Your #protips on how to get around better + faster.

Compared to our surrounding, larger metropolitan cities, Cola’s not the worst place in the Southeast to commute. (We're no Atlanta.) If you live + work downtown, your “rush hour” drive is most likely well under twenty minutes.

...Unless you’re headed down Assembly St. and suddenly hear the blow of a looming train. (I’m cringing, too.) It’s terrible mornings like last week’s 100+ min. dead-stop on the tracks that you wish you had a handy little book full of ways to avoid this hot mess.

I’m here to bless you with a guide full of (maybe) secret Cola driving hacks that are tried + true – handed over from our Facebook, Twitter + Instagram followers to be shared with you.

Here are 9 problem areas + solutions for navigating them better.

1️⃣ Blossom St.

“The light that is at the intersection of Blossom and Main St. (Yoghut) is so slow and ALWAYS congested at high traffic times. Avoid Blossom during 8-9 a.m. hour and 4:30-6 p.m. hour.” –Sally Mobley

“Blossom street scares me.” –@rcarter315

Tip: Take Gervais, Rosewood, Wheat or back streets.

2️⃣ I-26 ➡ downtown

Trying to get to Five Points from I-26 can take forever.

Tip: “To get to Five Points from I-126 at 5 p.m., I find it better to go Elmwood/Bull/Gervais instead of Huger/Gervais or Huger/Blossom.” –Brent Riley

3️⃣ Malfunction Junction

Every Lexington/Irmo commuter’s worst nightmare.

Tip: “Side roads are key. Living on the Irmo side of town, but working downtown, I rely on Bush River Rd. to avoid the headache of Malfunction Junction!” –@kimberlydressler

4️⃣ Assembly St.

Here’s your trick to get around the train situation near Assembly St. 🚂

Tip: “If you get stuck by the train crossing Assembly, circle the Whaley-Main-Catawba block, there's a bridge over Whaley that lets you sneak under the train. 🚂” –@malleymo

5️⃣ Forest Acres

If you’re like me and rely on the GPS, you may not have figured out the less-congested side streets that run parallel to the main road. Want to get to Forest Acres faster?

Tip: “Take Trenholm instead of Forest Dr. if you’re headed to Forest Acres.” –@meagiemeag

6️⃣ Devine St.

It’s better to sneak around Five Points than fight through Harden St. traffic to get to Devine St. shops + restaurants.

Tip: “When trying to get further up Devine I take Pavilion + Lee streets to avoid the five points intersection (coming down Harden).” –@shadesofpinck

7️⃣ Elmwood Park ➡ Arsenal Hill

Get across town from Elmwood Park without taking Elmwood.

Tip: “Wayne Street under Elmwood to pass from Elmwood Park to Arsenal Hill. 🙌” –Courtney Nowak Khan

COLAtoday team tips:

8️⃣ Five Points ➡ Cottontown

If you’re going to Cottontown/North Main from the Five Points/Devine St. area, take Harden all the way down and turn left on Calhoun, which will take you up to Bull St.; then you’re just one block away from Elmwood – instead of taking Gervais + Bull, which can be super trafficky and annoying. –Chloe

9️⃣ Highway 378

For all the Lexington peeps, we know 378 is a nightmare pretty much 24/7 (but especially at 5 p.m., when you’re trying to get home). When you get off exit 61 for Lexington, turn right on Corley Mill Rd. + swerve that 378 traffic jam. It’ll bring you out by the dam, and then you can continue on your route home without the stop + go for 30 minutes. –Sam

All 28 comments:

Facebook

April Blake Nope, my sekrits.

Ashley Pullen Before I go ANYWHERE in Columbia during rush hour times I check Waze to see what the fastest route is. There have been a few times that it has taken me totally weird back ways but I get there faster and less traffic.

Aaron Shaw I know how to avoid every single train 😎, which back roads to take 😏.

Merritt McHaffie McNeely Hahahaha! Not publishing mine! Then everyone would know!! I have a secret route to Bolt's daycare that is the only way I get there on time!

Debi Medovic Luckily, I drive away from town in the am and toward town in the pm…

Bill Grant If I leave downtown before 4:00 it'll take 15 minutes to get to Irmo. If I leave at 4:05 it'll take 35.

Kelli Feathers Yesterday, it didn’t matter which way you went, traffic was awful everywhere! My 25 minute commute home took 70 minutes...Not fun!! 😝

Kim Simons Secret passages.

Christopher Maness Driving through Five Points avoids trains that slow down Rosewood, Assembly and Huger traffic.

