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Auto Talk => General Automotive => Topic started by: 12,000 RPM on December 02, 2013, 08:49:32 AM

Title: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: 12,000 RPM on December 02, 2013, 08:49:32 AM
Man I really forgot how terrible NYC roads are. My car is getting beat the fuck up and is starting to feel more like its age here. And it's everywhere. Highways, local streets, the whole nine. Makes me kind of want to run a more aggressive setup when I get home just cause I can. Now I understand the appeal of shit like WRXs etc. If you want performance up here you basically need a damn rally car or something with a lot of suspension travel and soft spring rates. IT's really awful.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: CALL_911 on December 02, 2013, 09:04:28 AM
NYC roads suck dick. Baghdad's roads are probably as smooth as butter in comparison to the terrible roads up here (Binghamton, NY). Roads aren't so bad at home (LI).
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Speed_Racer on December 02, 2013, 09:08:04 AM
Utah's roads are actually quite good, especially compared to where I grew up in NH. I don't know if it's the roads or the car, but my parents are on their third set of struts on their 90k mi Subaru up there!

Here in UT, the roads are flat concrete and very wide. Only problems are the concrete joints are occasionally uneven which leads to frame-jarring jolts which sound painful And they're bad at removing snow here too.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: 12,000 RPM on December 02, 2013, 09:25:43 AM
I think pop density is prob the biggest driving factor. There are just a lot of motherfuckers up here. Plus the big heat cycles and the snow + snowplows. Also critical pieces of road (i.e. entries to tunnels/bridges) don't have the chance to ever get shut down and worked on. Its a god damn mess. I am scared I am going to blow my struts up here. I used to think the Z rode too soft
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: MX793 on December 02, 2013, 10:31:23 AM
City streets are generally bad and even major highways are pretty rough.  Mostly massive frost heaves on the highways, though I've seen some pretty big potholes as well.  City streets are riddled with potholes.  Definitely haven't seen anything nearly as bad in any of the southern or southwestern states I've driven in.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Mustangfan2003 on December 02, 2013, 10:54:18 AM
Down here most of the 4 lane highways are in pretty decent shape.  There was one rough spot in one lane where trucks would exit the scales but it was repaved about 2 years ago.  Some of the older two lane roads seem like they have been forgotten about.  On the county roads in the county that I am from they use some sort of grey gravel instead of blacktop and it's rough.  Some of the towns are hit or miss. 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: shp4man on December 02, 2013, 12:17:51 PM
Since the city squandered all it's cash on grossly overpaid retirees and developer scams, the surface streets are pretty bad. All that money they get in gas tax and still the roads suck. Asshole bureaucrats.  :rolleyes:
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Morris Minor on December 02, 2013, 01:48:34 PM
Roads in GA are pretty good - the DoT does a decent job IMO, not much in the way of frost heave to worry about in the sun belt states.  On the other hand, the surface streets in Atlanta are pretty bad - depends largely on budgetary competence of the jurisdiction.

I remember years ago driving from Milwaukee to Green Bay on I-43, when it was a new road, billiard table smooth. Made the same journey five years later and it was a cratered mess. That's continental winters.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Madman on December 02, 2013, 08:57:44 PM
Yep, the lack of harsh winters here in Middle Tennessee helps to keep the roads in pretty decent shape.  When I lived in Chicago, the roads were like driving on the surface of the moon.  I once bent the hell out of two wheels on one of those damn Chicago potholes!
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Soup DeVille on December 02, 2013, 09:01:56 PM
(http://ronehothiphopdetroit.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/car-in-pothole.jpg?w=412&h=286)

Not bad this year. That's a compact car, and you can still see most of it.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Rupert on December 03, 2013, 01:03:38 AM
Roads are fine here, I guess. Better than most cities of this size. Rural roads are alright, too.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Rupert on December 03, 2013, 01:04:38 AM
Quote from: Mustangfan2003 on December 02, 2013, 10:54:18 AM
Down here most of the 4 lane highways are in pretty decent shape.  There was one rough spot in one lane where trucks would exit the scales but it was repaved about 2 years ago.  Some of the older two lane roads seem like they have been forgotten about.  On the county roads in the county that I am from they use some sort of grey gravel instead of blacktop and it's rough.  Some of the towns are hit or miss.

