Traffic in Chicago can be beat!
Chicago is notorious for its traffic. One of the worst in the country, Chicagoans are used to sitting in rush hour traffic almost every day of the week. Unless you work the night shift at 2am, you usually hit traffic during some point in the day. Whether you are going to and from the suburbs, or driving around the city, there is traffic everywhere!
It is very difficult to completely avoid traffic in Chicago, but there are resources and information out there to help you fight it. Patients, creativity and the willingness to take a risk on a new rout can all lead to winning the fight against traffic.
Below are some resources to help you cut down on your traffic time, and get on with more important things in our lives!
Chicago Traffic Report Resources
Each of the traffic report resources below give you an up to the minuet display of traffic times. They also show any delays such as accidents, road construction and event traffic. These are great resources if you are planning your trip into or out of the city. You can jump on your computer and plan accordingly!
Traffic Apps
In this day and age, there is an app for everything. There are dozens of traffic apps out there, but I figured I could show you the top three to get you started. Much like the traffic report resources listed above, these traffic apps show you travel times, accidents and any other traffic obstacles on your desired rout.
• SigAlert
Traffic Tips
You can never have too many good old fashioned tips on how to beat Chicago traffic. Here are some of my favorites.
1. Map out alternative routs: There are dozens of routs we can take when trying to get from A to B. If you antisipate a busy traffic day because of an event or bad weather, try out a different rout. Look ahead on a map, and plan your rout!
2. Pay Attention: More often than not, drivers zone out when they hit a traffic jam. If you are always aware and keeping what is infront of you in focus, you can see what is coming up, and act accordingly. You can anticipate when traffic will start to speed up, and you can help everyone behind you if you react sooner rather than later.
3. Don’t rubberneck: Rubbernecking is when we all slow down to look at an accident, or try to ride the shoulder to get a better look at the traffic ahead. These actions are not good for anyone. Simply stay focused on what is in front of you, and when there is room to accelerate forward, do so!
4. Take Public Transit: I know it does not sound ideal, but there is little to know traffic for metra or CTA trains. Also, once you are onboard you can zone out. Take an extra 30 minutes to snooze, or catch up on your facebook feed!
5. Move: After reading this one, number 4 wont sound so bad! Chicago is the third largets city in the country. No matter how well we navigate the road and live by the rules, there will most always be traffic. If you really can’t stand it…move to Cleveland. You wont have nearly any traffic, but you’ll be living in Cleveland. Sorry Cleveland, Chicago is just better.