Shivani Patel Pro tip: live downtown, work anywhere but downtown 🙌🏽

Daniel Andrews Live downtown. Work downtown 😂😂😂

Julie Bleakley Ballance Born and raised here, 61 yrs, not telling but could get anywhere during the flood

Brent Riley To get to Five Points from I-126 at 5:00, I find it better to go Elmwood/Bull/Gervais instead of Huger/Gervais or Huger/Blossom.

Chandler Oaks Degenhart Garnett Can't share those tips - then they wouldn't be the quickest routes anymore!

Courtney Nowak Khan Wayne Street under Elmwood to pass from Elmwood Park to Arsenal Hill. 🙌🏼

Julius Theodore Williams I know a way to avoid traffic. Get Commuter Rails already. :)

Twitter

@WPRawl Eating some kale with our meal or downing a green smoothie along the way keeps us fueled in case we get caught in the cola traffic

Instagram

Zackdjames My number 1 road hack is commuting by bicycle. It turns my 30 minute drive/park/walk commute into a 5 minute door step to doorway ride. One less car means one more parking spot, and less traffic for people who commute by car. It's a win/win.

Chelccamille 1. Always use Waze App! 2. When going to harbison to get around Melfunction junction, take the side roads that run parallel to the high way and then get back on 26 at St. Andrews where the traffic lightens up.

Shadesofpinck When trying to get further up Devine I take pavilion + lee street to avoid the five points intersection (coming down harden)

Scottfreedman Taking Wayne St to go underneath Elmwood! (if ya know ya know)

Amanda.s.hartfield 1. You don't have to memorize all the back roads; just know the parallel ones. Example: instead of taking Gervais, Bull, or Forest, I take streets that run parallel to those and then hop back on the busier street when I'm closest to my destination. 2. Downtown is just a grid. So even if you don't know you're way around all the side streets, you can maneuver around traffic by keeping that in mind. 3. In busy areas like the Vista, pick restaurants that offer parking (like Nonnah's, Panera, etc.) or offer complimentary valet (like Grill Marks, etc.). This saves you on the big "where to park" headache. Also, I'm surprised at the number of people who don't know you don't have to feed the parking meters after 6 PM or on weekends.

Malleymo If you get stuck by the train crossing assembly, circle the Whaley-Main-Catawba block, there's a bridge over Whaley that lets you sneak under the train. 🚂

Robertstukes Don't drive to Lexington from Columbia at 5 pm.

meagiemeagTake trenholm instead of Forest if you’re headed to FA. Take Sumter instead of Bull to get to Elmwood. Earlewood shortcut: Go all the way up Sumter, cross Elmwood, and turn left to get onto north main.

Kimberlydressler Side roads are key. Living on the Irmo side of town, but working downtown, I rely on Bush River road to avoid the headache of Malfunction Junction!

Rcarter315 Blossom street scares me so I take wheat

Direct Messages

The light that is at the intersection of Blossom and Main St. (Yoghut) is so slow and ALWAYS congested at high traffic times. Avoid Blossom during 8-9 hour and 4:30-6 hour. Take Gervais or Rosewood, or Back streets!!! Sometimes I get to Devine street from my apt 10x faster when I take the “Stop sign” route and not the stoplight route. So in the mornings when I want to go to Carolina Cafe, I take wheat and get on Sumter and just go up the hill straight to the Cafe rather than getting on main and driving alongside campus (I go inside campus instead) because pedestrians/traffic/lights are so bad. Also, a new thing (not so new at all) but like... pedestrians have the right away. And there’s so many new signs on campus now that say that because it was a huge issue, cars would zoom past and kids would be in danger, I was legit terrified I was gonna watch someone get flatlined. I almost always take Wheat st. And not blossom because less cars, maybe more people but I can usually avoid the traffic and high times, Also another thing... blocking the intersection is illegal. I cannot tell you how many times that blossom-main intersection is blocked, like if you can fit in ahead, don’t move. There are traffic laws for a reason. OMG I am passionate about it. Lolol sorry for the ramble. And TBH the scenic route is through the back roads. Rant over. –Sally Mobley (We hear you, girl.)

As Columbia continues to grow its population (and UofSC, its freshman class size), we’re only going to experience new traffic pain points, but there are different workarounds to consider before you lament our once-hidden gem of a city.

Ride the bus. Bike to work. Take turns carpooling with your co-workers. Use Waze navigation app to find a better route. Choose restaurants with valet or their own parking lots so you’re not driving in circles and missing the most important meal of the day – happy hour apps.

Keep calm + drive on,

– Beth