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Texas routing help needed - please

Don't know if it was mentioned, but I-10 heading West from Downtown, you can use the HOV lane and avoid tolls.
 
No opinion on routing. You normally like to stay on the big roads to avoid the wild life (of all types) on these endurance rides , correct?

Aside from the need to hit the points designated on the map, yes. This ride will be primarily secondary roads other than after I leave Luling. At that point I'll be on the 130 and then the 35 most of the way to the hotel.
 
Duly noted.

From Needville, is there a reason I shouldn't just continue NW on Beasley-Needville Rd instead of going NE to 59 and then back W on 90? It looks like I can cross 59 at Beasley, then continue N on 1875 until I hit 90 and then go west to Eagle Lake and then NW to I-10.


That is correct, take 360 out of Needville, little dogleg to the right under 59 then left on 1875 to 90A. Out of Eagle Lake take 102 to Alleyton and I10.

Note: The underpass at 360 and 59 is fairly new and may not be in your GPS maps. In that case, your GPS may route you up to Beasly but you can go under 59 and skip the Beasly part of the route.
 
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Good morning all.

I just finished looking at the times/mileage for each of the stops, and using a very generous time allotment (in other words, NOT shaving off time) puts me at the Galveston stop at 9 pm, meaning that the majority of HEAVY Friday night commute traffic would have dissipated by then.


***** The difference in mileage and time (with light traffic) between Galveston to Katy via I-45 and I-10 compared to I-45 and the Tollway is negligible, so does anyone see a benefit in using the Tollway at 8-10 pm versus just staying on 45 up to 10? *****
I'm still open to either option.


Using my routing with generous time allotments puts me back at the hotel at 0530 with a DNF time of 0600 so I'll still be cutting it pretty tight. I know Texas traffic tends to move rather quickly on the big roads, but much of this will be secondaries until after I leave Galveston. I'll have to try to make time during daylight hours as best I can.


Fuel: I'll need to fuel either just prior to the Galveston stop or just after. Is gas on the Island priced about the same as on the Mainland?


Thanks for all the help everyone has given.
 
Don't know if it was mentioned, but I-10 heading West from Downtown, you can use the HOV lane and avoid tolls.

Yes, I was thinking about that this morning. One of the managed lanes is toll and the other is HOV. Use the marked HOV.

As for I10/Sam Houston or I10/45. I think it is a wash at that time of the night. The tollway is newer construction with better shoulders and I10 just west of loop 610 has been grooved to cut down on tire noise. The tollway is under construction at 288. Frankly, if you have a way to check the traffic then I'd let that be my guide.
 
Next set of questions:

I'm leaving the hotel in Allen (Dallas) at 6 am on a Friday. The maps have me routed south on the Sam Johnson N Central Expressway but I'm concerned about morning rush hour traffic through Dallas.

Is the George Bush Turnpike a better alternative? Take it to the 30 to the 635/20 and then down to the 45?


What does anyone know about the Turnpike? Will they also grab a photo of my plate and bill me like the 130 will?
 
yep the George Bush will grab your plate and bill you at least they do me when I chose to ride to Dallas instead of drive


That time of the morning that is what I would do, Our office is up in the Richardson/ Plano area just south of Allen and depending on what customers I am going to see that is what I do to get south of Dallas in the mornings
 
yep the George Bush will grab your plate and bill you at least they do me when I chose to ride to Dallas instead of drive


That time of the morning that is what I would do, Our office is up in the Richardson/ Plano area just south of Allen and depending on what customers I am going to see that is what I do to get south of Dallas in the mornings

Thank you. I think they also partner with EZTag, so if I'm correct on that they will just pull from that account, or if I'm wrong they'll bill from the plate info. Either way I'm good.
 
Well, you guys have fully convinced me to never go to Houston ever again.
 
Well, you guys have fully convinced me to never go to Houston ever again.

When I rode through last month on my way from San Diego to Jacksonville it was a piece of cake. I don't think I ever got below 55, and this was on a Saturday, probably between noon and 2 pm. I'd have to go back to check my tracker to be more specific.

BUT... having lived there, yes, I can attest to the nightmare of commuting within Houston.

The best time of my life was when i lived AND worked in The Woodlands. A ten minute commute, ability to drive home for lunch, it was wonderful. :sun:
 
Thank you. I think they also partner with EZTag, so if I'm correct on that they will just pull from that account, or if I'm wrong they'll bill from the plate info. Either way I'm good.

I know they take TXTAG I think I saw the EZTag logo as well.
 
Next set of questions:

I'm leaving the hotel in Allen (Dallas) at 6 am on a Friday. The maps have me routed south on the Sam Johnson N Central Expressway but I'm concerned about morning rush hour traffic through Dallas.

Is the George Bush Turnpike a better alternative? Take it to the 30 to the 635/20 and then down to the 45?


What does anyone know about the Turnpike? Will they also grab a photo of my plate and bill me like the 130 will?

I used to leave Plano quite often between 5:30 and 6:30 AM heading down central to downtown. My experience is that traffic flows fine on Central prior to 7AM. I don’t think the extra miles to loop around Bush/30/635 could be justified. Traffic would need to be much faster for the extra miles Not to cost time, and I think that unlikely. Traffic is usually lighter on a Friday as well - everybody sleeps in a little bit at the end of the week.
 
