You know that bubbling dread you feel as you approach bumper to bumper traffic … or that anxiety and frustration as an aggressive driver cuts you off? It’s safe to say most drivers have unfortunately felt those irritations at one point or another. For writer Mixee Vang of Sun Prairie, nothing brings those emotions out quite like driving on Madison’s notorious Beltline during rush hour.
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We have all heard the joke. Wisconsin has two seasons — winter and road construction. Master driving in these two environments and you can pretty much handle anything life throws at you. If you’re in the Madison area, managing the infamous Beltline during busy times is an achievement all its own. I have driven in some of the largest, busiest and most congested cities in the United States. I’ve navigated L.A. traffic, taking literally hours to simply drive across town. I’ve sped down Chicago highways going 20 over the limit, and I was still the slowest moving car. I’ve survived Dallas freeways, connections and confusion, where your risk of an automobile accident is almost 50 times greater than the national average.
But, I bet if you took drivers from any of those cities and plopped them on the Beltline, they’d likely tell you driving the Beltline during rush hour is an experience like no other.
I absolutely love the Madison area. I came here after high school to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and I never left. But I’ve always marveled at how we thought building a city on an isthmus was a good idea. If you’re on the edge of one side of town, you either maneuver your way through the isthmus, or find your way up, down and around the city to reach the other side.
No matter which way you choose, you’re crossing bridges, bodies of water, ascending hills and descending valleys and winding your way through narrow streets and neighborhoods. The Beltline is one major thoroughfare, and it has become a lifeline for navigating the city.
Find yourself on the Beltline during the busy hours and you may actually spend more time on the road than if you had just waited for a less busy traffic period. And chances are, you likely would have arrived at the same time. I’m awed when I read the huge electronic traffic signs hovering over or on the side of the road and see that the estimated time to my exit is much longer than if I were to simply get out of my car and walk to my destination.
Now, I don’t even look at my approximate arrival times. I only read the signs for their witty safety messages. At times, I have actually exited the Beltline and re-entered, improving my position in the line by maybe a couple of cars. No, it didn’t actually equate to any time saved, but it did make me feel like I had some control and was making progress.
Don’t get me wrong. Driving the Beltline can provide quite a bit of entertainment and people watching. One of my all-time favorites is seeing someone angrily and dangerously speed ahead, only to find us at the exact same spot together a few moments later. Nothing was accomplished but the consumption of a bunch of fuel. Another interesting situation … the lane that you’re not in, always seems to be moving faster than your lane — until you move into it, of course.
What is it that makes navigating the infamous Beltline so remarkable, so frustrating and so difficult? Is it the toll that harsh Wisconsin winters take on the roads? Is it that some — or most — of it seems to always be under construction and causing delays? Or, maybe it’s the diverse mix of drivers, all with unique, inconsistent and unpredictable driving styles.
Whatever the reason, to truly understand, you’ll need to experience what this chaotic highway is all about yourself. Grab your keys and take a drive on the Beltline during its busiest time of the day.
