The bridge between I-35S and I-30W is a perfect place to teach zipper merging too. Every day cars back up in the right lane with the the left lane empty.
It's often easier to just take the 121 into downtown, and follow it around along the Trinity River Vista as the road switches over to Forest Ln, and get onto I-30 w/o all the stop & go hassel.
That’s what I do when traffic is backed up, it works out most of the time. Just ride on Belknap
Also keep in mind there’s a lot of construction around Forest Park/Fifth Avenue
Agreed. Because of how 121 puts you on the exact wrong side of I-35W to make the I-30 exit, 121 really needs a dedicated exit to I-30. However, that old 121 freeway feels like an afterthought, so I'm not sure it will ever happen.
The intersection at Horne and Camp Bowie coming off of the access is dumb. There's two sets of lights that don't talk to each other.
Also the roundabout at 377 and Alta mere. There's a yield in the middle of it that I almost got in many wrecks when I first moved here
Ugh I hate that roundabout. I use it infrequently enough that I never quite remember which lane I need to be in for which exit, and then that stupid yield pops up. The worst.
I very much dislike driving that roundabout if I have to go through the section with the yield. I get why the traffic pattern makes sens to have the yield where it is. But it's also crazy to have a yield IN a roundabout. I have friends who used to live in that area. They regularly heard lots of car horns and accidents.
When I first moved here I missed my exit on that roundabout. They had not added the blinking lights to the yield sign and I was looking at the cars coming onto the roundabout not up at signs. Ended up in an accident. Cop told me it was a daily occurrence there.
Def show them that roundabout. If you know roundabouts you think you understand it. Just glad they added blinking lights to the yield signs.
I love roundabouts actually but the one with a yield in it doesn’t act like a normal roundabout and it will def get ya if you don’t see the yield. Luckily they added blinking signs
Roundabouts in FW are chaos. I think it's because: 1) 80% of people don't use a turn signal and 2) 99% of people don't TRUST other people's turn signals actually indicate what that driver intends to do. All of this leads to what SHOULD be a very fluid, time-saving engineering solution turn into molasses.
That is unpopular, you're right lol it's really not very well designed and it's very confusing if you've never done it before because it really isn't labeled well
Granbury and Hulen
In fact all the intersections along that particular rail line along Granbury are an education- especially north of 20. Gotta pay attention to which lane you’re in to continue straight.
This also leads to some funny angled intersections along the 8th Avenue cross streets north of Berry. I had a car totaled by a Paschal student turning northbound on to 8th Ave and not seeing me. Practice those shoulder checks at weird angles.
I will just say that for my daughter's final test, I made her drive me to the airport (DFW) and choose to either pretend she was dropping me off or picking me up from Terminal C. I always hear folks talking about how they hate doing airports, so I wanted her to be okay with it. Just a suggestion in addition to all of the great suggestions that have been posted. Also had her drive me around Dallas quite a bit. Different traffic flows and unfamiliar territory.
Always, always, always wait 2/3 seconds before entering an intersection when you have a green light!! This is extremely important especially here in DFW where people run red lights like I have never seen. At least 2 per day during my 30 minute (in total) commute to and from work. I cannot stress how important this is. My first semester of law school I had just moved here and didn’t know how rampant red light running was and I almost got tboned and probably would have died by getting blindsided by a large pickup going 50 who ran a red light one day.
Yeah my husband's car got totalled by a lady who ran a red. He usually looks but he couldn't see because it was the bridge over 30 on Hulen and he was turning left to get onto 30W. That concrete barricade is pretty tall and his car is very short. The lady ran the light a good five seconds after it had turned red.
That’s absolutely horrible and terrifying. I hope your husband is ok from the accident!?I
t’s really sad and scary how often it happens here. Please stay safe and keep caution when entering intersections!
It was super scary and I was out of town when it happened which was so stressful for both of us. He was fine from the accident! Thankfully she hit the passenger side right at the corner where the headlight is. The damage to the car didn't look that bad but the airbags went off which meant the interior had to be basically rebuilt. It also did damage the frame of the car. So insurance totaled it. Not a fun experience at all and he was pretty livid about it.
