Houston Traffic...Look Familiar?

We moved here from Cleveland, Ohio about 6 years ago, and getting acquainted with Houston traffic was definitely a learning experience. Here are some helpful tips we could have used when we arrived. There is a lot of traffic in Houston, period. Houston has a great economy and job opportunities. With all these people moving here, that means more cars on the road, which obviously means a lot more traffic. Houston’s Department of Transportation is trying to address these issues and as we all know, that takes time. Things we wish we had known; Freeway systems are often referred to by two or more different names. It took a while to figure out that the Beltway 8 and the Sam Houston Tollway are the same thing. The same goes for the North Freeway/45, Northwest Freeway/290, Inner Loop/610, and so on. There are alternate routes that can make the journey less painful. Your navigator doesn’t always give you the best choices, traffic-wise. Ask your new neighbors or co-workers about alternate routes that might be better. People that live here have figured out how to commute in the best way possible. Find out what the different names are for the same freeway, so you can try to understand what the morning news traffic person is talking about. Accept that it will take you a little longer to get to your destination. Houston is a big city geographically, and the traffic makes it a longer commute. We are now accustomed to the traffic, and we’re sure you will be also. We’ve come to accept the traffic as a fact of life, and there are so many other great reasons to live here. Welcome to Houston