# Eclipse traffic **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650 "2017-08-14T17:51:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/101 "2017-08-17T17:04:47Z")
Rage, rage, road rage against the dying of the light. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/102 "2017-08-17T17:15:08Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > And for those thinking they’ll take the back roads:Google Maps and Waze are wildly inaccurate with BLM roads. Then the obvious alternative is to download BLM maps: > **[Maps | Bureau of Land Management](https://www.blm.gov/maps)** And note Dopers aren’t wimps! Didn’t you notice the thread in the last month about scary roads Dopers have traveled? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/103 "2017-08-17T18:08:55Z")
If you use BLM roads in The West … be sure to carry fire suppression equipment … axe, shovel and the like … ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/104 "2017-08-17T20:50:05Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I checked this morning to see if the Amtrak Coast Starlight train would be be a way to sneak into central Oregon from CA. No dice - all the trains are sold-out. Probably have been for a while. If memory serves the Starlight is a reservation-only train, and you always have to book early anyway. Trying to ascertain how early I _really_ need to be at San Diego International for my 12:25pm flight on Saturday, I asked Delta if they were expecting an uptick in traffic due to the eclipse, and they said no, not at all. And since they are the go-to airline for anyone wanting to fly to that part of the country, they ought to know. All the usual sources (airlines, airport authority etc.,) **say** I should be there at least two hours before departure, but come on. According to [iFly.com](http://iFly.com), late morning wait times, on average, haven’t been over a half hour for any of the past four Saturdays. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/105 "2017-08-17T21:15:18Z")
Portland airport is expecting large crowds - not record-breaking, but comparable to Thanksgiving. You probably don’t have to worry about extra time when flying in, but you’ll want to leave extra time for departure from airports near the path of totality. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/106 "2017-08-17T21:28:41Z")
Flight traffic into and out of Portland International should be set … the problem is getting to I-5 southbound … then the next problem is I-5 southbound … finally, the problem getting _off_ I-5 southbound … remember, don’t park in the medium please … ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/107 "2017-08-17T21:30:36Z")
On the bright side (well, dark side), if the wildfires produce enough smoke, eclipse glasses won’t be needed for viewing the partial phases. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/108 "2017-08-17T21:34:01Z")
I-95 in NC is really old and outdated and there are a lot of wrecks on it. And some of these wrecks shut down the entire road for 8 hours or more if the wreck is bad. If there is wreck on that highway Sunday or early Monday it will cause really bad traffic problems for people headed to eastern SC from up north. They setup detours for the wrecks but that is normally on 2 lane roads with stoplights. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/109 "2017-08-17T21:35:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the bright side (well, dark side), if the wildfires produce enough smoke, eclipse glasses won’t be needed for viewing the partial phases. Very true … ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/110 "2017-08-17T21:47:52Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Gas mileage truly sucks in traffic jams, so pretty soon people discover their range wasn’t what they thought it was. That’s one more reason to have an electric car. EV efficiency gets **better** when you drive slower, not worse. > [@snowthx](#): > > I checked this morning to see if the Amtrak Coast Starlight train would be be a way to sneak into central Oregon from CA. No dice - all the trains are sold-out. Probably have been for a while. My plan B was to take Amtrak from Eugene to Albany, but I checked six weeks ago and that train wasn’t sold out; it was outright **[canceled](https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&cid=1251654430473,1251654800644,1251655137457)**. They canceled the northbound train to make room for two trains coming south from Portland on the same track. I heard that the extra trains sold out in 48 hours. As of last week, there were still some bus seats available, but there’s no guarantee that the bus won’t be stationary for a couple hours. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/111 "2017-08-17T22:16:58Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > That’s one more reason to have an electric car. EV efficiency gets **better** when you drive slower, not worse. > … After sitting all but stationary in a gridlock with the AC running for five hours in the August sun your remaining range has increased how much? 🙂 Even ICE cars do OK at 20mph. Where it goes to hell is in stop and go that’s almost all stop. So the ICE idles or the electric’s computers tick over. Then it’s the air conditioner that eats the range for either. The last real hurricane evacuation from here had lots of just that. Once the interstate mostly froze solid from accidents, everybody just sat there running the AC until the folks lowest on gas ran out. At which point there was another crop of immovable obstacles out in the 140 mile long 1/4 mile wide parking lot. Then the hurricane came over. 