Driving in San Antonio

[christoofar 0]

For you "touristas"
1. We have plenty of ample freeways. more per capita than anywhere else in the nation. However, there are 3 major areas where the freeways don't connect.

2. These funny things called "interchanges" are frowned upon, particularly on US 281. We like having to go to local roads to change freeways.

3. Construction is a way of life. There's only about 70 simultaneous construction projects going on in SAtown at any given time. You will be 70 by the time I-410 construction finishes (if ever)

4. Two basic rules for speed... those drivers who speak English drive as FAST as possible. Those drivers who speak Spanish drive as SLOW as possible in the FAST lane. Bilingual residents change speed randomly throughout their journey.

5. Most drives, avenues, circles and boulevards that have Spanish names are in wealthy residential areas or in major points of interest (except streets). Most English names for streets and roads are in the barrio. If you are on a numbered street, you are in the hood.

6. Expect delays and LOTS of accidents if the weather is ANYTHING except absolute sunshine. San Antonians don't know how to drive in anything except perfect conditions.

7. Typical # of daily accidents in the city is tied proportionally to the weather:
- p/c, some sun: 50-60 accidents
- cloudy: 70-100 accidents
- light drizzle: 100-150 accidents
- rain: 150-250 accidents
- severe weather: all hope is lost, don't even bother going outside (you can actually call in RAIN to work and not come in)

8. All residents of San Antonio orient themselves by the intersections of major streets, since there is no grid system. Asking a local for directions is usually useless unless you know where all the major streets are.

9. Like all spanish-colonial city planning, roads in San Antonio typically don't go where your destination is, and most of their origins started this way: If there was a boulder blocking someone's path, the path went around the boulder. 400 years later, that boulder is gone, but the path is called St. Mary's Street.

10. Like most places in Texas, streets change their names, sometimes as much as 5 to 6 times if you go through the whole length. ALSO, unlike most cities, San Antonio reuses the same name for multiple streets (e.g. Jones-Maltzberger Road).

11. Nobody in San Antonio calls a freeway by its anointed name. Use the road numbers when asking for directions (US 281, I-410, I-37, LP1604, FM1863), etc.

12. In Houston and Dallas the road adjacent to an expressway is called the Frontage Road or "Feeder" road. In San Antonio and Corpus Christi this is called the "Access" road and entrance and exit ramps are called "Access ramps."

13. If a freeway dives under or over a street, it is still called an "overpass".

14. In San Antonio, we like railroads and watching trains, so we built as few rail overpasses as possible so we can sit in traffic and watch the gravel trains rumble through residential neighborhoods.

____________________________________________________________
I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle.

[snizwilk 0]

"12. In Houston and Dallas the road adjacent to an expressway is called the Frontage Road or "Feeder" road. In San Antonio and Corpus Christi this is called the "Access" road and entrance and exit ramps are called "Access ramps." "

I've always been perplexed by this.

[flyingferret 0]

I call them Access roads and ramps everywhere.

But the rest is pretty ture based on my experience in SA. One of the most jacked up one way environments I have been in. Although downtown dallas is almost asbad.

--
All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI.

[Beerlight 0]

Yep, I know what ya mean. And I can't wait to move back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A little spot up in the Hill Country will be fine with me. And I miss good, really good, breakfast tacos!!!

Buck

[justinb138 0]

Quote

"12. In Houston and Dallas the road adjacent to an expressway is called the Frontage Road or "Feeder" road. In San Antonio and Corpus Christi this is called the "Access" road and entrance and exit ramps are called "Access ramps." "

I've always been perplexed by this.

Hmm.. I've never heard them called feeder roads here. I've heard the term "service" roads alot though.