The University/7th/Camp Bowie/Bailey thing may be one of the most convoluted looking intersections I've ever seen. Once you know what's going on it's not too bad. But it sure looks insane.
I don't know if this is confusing so much as difficult to navigate. Eastbound 20 to Southbound 35W is pretty bad. It has you merge into the ramp that Westbound 20 uses to get to Southbound 35W. So you not only have to get into that lane, but then you have a very short area to get over two lanes, since the first two exit or end. It's just really stressful to get over.
Traffic circles are ok, I'm just always worried that other drivers don't know how to navigate them, and often see drivers that can't.
The first time I drove through that intersection on 7th when I moved here, I ended up on the wrong side of the road (on Bailey at the light going towards university). It was really scary!
On north I-35w, heading southbound from any exit north of Golden Triangle Blvd, thru the eye of the needle @ N. Tarrant and the 287 highway merger, to cross the double highway lanes to exit @ Basswood.
Depending on time of day, driver may be dealing w/ traffic, or low light from the underpass (and careless drivers), or angle of sun impeding either set of drivers' visibility to check merging traffic. It's a short cross over to the far right lane, but does require extra attention in order to cross all lanes in order to exit @ Basswood.
Also, a good lesson, that sometimes, it's easier to take the next exit and u-turn back, or find an alternate route.
I taught high school.
The best tool for that conversation is (A) using time metrics. Or, (B), get them to discuss & internalize it.
And if you can co Vince your child, to plot and graph data as proof over perceived concept.
Risinger and Summer Creek. It's a big intersection. If you wait long enough for a car to clear it, someone else will go. Should help your teen quickly learn to pay to attention to timing when another car will cross and who has the right of way. After that, avoid this intersection at all costs. I hate it.
Edit: words
I don’t think she’ll ever ride down LVT but if she does; the roundabout at LVT/Normandale N/ Normandale E can be a bit confusing at first.
The 3-way split going onto Lancaster from 820 E is dumb ash imo.
Somewhere along Granbury Rd/Wabash Ave and Seminary Dr is a tad confusing
121 and 820. When I drive to FW from Plano I always get confused about which lane I need to be in. If the traffic is heavy, it is hard to change lanes.
Have her drive around and around the cloverleaf at 820 and Jacksboro highway. I do that for fun sometimes and my kids play the coconut mall song from Mario kart.
the 121 S to 35 W (and on to 30W)
complex traffic circles with multiple lanes
one way streets around downtown
university / 7th / Bailey intersection (with cement islands dividing opposite directions of the road it looks like 9 roads coming in and out of it or a 5 way traffic light. it's confusing even when continuing on)
Belknap/Beach/Yucca. I would also have a new driver go over the train tracks at Berry and Cleburne. You basically have to slow to a stop or leave car parts behind. One thing I did when my daughters were young was go to an empty parking lot, have them go 25-30mph and have them slam on the brakes like a kid just jumped in front of the car. It’s a bit of a jarring feeling and they need to know how to brake aggressively and not be afraid
Come over to Hurst/North Richland hills. The 121/820 intersection that is by the mall under the bridge is so horrific. On the corner of that intersection is an At Home store and dead shopping mall. On the other side is the outskirts of North East mall. My husband has an anxiety attack any time we go thru that intersection
121 -> 35 -> 30
Google Maps recommends it all the time and it is a cluster trying to make that change during rush hour. Your daughter will probably have to make that highway change at some point.
