I Love Colorado, But Driving Here Sucks

Then again, what do I know?

Let me start by saying that I'm just another one of those annoying transplants lousing up traffic and swiping up all of the real estate. Seriously though, I am SO happy to be here and love this state so much. In my almost 9 months of being here, we've met so many wonderful people, had some awesome outdoor adventures and can't wait to check out more this summer...but the worst part of that is going to be getting there because driving here is...well, it kinda sucks.

I know I'm not perfect behind the wheel, and I try my best, but sometimes I feel like there are a LOT of people that aren't even trying to do that, and it's pretty annoying.

It's not all about the actual drivers here. T

here are a few factors that I'm including in this, and while stupid drivers are a part of the equation, it's not the entire equation. These are simply personal observations and opinions and I think there may be a couple of things at least that we all can agree on that make driving in Colorado...well, let's just say less than stellar.

This is what I've come to notice in my almost 9 months of living here and my thoughts on why driving in Colorado sucks so bad...

1. Traffic and Infrastructure

There ALWAYS seem to be so many cars and trucks on the road (I know, I know, transplants like me have contributed to this problem exponentially) especially when heading to and from I-25. Don't even get me started on the disaster that is Harmony road at I-25 and HWY 34 at Centerra...speaking of which, that entire stretch of I-25 has been under construction for the entire time that I've been here and from what I have heard, for a LOT longer than that.

It's also frustrating when driving through Windsor, especially when it goes down to a single lane just before the light on 7th street. If you catch it at the wrong time, you're going to be stopped for a LONG time and there are certain times when simply trying to turn left from our radio station parking lot at 600 Main St, it can take me about 5 minutes even just to turn left onto Main Street. Big rigs, pedestrians who don't even bother to look before crossing the street, school zones and just a massive amount of people have made driving through beautiful Downtown Windsor a massive headache at times.

2. Everyone Drives Too Fast or Too Slow

Can we just meet in the middle? With most of the state having a 75 mph speed limit, I've noticed that most people actually go WAY over 75 and with many places having only two lanes each direction for the freeway, you have the people that want to go either 10 miles UNDER the speed limit in the right lane, or those who travel 10-20 miles OVER the speed limit in the passing lane. I have no problem with people flying by in the passing lane because after all...it's a passing lane.

Which brings me to my next problem I've noticed while driving on several roads, but especially HWY 34 between Greeley and Loveland in particular...something my show partner Maxx sees EVERYDAY on her drive to and from work.

Maxx says, quote: "I've never seen SOOO many people camp out in the left lane and steadily ride with the vehicle on their right".  She goes on to say: "I THOUGHT THE LEFT LANE WAS FOR PASSING!" Just a quick reminder, the left lane is for passing, so personally, if it's between someone flying past me or hanging out next to me in the left lane, I'll take the passerby.

3. Tailgating/Road Rage

I have noticed a LOT of drivers like to tailgate here...and have some anger management issues...and it ain't just me. According to Fox 31 Denver, a recent study shows that Colorado is one of the deadliest states for road rage violence. It's never a good idea to tailgate, but it's one thing to tailgate if I'm going 10 miles under the speed limit. If it's happening when I'm going the speed limit or even a little OVER the speed limit, NOT cool, and not to mention, it's extremely dangerous and causes way too many accidents. According to this article, we here in Colorado seem to have WAY too many of them.

4. I-25 

Nuff said...if at all possible, I try to get around having to be on the freeway, especially from Johnstown to Berthoud. This is awful anytime, but if you hit that sucker just right (or should I say just wrong) it's a massive headache and I highly recommend you keep our station on in your vehicle so we can keep you somewhat sane while the seemingly endless stop and go occurs. Watch out for knuckleheads like this too...

YouTube/ Scott Powell

5.Overcrowding

Colorado is and has been booming in population for years, and the roads have yet to catch up. This means that traffic has become a real issue, and something that I've found out the hard way...especially while trying to drive to the mountains on a sunny weekend....it's BRUTAL.

With crowding on the roadways, time constraints and overall life stress comes heated tempers and boredom, two things that can and have resulted in frustrated drivers and dangerous driving. I've made it a point to plan ahead as much as possible and eat right, because dealing with traffic stuff while hangry is not a good idea for ANYONE, especially me. Drink lots of water and take lots of deep breaths. It certainly won't help alleviate traffic but can help deal with it.

We live in a wonderful place and I am thrilled to be able to call Colorado home, even if driving here can suck...a LOT. There is so much more good here to be thankful for that outweighs all of the traffic problems and I'm grateful be a part of the NoCo community.

Thanks letting this stinkin' transplant vent a little. Be safe out there.