'Twas a mighty mess. An electric would have been as vulnerable to that dumb error. That’s the worst part of this whole mess. Once you get enough people in one place, everyone is hostage to the dumbest least-mature decision-maker in the crowd. And/or the person with the rattiest jalopy. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/112 "2017-08-17T22:24:38Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > That’s one more reason to have an electric car. EV efficiency gets **better** when you drive slower, not worse. Even better, if your battery gets low, you can recharge it with the cigarette lighter. My mom fell and broke her hip, so I can’t go, and I just cancelled my hotel reservation for Sunday night in Eugene, OR (at Crossland Economy Studios, if anybody wants to jump on it). Seriously, I’m beginning to think that watching the traffic jam on TV might be as entertaining as watching the eclipse. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/113 "2017-08-17T22:40:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > After sitting all but stationary in a gridlock with the AC running for five hours in the August sun your remaining range has increased how much? 🙂 … [snip] Second half of August … 10:30 am is Eclipse time here in Oregon … maybe not jacket weather, but certainly long sleeved shirt weather … these late Summer/early Fall mornings get chilly around here … air conditioning won’t be needed … mid 50’s in the morning, perhaps breaking 80 by late afternoon … If you’re coming to Western Oregon … bring warm clothes … > [@TonySinclair](#): > > [snip] … I just cancelled my hotel reservation for Sunday night in Eugene, OR (at Crossland Economy Studios, if anybody wants to jump on it) … [snap] \ If you’re in Eugene Sunday evening, you may not see the eclipse Monday morning … maybe head out Marcola Rd out past Shotgun Park … but it’s doubtful \ ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/114 "2017-08-17T23:13:16Z")
Any Missouri residents wish to comment on what they think the traffic will be like? BTW, I think I may have located motel rooms within 100 miles of the eclipse zone, and sure hope I’m not going to be the only person who thinks they’re going to walk in on Sunday afternoon and check in. :o ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/115 "2017-08-17T23:38:04Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Any Missouri residents wish to comment on what they think the traffic will be like? BTW, I think I may have located motel rooms within 100 miles of the eclipse zone, and sure hope I’m not going to be the only person who thinks they’re going to walk in on Sunday afternoon and check in. :o Well… It’s gonna be hella crazy. Follow MoDOT KC District and NWDistrct on FB, maybe KCPD, Highway Patrol. Where are you trying to get to? Sent from my FRD-L04 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/116 "2017-08-18T00:01:12Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > \ If you’re in Eugene Sunday evening, you may not see the eclipse Monday morning … maybe head out Marcola Rd out past Shotgun Park … but it’s doubtful \ I was going to take 99 to Corvallis. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/117 "2017-08-18T01:04:47Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Second half of August … 10:30 am is Eclipse time here in Oregon … maybe not jacket weather, but certainly long sleeved shirt weather … these late Summer/early Fall mornings get chilly around here … air conditioning won’t be needed … mid 50’s in the morning, perhaps breaking 80 by late afternoon … > > If you’re coming to Western Oregon … bring warm clothes … > … OTOH, in the mid afternoon in Kansas City and all points east to the Atlantic coast the highs will be in the lower to mid 90s with just a wee touch 😃 of good 'ol fashioned Midwest or Southern humidity. Folks there \*will \*be running their AC. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/118 "2017-08-18T02:18:27Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Well… It’s gonna be hella crazy. > > Follow MoDOT KC District and NWDistrct on FB, maybe KCPD, Highway Patrol. Where are you trying to get to? > > Sent from my FRD-L04 using Tapatalk Hopefully eastern Missouri/St. Louis region. I used to live in that area and am familiar with the major roads. It’s the Quincy/Hannibal area where some rooms were still to be had, and not at inflated rates, as of yesterday. Kirksville does too; at least one hotel was sold out, but that might be as much the returning college students as it is the eclipse. My friends who are planning to tent camp are on the road as of today. :o ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/119 "2017-08-18T20:07:38Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I think most of the predictions about traffic and such are overblown hype. We get this everytime a potential disaster faces us (reference Y2K, for example). In actuality, what happens is no where nearly so gruesome. [It’s already started](http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/eclipse-Oregon-traffic-driving-Madras-Symbiosis-11942253.php?ipid=articlerecirc#photo-13838020) in Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650/120 "2017-08-18T20:17:50Z")
The US 26 issue was managment … police are on seen and have thing in better shape 99W was clear this morning … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650.md?page=7)