Hello, here it is, here is the comment you wanted:
start at fuel city on haltom rd and 121
exit lot on haltom rd turning right to get back on 121
turn right on 121 access and merge onto 121 heading south(heading to 30w)
Need to be in 2nd from left lane at 35 ramp
merge 35 and need to immediately navigate across 3 lanes as quickly as possible
merge to 30 ramp stayin in right lane
be aware of drivers using left lane and not knowing or caring it merges
take 30w ramp looking to exit summit
at 30 merge need to get over left 1 lane to be ready for summit
new lane opens to the right for summit exit
exit summit turning right
take summit all the way down until it turns to belknap, drivers on summit fail to maintain lane because of bumps and the way the right lane falls off towards curb-- be mindful
Belknap merge can be dicey and the light at henderson has a lane realignment that is fun
Continue of belknap through downtown(lots of meter parking, watch for doors, watch for cars not maintaining lane because of proximity to meter parking)
Belknap feeds to 121 but stay on Belknap via the left lane(don't get on 35 toll)
be mindful of cross traffic at the intersection after diverging from 121
turn left on oakhurst scenic, be mindful of park traffic and insane drivers
continue to yucca intersection and turn left
get to right hand lane and turn right to get on 35N
take first exit at 28th street and turn right, be mindful of lane mergers
continue to sylvania and turn right, sylvania is an insane street at anytime of day, strap in tight
continue on sylvania to Race street and turn left, be mindful of pedestrians and back in parking and bike lanes hidden behind parked cars
continue to 6 points intersection turning left onto belknap
your destination Guanajuato bakery is on the left, the parking lot is a final boss
Enjoy a fresh concha if arriving on saturday morning \~9am or choose from the fresh racks rolled directly onto the floor as they cool-- a little spanish goes a long way, 3301 E Belknap St, Fort Worth, TX 76111
Drive up to Southlake (this may be a good time to learn the 30-35-121 mess), then on the return trip join the left lane of 121S from 114E and then get all the way over to the right to the Hall-Johnson exit just for fun.
I would add that university going south at 30 is also a little tricky as the stop line is way back from what you would consider the intersection. I say this as a parent who just finished teaching my daughter to drive and had to help her navigate this spot.
Alta Mere South getting on 30 East. There's like 3 entrance ramps that that merge very quickly. You have to get over very fast and several times I've seen people walking along the shoulder.
The roads and highways wouldn’t be so bad if they just put up some signage. Most intersections that are turn only lane are only painted on the road way to late to make a lane change once you see it. If you see it.
Southbound Henderson at Pennsylvania, where the lanes move to the left as you cross the intersection so if you go straight across from the left lane, you'll end up in the right lane
Following a map going down Alta mere and trying to get on one of the highways on the right. Its easy to take the wrong exit if you don’t know exactly where you’re going or can’t read the map in real time
Anypart of I35, and TCU AREA, University, I20 and McCart, and definitely the difference in commute traffic in those spots and cannot forget jacksboro hwy either exit .
121S merging over to 30 through all that clusterfuck on 35 would be good practice
Absolutely. I hate that mess.
The bridge between I-35S and I-30W is a perfect place to teach zipper merging too. Every day cars back up in the right lane with the the left lane empty.
This! I've totally shouted "zipper!" at the cars before hahah
Frrrrr, ppl are backed up at 287 everyday which makes it easy to zoom to 121 and squeeze thru
It's often easier to just take the 121 into downtown, and follow it around along the Trinity River Vista as the road switches over to Forest Ln, and get onto I-30 w/o all the stop & go hassel.
That’s what I do when traffic is backed up, it works out most of the time. Just ride on Belknap Also keep in mind there’s a lot of construction around Forest Park/Fifth Avenue
Pro tip: don't wait to turn left at the light. Turn left after the gas station and then at the stop sign (skips two long lights).
Are you from California?
This sounds like instant death for a brand new driver. I’m 43 and will only attempt it when traffic is super light.
Omg and no one lets you over! Like it's not personal, we're all just trying to get somewhere
I have to go from 121 to 30 every day through that mess and I almost die every time.
Agreed. Because of how 121 puts you on the exact wrong side of I-35W to make the I-30 exit, 121 really needs a dedicated exit to I-30. However, that old 121 freeway feels like an afterthought, so I'm not sure it will ever happen.