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Good morning all.

***** The difference in mileage and time (with light traffic) between Galveston to Katy via I-45 and I-10 compared to I-45 and the Tollway is negligible, so does anyone see a benefit in using the Tollway at 8-10 pm versus just staying on 45 up to 10? *****
I'm still open to either option.

.

Be aware that the Sam Houston Tollroad on the south side of Houston is under construction and widening. This weekend it is completely closed at Cullen and traffic is being diverted onto the 2 lane feeder. What a freaking mess. If you can avoid the beltway then I would do so. They are also working on tieing in 288 to the beltway so that could be a mess as well.

My only other concern would be I-45 between Galveston and the South beltway. The last time we were there it was under major construction and traffic was a complete mess. Someone who knows that part of 45 can fill you in on the current mess of rebuilding 45.
 
I used to leave Plano quite often between 5:30 and 6:30 AM heading down central to downtown. My experience is that traffic flows fine on Central prior to 7AM. I don’t think the extra miles to loop around Bush/30/635 could be justified. Traffic would need to be much faster for the extra miles Not to cost time, and I think that unlikely. Traffic is usually lighter on a Friday as well - everybody sleeps in a little bit at the end of the week.

Good feedback. Thanks. I'll have to check Waze as we're getting ready to leave the hotel and see if there are any hot spots going south that would cause me to decide to use the turnpike.

Of course, considering "rally luck" it will look clear and then just as soon as I pass the Turnpike there will be an accident ahead on the Expressway. :doh:

:mrgreen:
 
A bit late to inform you, but I-45 is under heavy construction from Dickinson to NASA Road 1 and you are guaranteed to stop several times in that 5 mile stretch - would probably take at least 30 minutes during Friday rush hours.
 
Be aware that the Sam Houston Tollroad on the south side of Houston is under construction and widening. This weekend it is completely closed at Cullen and traffic is being diverted onto the 2 lane feeder. What a freaking mess. If you can avoid the beltway then I would do so. They are also working on tieing in 288 to the beltway so that could be a mess as well.

My only other concern would be I-45 between Galveston and the South beltway. The last time we were there it was under major construction and traffic was a complete mess. Someone who knows that part of 45 can fill you in on the current mess of rebuilding 45.


Thanks. I did go to the Transtar pages and I don't see anything that would impact the tollroad that night other than some exit closures.
 
Good feedback. Thanks. I'll have to check Waze as we're getting ready to leave the hotel and see if there are any hot spots going south that would cause me to decide to use the turnpike.

Of course, considering "rally luck" it will look clear and then just as soon as I pass the Turnpike there will be an accident ahead on the Expressway. :doh:

:mrgreen:

Waze is a good strategy. I used it almost every drive around the metroplex.

There is a southbound HOV lane you can use on Central. The start moves around a bit due to construction; looks like it’s around Plano Parkway now. It runs to LBJ, where you take a ramp up and exit to the service drive, then renter the main lanes from the right just south of LBJ. It is a win if traffic is backed up in the mile or two prior to LBJ, but if traffic is moving it is best to stay in the left mainlane and motor on through.
 
...everybody sleeps in a little bit at the end of the week...

...but not on Sunday afternoon.
I just rolled in from a NE Texas twisty loop. Bumper to bumper southbound 45 at 1:00 pm from about Legacy to... the Equator. No construction or accidents, just a lot of stupid.
 
A bit late to inform you, but I-45 is under heavy construction from Dickinson to NASA Road 1 and you are guaranteed to stop several times in that 5 mile stretch - would probably take at least 30 minutes during Friday rush hours.

I don't anticipate being in that section until somewhere between 7 pm and 10 pm. According to TranStar they don't close down the lanes until 9 pm so hopefully I can get through before then.
 
Posted two hours ago... ugh...

44164436_10212154983819603_5172378807620861952_o.jpg
 
from the Storm Prediction Center
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/

Day 4-8 Convective Outlook
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1213 AM CDT Sun Oct 14 2018

Valid 171200Z - 221200Z

...DISCUSSION...
The threat for severe thunderstorms is negligible across the CONUS
during the Wed/D4 to Sun/D8 period. High pressure and a cold front
will shunt a moist, unstable air mass largely offshore by Thu/D5,
the exception being FL with the threat of a few convective showers.
Some low-level moisture return will occur during the Fri/D6 to
Sun/D8 period across southeast TX eastward along the northern Gulf
Coast, but winds aloft will remain weak there with an upper high
centered over the Gulf of Mexico.

..Jewell.. 10/14/2018

I'll be here (Chicago) at work starting tomorrow night (11-7) thru Saturday morning. I'll watch the thread and try to keep the weather updated for you if you would like.
 
Oct is the 2nd wettest month in texas, Sept is #1.

Did you get that undercarriage thing taken care of on your Goldwing ? Hard to imagine alligators in the desert:brainsnap
 
Oct is the 2nd wettest month in texas, Sept is #1.

Did you get that undercarriage thing taken care of on your Goldwing ? Hard to imagine alligators in the desert:brainsnap

October is the wettest in Arizona history since they began keeping records around 1886.

Yes, the lower cowling was replaced. I had asked him to keep the old one so I could hang it in my garage, but he forgot and tossed it...

:doh:
 
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