I think this is a good idea, but the Southwest Trafficway has a lot of lights and does not move very quickly from my experience. With the Paseo Bridge reopened, taking 35 through downtown isn't that bad. US 71 is a beautiful ride to about US 56, then things get a bit dicey with the traffic lights at 55th, 59th and Gregory. I think you could feasibly do just fine taking US 71 and then turing right on Gregory and taking that to Ward Parkway. This will help you avoid the Plaza which can be crazy depending on the day or the time of day you hit it. Its also (essentially) less time on surface roads. If you don't mind the few lights on US 71 or the few lights on Gregory, its worth it from my experience. I've used US 71 a few times during near peak hours and did not see that much traffic compared to other freeways in the area. Also, I-435 on the east side is mostly 2 or 3 lanes, so you want to avoid it at all costs.
Whenever I go back there, I notice the traffic on I-435 just getting worse and worse, all the way from the Triangle west into Kansas.
Southwest Trafficway to Ward Parkway is actually a pretty good idea. Yes, there are traffic lights, but they're synchronized and you can do a steady 35 mph (the legal limit) at the very least. It also means you don't have to cut across on 75th. Last month, I was on that route just before 5 o'clock on a weekday and it moved along just fine. Watch out for Meyer Circle, though.
I've preferred the State Line Road entrance to the Ward Parkway center, but it's changed a lot in recent years, so that experience is probably no longer valid.
-- Mark Roberts - Oakland, CA - NO HTML MAIL Permission to archive this article in any form is hereby explicitly denied.
