Why my gas mileage sucks. Big time.

[Peakster]

My gas mileage for the Geo:
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Quote from another thread:

Originally Posted by Peakster

I gave up on P&G months ago because Winnipeg traffic is all accelerate like hell to get through the green light and slam on the brakes when it turns red. People get angry when there's even a slight amount of coasting on the streets. 35-mpg is the price I pay (Instead of 60+mpg P&Ging).

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Peakster: that's what route selection is for

OMG MetroMPG. Don't even get me started. Winnipeg has the most revolting road infrastructure I've even seen in MY ENTIRE LIFE. Feel free to take a look at a map of Winnipeg on a map service for reference (it's hard to explain on an image of only 620x280 pixels).

winnipeg-map_zm.jpg Bottom arrow shows my dorm, top arrow shows where I want to get to.

1). This city has NO freeways. That's right. None. "Oh but we have Perimeter Highway" Winnipeggers say to me. Perimeter highway makes a circle outside of the urban area of Winnipeg. It has absolutely no use when I want to drive from my dorm to another location inside the city. Not only that, perimeter highway STILL HAS traffic lights on it! Imagine accelerating to highway speed only to hit the brakes for the changing light at the next intersection.

2.) There's these darn rivers in the way (with inadequate bridges)! Let me give you an example. Let's say I want to drive to WalMart from my dormitory. It's just across the river from campus. However the only feasible way to get there is to use Bishop Grandin Boulevard that crosses the river. This road is posted 80km/h and has traffic lights virtually every kilometre or so. So again, accelerate hard (because this road is loaded with traffic) and hit the brakes when the lights turn red.

What other option do I have? Umm... Nothing! Let's see, I could go up Pembina 'Highway' (posted 60km/h, everyone does 70, and once again tons of traffic and traffic lights) for about 7 kilometres, take Jubilee Ave, then go all the way down 7 kilometres (also with traffic doing 60-70, stop and go) to my destination. It's either that or go all the way down Pembina 'Highway' to Perimeter, drive arcoss the river there (only this is 100km/h traffic and another stop light at St. Mary's). Drive up St. Mary's and finally get to WalMart.

Bishop Grandin time: 15-50 minutes, depending on how murderous traffic is since this is one of the few crossings.
Perimeter time: 25-45 minutes (but way more distance travelled)
Jubilee time: never done, but probably over an hour in traffic.

Just to get to the closest Walmart.

A horrible example of how annoying these river crossings are is near downtown. The only way to get to the south end of the city from downtown is by taking 3 bridges that are spaced fairly far apart. Not only this but the roads are only 2 lanes in each direction, they all intersect each other at some point and they have NO centre turning lane! There's been a couple of times where I honestly went a walking distance of 15 minutes in 50 minutes of driving. Absolutely Hell.

So honestly MetroMPG, the LAST thing I'm worried about is hypermiling techniques when driving in 'Winterpeg'. It aches me to even remind myself I'm going back there in January *pulls out hair* - *worships the city of Regina*.

[MetroMPG]

Winnipeg traffic - you make it sound like LA... but with snow!

So perhaps you don't have good route options. What about time of travel options? Do you have to go to Walmart at rush hour? Not trying to antagonize, but you're making it sound like every time you go out, it's in peak traffic! I've driven in Winnipeg a few times, and even I know it's not always packed

I'd put time of travel above route selection as a tactic. If the road isn't packed, it gives you a lot more flexibility in driving style.

[Peakster]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Winnipeg traffic - you make it sound like LA... but with snow!

Oh I've been on busy roads like the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and even it's manageable compared to some major thoroughfares in Winnipeg

...you're making it sound like every time you go out, it's in peak traffic! I've driven in Winnipeg a few times, and even I know it's not always packed

It always seems like peak traffic during daylight hours in the south end of the city. When a large portion of the driving population is forced to use few and far between arterial roads, the number of automobiles piles up. There are some major roads, such as annoying Osborne Street, that I refuse to drive though unless it's 2-5 am.

Oh, don't you worry. When I get my new videocamera this Christmas, I'll make some time lapse video blogs while driving and post them on YouTube so you can see for yourselves!

[metroschultz]

2-5 am thats when i get home from work. Thankfully i don't have the road or time of travel probs you are talking about. This, however is the why that people here on the mid Atlantic coast don't even try to save fuel. My route to work is , now, almost a straight shot for 13.9 miles. I leave home in the afternoon @ 1:45p.m. and leave work in the a.m. between 1:15 and 3:15.


I must need to buy a camera so I can get pictures of whats going on in my driveway and post 'em for youse guyse.

[cfg83]

Peakster -

I'm realllllly lucky. I get to choose when I go in, so I drive off-peak. I am typically on the road anywhere between 9 and 11 AM, and going home some time after 7 PM. It's not the way some would like to live their lives, but I'm a night-owl, so it makes sense for me.

Happy 2008!

CarloSW2