes up for that, so I guess you could say Austin is average for TX...? maybe.

if you give me a neg, you have to make a case for yourself in the next answer.

Answer 9

I would actually reccomend using the bus system in and around Austin. They have frequent service, many routes and it's very safe & cost effective.

Answer 10

i never had much trouble, only traffic. but that's any large city you go to.study maps for back roads.