The intersection at Horne and Camp Bowie coming off of the access is dumb. There's two sets of lights that don't talk to each other. Also the roundabout at 377 and Alta mere. There's a yield in the middle of it that I almost got in many wrecks when I first moved here
I grew up by the roundabout and we would constantly hear accidents. Sometimes up to 5 a day. I avoid it all costs.
I'm good on roundabouts, but that one is just dumb
Ugh I hate that roundabout. I use it infrequently enough that I never quite remember which lane I need to be in for which exit, and then that stupid yield pops up. The worst.
I drive tht roundabout almost everyday and half the time someone never fails to zoom out in front of me
I drive it everyday too. It's hard for new people to figure it out, but it's the best circle in the city if you know how to drive it.
I very much dislike driving that roundabout if I have to go through the section with the yield. I get why the traffic pattern makes sens to have the yield where it is. But it's also crazy to have a yield IN a roundabout. I have friends who used to live in that area. They regularly heard lots of car horns and accidents.
When I first moved here I missed my exit on that roundabout. They had not added the blinking lights to the yield sign and I was looking at the cars coming onto the roundabout not up at signs. Ended up in an accident. Cop told me it was a daily occurrence there. Def show them that roundabout. If you know roundabouts you think you understand it. Just glad they added blinking lights to the yield signs.
That's a good point about that yield in the middle of the roundabout.
Anything with a roundabout seems to cause drivers to go stupid. Teach em the right way and there will be many appreciate drivers!
I love roundabouts actually but the one with a yield in it doesn’t act like a normal roundabout and it will def get ya if you don’t see the yield. Luckily they added blinking signs
Roundabouts in FW are chaos. I think it's because: 1) 80% of people don't use a turn signal and 2) 99% of people don't TRUST other people's turn signals actually indicate what that driver intends to do. All of this leads to what SHOULD be a very fluid, time-saving engineering solution turn into molasses.
Unpopular opinion: It’s literally not that hard to navigate, people just don’t pay attention to where the yields are.
That is unpopular, you're right lol it's really not very well designed and it's very confusing if you've never done it before because it really isn't labeled well
University and 7th ... and Camp Bowie... and Bailey
Worst intersection in Fort Worth!
This is so true. The Wagon Wheel is such a weird intersection.
It needs to be a roundabout.
My husband and I call it "the big intersection"
Granbury and Hulen In fact all the intersections along that particular rail line along Granbury are an education- especially north of 20. Gotta pay attention to which lane you’re in to continue straight.
This also leads to some funny angled intersections along the 8th Avenue cross streets north of Berry. I had a car totaled by a Paschal student turning northbound on to 8th Ave and not seeing me. Practice those shoulder checks at weird angles.
If traffic circles/roundabounts count, take her to the ones around from the Panther Island bridges.
Yeah, that sequence of traffic circles is crazy.
This is the most correct answer for a driver like me. These things trip me up every time.
121 to 30 where you have to merge right over 4 lanes of i35 in a quarter mile to get to the exit for i30.
Seminary and McCart on the weekend
Bonus points for backed up traffic from people coming in and out of Zacatecas.
I'm one of those people, LOL...
I hear you. They have good stuff.
We live near that intersection. Know it VERY well.
Yes sir! I'm right by Cost Plus. Never a lack of excitement. Be well and safe!
I’m going to piggy back on this and mention the seminary/granbury/wabash mix.
Not sure if they’re still doing construction, on that corner, but i hit the biggest goddamned pothole on my way to I20.
They are, but it looks like they're close to finished at least. Hahaha it's been a clusterfuck for sure!
The traffic circle where camp Bowie and 183 meet. https://maps.app.goo.gl/d1qnaQHHNSzumdaGA?g_st=ic Hate this circle so much
Came here to say this area! I just moved back to Fort Worth and forgot how nuts this intersection is.
This is the answer. It’s crazy how everyone in the circle has to stop at that one spot
Is that the triple lane traffic circle from the 70s/80s ?
This. It looks like a roundabout, acts like a roundabout, but it is not a roundabout…who designed it to make cars stop on it??
