My daily commute takes me from Goodyear to downtown Phoenix.
The distance is roughly 15-20 miles. With traffic, I can make this trip in about 30 minutes. Without traffic, only 15-20 minutes.
I am a transplant from Washington State and have often made the 26 hour drive from up North, through Oregon, California, and back down to Arizona.
Comparably speaking, Arizonans who use Interstate 10 (Papago Freeway) have a lot to be thankful for.
First, drivers are free to use the carpool lane, except between the hours of 6-9 AM and 4-6 PM.
In Washington State, single occupancy vehicles are restricted from using the HOV lane during all hours. I believe this is also the case in Oregon and California.
Papago drivers also have more lane options than other states. For instance, Interstate 5 in Washington State only has 3-lanes in many of the areas that experience extremely heavy traffic congestion.
In addition, during peak traffic hours on the Papago Freeway, vehicles have the ability to exit the highway and use side streets.
Due to the grid-like road system in Arizona/Maricopa County, streets like McDowell and Van Buren run East-West for many miles. When traffic on the Papago Freeway comes to a crawl, I frequently exit and choose Van Buren street for a less congested option.
In Washington State, there really are no other options. If traffic on Interstate 5 comes to a halt, then you're usually stuck there for hours.
The Papago Freeway and grid system makes getting from point A to point B much less stressful than other major highway systems. read more