Observations driving I-95 to JAX, FL

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Egg_Head

Egg_Head

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Drove to Jacksonville, FL and back this week from NC. Route was I-77, I-26 to I-95 for the most part when Waze did not reroute me. Not surprisingly a lot of snowbirds in RV's of all sizes blasting down there before T'giving. One RV was flat towing a Jeep Gladiator w/a golf cart in the bed. Big boats on triple and quad axle trailers too. Coming back a lot of empty car carriers riding north, along with empty boat trailers and horse trailers, tis the season. Drove a 2005 Buick PA Ultra, averaged 28.5 MPG running 75-85 MPH.
 
I drive similar, often for 50 years now.
I can remember:
When it seemed like SC didn't understand 'interstate', every car lot or side street could have a driveway on interstate. Now Virginia has gotten almost as bad, letting any contractor establish a parking lot where ever they chose.
The first big 'freaknic' (black fraternity conference) in Atlanta, blacks were stopped literally just over the border southbound - shocking for the 90's.
The Florida hurricane (when Amtrak abandoned us) in Weston, '16 or '17. Gas lines for evacuation, and on 95 the fuel tankers knew no one would fuss as they barreled North in both shoulder lanes to refill.
 
Just did the drive from Mass to Ft Myers, two things stuck out, side from the wrong way driver;
1) left lane discipline just gets worse seemingly every day
2) same with main beam usage
 
My sister and I drove from North Carolina to Florida in the second week of July. South Carolina needs a few tips on road maintenance. I-95 through SC was not so much an interstate, as a cattle trail. We vowed we'll never do it again anywhere near the July Fourth holiday. The boats and motorhomes added an hour and a half to our trip.
 
Barkleymut said:
I drove home from DC to Richmond on Wednesday..... I would rather sit in a Dentists chair for 4 hours.
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Absolutely!!
I ran through there once with heavy rain and wind...suicide..
Vehicles were just making lanes as they went.
 
EV's won't do anywhere near as well on such trips. I drive the PA to FL trip regularly, I've yet to have an EV pass me and keep going. Of course, I'm one of those "blasting down there" down the highway...
 
wings&wheels said:
Just did the drive from Mass to Ft Myers, two things stuck out, side from the wrong way driver;
1) left lane discipline just gets worse seemingly every day
2) same with main beam usage
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The further south we go, the more the RIGHT lane becomes my left lane. People doing 71mph in the passing lane refuse to move over when there's no one to pass even. I gave up awhile ago and started cruising in the rightmost lane whenever possible. It's surprising how many people you can go around, since they just queue up behind the slowpoke going 71.

And yes, if that's YOU in the left lane going 71, you're a slowpoke who should either stay home, take the back roads, or stay in the right lane.

There, I said it.

SLOW POKE!
 
wings&wheels said:
Just did the drive from Mass to Ft Myers, two things stuck out, side from the wrong way driver;
1) left lane discipline just gets worse seemingly every day
2) same with main beam usage
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Seems to be the case all over.

Add hanging out in the wrong lane and then cutting across all lanes of traffic to make your exit at the last moment to the list.
 
My trip form NC to PA and back from visiting my mom I noticed a ton more 18 wheelers on the road. To the point that trying to get around some that were trying to pass another took forever.
 
wings&wheels said:
Just did the drive from Mass to Ft Myers, two things stuck out, side from the wrong way driver;
1) left lane discipline just gets worse seemingly every day
2) same with main beam usage
Click to expand...
Just did the WV to Ft Myers this week. Traffic wasn't too bad until Tampa. Don't you love it when you see Welcome to FL and then you have another days drive. lol
 
WylieCoyote said:
My sister and I drove from North Carolina to Florida in the second week of July. South Carolina needs a few tips on road maintenance. I-95 through SC was not so much an interstate, as a cattle trail. We vowed we'll never do it again anywhere near the July Fourth holiday. The boats and motorhomes added an hour and a half to our trip.
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I always have the feeling that SC spent a lot of money on I26 and widening the more industrious I85 corridors. I85 is almost 3-lanes wide for halve the distance between Greenville - Atlanta.
 
loneryder said:
Just did the WV to Ft Myers this week. Traffic wasn't too bad until Tampa. Don't you love it when you see Welcome to FL and then you have another days drive. lol
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You reminded me of a former coworker who made a yearly pilgrimage from the Chicago area to family in Florida - I remember him saying that Atlanta was only the half-way point on his drive. :D
 
andreigbs said:
The further south we go, the more the RIGHT lane becomes my left lane. People doing 71mph in the passing lane refuse to move over when there's no one to pass even. I gave up awhile ago and started cruising in the rightmost lane whenever possible. It's surprising how many people you can go around, since they just queue up behind the slowpoke going 71.

And yes, if that's YOU in the left lane going 71, you're a slowpoke who should either stay home, take the back roads, or stay in the right lane.

There, I said it.

SLOW POKE!
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You know they could bring back the 55 mph speed limit.
 
Zee09 said:
1-95 gets crazy going north from Richmond to DC to Baltimore
When you get home you feel lucky you made it- seriously.
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The mixing bowl outside DC is always a mess. When I lived in Richmond I had to arrange to miss it between 3-6 PM if going north. Heavy until you get past DE but NJ can be rough as well
 
Zee09 said:
1-95 gets crazy going north from Richmond to DC to Baltimore
When you get home you feel lucky you made it- seriously.
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I don’t know about crazy. Just always clogged somewhere. Too much traffic all the time.

People drove crazier on some of the busier stretches further south, including with the big RVs, the all night drivers from the nyc area trying to make time, etc.
 
JHZR2 said:
I don’t know about crazy. Just always clogged somewhere. Too much traffic all the time.

People drove crazier on some of the busier stretches further south, including with the big RVs, the all night drivers from the nyc area trying to make time, etc.
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To me DC and Baltimore really ruins the Florida drive. I really hate it.
And further south I have noticed more and more big trucks and road debris from tires.
 
Spector said:
The mixing bowl outside DC is always a mess. When I lived in Richmond I had to arrange to miss it between 3-6 PM if going north. Heavy until you get past DE but NJ can be rough as well
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Mixing bowl is pretty bad. Too many people have moved to Fredericksburg or even Richmond, seeking cheaper housing (Richmond market is crazy, I don’t get it).

Delaware never had the right infrastructure for the last 30+ years. Housing tracks ruined old farmland. Both the surface roads and 95 weren’t sized right, poor traffic light timing everywhere.

The Delaware memorial bridge is also a big bottleneck. Surprised more folks don’t use 495-Commodore Barry, though 95 in SE PA right there by US 322 is also a choke point.

The 301 is a great alternative to 95 when 95 is backed up. The bypass in Middletown DE helped a lot. But the Annapolis bridge is such a bottleneck too.
 
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