It appears to be fairly good if you are on interstates all the way. But when your route includes two-lane roads, forget it. Yesterday, it said I should be able to make it from Amarillo to Boulder in 8 hours, but it took me 10. Lots of 2-lane roads.
Today, it was even worse. 2-lane roads made up half the trip, and Google said it should take me 11 hours and 8 minutes. It took me ten minutes shy of 16 hours! That's a 50% overrun!
Apparently, Google assumes you will drive the speed limit all the time. This is very unrealistic on 2-lane roads. It apparently does not account for traffic signals (in Denver and Boulder, they can be 3-5 minutes per cycle) or stop signs or having to slow down to make turns.
I also apparently does not incorporate construction, even though the construction shows up on Google maps, it apparently is not figured into the time. I-80, for example, was under construction (and it appeared on the traffic layer of Google maps), and the sign said it was part of Obama's recovery program and construction started in 2010 and will last through 2012. Speed limit for 20 miles was between 35 and 55, since they routed the west-bound traffic onto one of the eastbound lanes.
And even where the limit was 55, you can't do 55, because you get behind a slow-moving dump truck, or a cattle trailer, or a 92-year-old geezer who drives his RV at 30 mph, or some idiot hauling a pickup full of furniture and stuff doing 28 mph... and for miles and miles you can't pass ANYTHING, even with help from a laxative.
About 2/3rds of today's mileage was on 2-lane roads from the get-go. There were two construction stoppages (where you sit for 20 minutes waiting on the pilot car to bring a line of cars from the other end of the construction zone, down the 1-lane dirt track, before he leads you back through the construction dust). Plus, the road ran through Wyoming wilderness, and although the speed limit was 65 most of the way, it took me 5 hours to go 200 miles (averaging 40 mph thanks to getting behind slow-pokes and being unable to pass).
Bottom line: I spent 16 hours in the drivers seat today. I don't ever, EVER want to this again. So if you're using Google driving directions and the route includes construction or 2-lane roads, add 50% of the time to the estimate.
Did you know Buford Wyoming is the nation's smallest town? It is also the nation's highest town in altitude, too.
Here are some really interesting cliff faces in Wyoming just north of Rawlins. They were miles in the distance, but sure were interesting.
2 comments:
Very colorful commentary. It doesn't sound like you had much fun. But on the upside, sounds like the car performed like it should and you arrived safely. Be safe my friend.
Love the Buford WY sign.
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