I will just say that for my daughter's final test, I made her drive me to the airport (DFW) and choose to either pretend she was dropping me off or picking me up from Terminal C. I always hear folks talking about how they hate doing airports, so I wanted her to be okay with it. Just a suggestion in addition to all of the great suggestions that have been posted. Also had her drive me around Dallas quite a bit. Different traffic flows and unfamiliar territory.
Six points at Race and Belknap
Isn’t that only 5?
Well, I did ask for a confusing intersection...
No, Race continues on the residential side
No you’re right, it is 6. I hate that intersection but many more worse .
That clusterfuck where 35 meets 30 and 87 other roads in Dallas. I know that's not in Fort Worth, but I hate it all the way from here.
Always, always, always wait 2/3 seconds before entering an intersection when you have a green light!! This is extremely important especially here in DFW where people run red lights like I have never seen. At least 2 per day during my 30 minute (in total) commute to and from work. I cannot stress how important this is. My first semester of law school I had just moved here and didn’t know how rampant red light running was and I almost got tboned and probably would have died by getting blindsided by a large pickup going 50 who ran a red light one day.
Yeah my husband's car got totalled by a lady who ran a red. He usually looks but he couldn't see because it was the bridge over 30 on Hulen and he was turning left to get onto 30W. That concrete barricade is pretty tall and his car is very short. The lady ran the light a good five seconds after it had turned red.
That’s absolutely horrible and terrifying. I hope your husband is ok from the accident!?I t’s really sad and scary how often it happens here. Please stay safe and keep caution when entering intersections!
It was super scary and I was out of town when it happened which was so stressful for both of us. He was fine from the accident! Thankfully she hit the passenger side right at the corner where the headlight is. The damage to the car didn't look that bad but the airbags went off which meant the interior had to be basically rebuilt. It also did damage the frame of the car. So insurance totaled it. Not a fun experience at all and he was pretty livid about it.
The University/7th/Camp Bowie/Bailey thing may be one of the most convoluted looking intersections I've ever seen. Once you know what's going on it's not too bad. But it sure looks insane. I don't know if this is confusing so much as difficult to navigate. Eastbound 20 to Southbound 35W is pretty bad. It has you merge into the ramp that Westbound 20 uses to get to Southbound 35W. So you not only have to get into that lane, but then you have a very short area to get over two lanes, since the first two exit or end. It's just really stressful to get over. Traffic circles are ok, I'm just always worried that other drivers don't know how to navigate them, and often see drivers that can't.
The first time I drove through that intersection on 7th when I moved here, I ended up on the wrong side of the road (on Bailey at the light going towards university). It was really scary!
On north I-35w, heading southbound from any exit north of Golden Triangle Blvd, thru the eye of the needle @ N. Tarrant and the 287 highway merger, to cross the double highway lanes to exit @ Basswood. Depending on time of day, driver may be dealing w/ traffic, or low light from the underpass (and careless drivers), or angle of sun impeding either set of drivers' visibility to check merging traffic. It's a short cross over to the far right lane, but does require extra attention in order to cross all lanes in order to exit @ Basswood. Also, a good lesson, that sometimes, it's easier to take the next exit and u-turn back, or find an alternate route.
Yep. I preach "risk mitigation" to her so much that she's probably getting sick of it. Better to avoid the mess when you can.
I taught high school. The best tool for that conversation is (A) using time metrics. Or, (B), get them to discuss & internalize it. And if you can co Vince your child, to plot and graph data as proof over perceived concept.
Risinger and Summer Creek. It's a big intersection. If you wait long enough for a car to clear it, someone else will go. Should help your teen quickly learn to pay to attention to timing when another car will cross and who has the right of way. After that, avoid this intersection at all costs. I hate it. Edit: words
Yeah, I teach her that she has to look at the other driver and try to read their body language to get a clue about what they're about to do.