Chip seal? Feels like gravel, but the pieces of rock stay put for the most part. Terrible stuff, but terribly cheap.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Mustangfan2003 on December 03, 2013, 12:20:29 PM
Quote from: Rupert on December 03, 2013, 01:04:38 AM
Chip seal? Feels like gravel, but the pieces of rock stay put for the most part. Terrible stuff, but terribly cheap.

Yup, that's it.  I'd say it's used on 90% of the county roads.  It's rough but it beats driving on dirt roads.  The state uses it on the shoulders on some of the interstates as well. 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: MexicoCityM3 on December 03, 2013, 12:24:03 PM
Bad overall but there are a few great ones.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: NomisR on December 03, 2013, 12:47:09 PM
Well, according to studies

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-us-cities-with-the-worst-roads-2013-10 (http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-us-cities-with-the-worst-roads-2013-10)

I'm not surprised considering the amount of traffics our roads get, and whenever I leave the greater LA area, I notice the roads significantly improves.  Even driving on the freeways up and down the I-5, the worse section is typically in Los Angeles County. 

But since we don't get snow here, not sure why our roads would be worse.  Then again, I guess our hot/cold cycle is pretty bad during the winter time since it could be up in the 80s during the day time while 40s at night. 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Byteme on December 03, 2013, 03:40:53 PM
Interstate highways, federal and state roads and city streets here are good to excellent. 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: giant_mtb on December 03, 2013, 04:57:42 PM
Quote from: Mustangfan2003 on December 03, 2013, 12:20:29 PM
Yup, that's it.  I'd say it's used on 90% of the county roads.  It's rough but it beats driving on dirt roads.  The state uses it on the shoulders on some of the interstates as well. 

Fresh chip seal is a nightmare.  It sticks to wheels and paint really, really well.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: giant_mtb on December 03, 2013, 04:58:35 PM
Our highways are pretty good for the most part. Most main "downtown" type streets are pretty good. The rest...craaaaaaaap.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: 12,000 RPM on December 04, 2013, 05:54:06 AM
Where is everybody? I know where MCM3, Miata John and the people who mentioned their states are.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Soup DeVille on December 04, 2013, 06:24:26 AM
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on December 04, 2013, 05:54:06 AM
Where is everybody? I know where MCM3, Miata John and the people who mentioned their states are.

Detroit, and the northern suburbs thereof.

The highways are mostly OKish. Downtown and the rest of the city streets is a mess.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Raza on December 04, 2013, 07:39:48 AM
Most are pretty bad.  If it's not the road condition that sucks, it's under construction that just makes it worse. 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Mustangfan2003 on December 04, 2013, 11:16:08 AM
Quote from: giant_mtb on December 03, 2013, 04:57:42 PM
Fresh chip seal is a nightmare.  It sticks to wheels and paint really, really well.

A lot of the gravel is loose too so get ready for a cracked windshield. 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: NomisR on December 04, 2013, 12:29:28 PM
Quote from: Soup DeVille on December 04, 2013, 06:24:26 AM
Detroit, and the northern suburbs thereof.

The highways are mostly OKish. Downtown and the rest of the city streets is a mess.

What part of Detroit isn't a mess? 
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Soup DeVille on December 08, 2013, 04:20:36 PM
Quote from: NomisR on December 04, 2013, 12:29:28 PM
What part of Detroit isn't a mess? 

The theatre district, Indian Village, Palmer Park, certain spots in the Boston-Edison neighborhood, and a couple of blocks in Corktown.
Title: Re: How bad are the roads in your region?
Post by: Gotta-Qik-C7 on December 08, 2013, 05:59:26 PM
Here in Cleveland the road are HORRID!!! Lots of the East Side suburbs are worse than the inner city streets.......