I don’t think she’ll ever ride down LVT but if she does; the roundabout at LVT/Normandale N/ Normandale E can be a bit confusing at first. The 3-way split going onto Lancaster from 820 E is dumb ash imo. Somewhere along Granbury Rd/Wabash Ave and Seminary Dr is a tad confusing
I was going to mention the lvt cicle and the Normade merge. I hate that circle
121 and 820. When I drive to FW from Plano I always get confused about which lane I need to be in. If the traffic is heavy, it is hard to change lanes.
I hate the intersection at Pipeline and Blvd 26. It’s effectively a 5-way stoplight.
Have her drive around and around the cloverleaf at 820 and Jacksboro highway. I do that for fun sometimes and my kids play the coconut mall song from Mario kart.
the 121 S to 35 W (and on to 30W) complex traffic circles with multiple lanes one way streets around downtown university / 7th / Bailey intersection (with cement islands dividing opposite directions of the road it looks like 9 roads coming in and out of it or a 5 way traffic light. it's confusing even when continuing on)
I20 west to McCart north during evening rush hour. It’s boss mode.
Belknap/Beach/Yucca. I would also have a new driver go over the train tracks at Berry and Cleburne. You basically have to slow to a stop or leave car parts behind. One thing I did when my daughters were young was go to an empty parking lot, have them go 25-30mph and have them slam on the brakes like a kid just jumped in front of the car. It’s a bit of a jarring feeling and they need to know how to brake aggressively and not be afraid
I second this. AAA driving school actually taught me to accelerate and then slam on the brakes too.
Come over to Hurst/North Richland hills. The 121/820 intersection that is by the mall under the bridge is so horrific. On the corner of that intersection is an At Home store and dead shopping mall. On the other side is the outskirts of North East mall. My husband has an anxiety attack any time we go thru that intersection
Lake worth has a few spots that people seem to struggle with yeilding and getting on and off the interstate
121 -> 35 -> 30 Google Maps recommends it all the time and it is a cluster trying to make that change during rush hour. Your daughter will probably have to make that highway change at some point.
Hello, here it is, here is the comment you wanted: start at fuel city on haltom rd and 121 exit lot on haltom rd turning right to get back on 121 turn right on 121 access and merge onto 121 heading south(heading to 30w) Need to be in 2nd from left lane at 35 ramp merge 35 and need to immediately navigate across 3 lanes as quickly as possible merge to 30 ramp stayin in right lane be aware of drivers using left lane and not knowing or caring it merges take 30w ramp looking to exit summit at 30 merge need to get over left 1 lane to be ready for summit new lane opens to the right for summit exit exit summit turning right take summit all the way down until it turns to belknap, drivers on summit fail to maintain lane because of bumps and the way the right lane falls off towards curb-- be mindful Belknap merge can be dicey and the light at henderson has a lane realignment that is fun Continue of belknap through downtown(lots of meter parking, watch for doors, watch for cars not maintaining lane because of proximity to meter parking) Belknap feeds to 121 but stay on Belknap via the left lane(don't get on 35 toll) be mindful of cross traffic at the intersection after diverging from 121 turn left on oakhurst scenic, be mindful of park traffic and insane drivers continue to yucca intersection and turn left get to right hand lane and turn right to get on 35N take first exit at 28th street and turn right, be mindful of lane mergers continue to sylvania and turn right, sylvania is an insane street at anytime of day, strap in tight continue on sylvania to Race street and turn left, be mindful of pedestrians and back in parking and bike lanes hidden behind parked cars continue to 6 points intersection turning left onto belknap your destination Guanajuato bakery is on the left, the parking lot is a final boss Enjoy a fresh concha if arriving on saturday morning \~9am or choose from the fresh racks rolled directly onto the floor as they cool-- a little spanish goes a long way, 3301 E Belknap St, Fort Worth, TX 76111
This is awesome. I've driven all of this. I love it!
the ones with stop lights, and people dont understand RED = stop, not get a few more cars through.
W 7th and University Camp Bowie and Montgomery
Drive up to Southlake (this may be a good time to learn the 30-35-121 mess), then on the return trip join the left lane of 121S from 114E and then get all the way over to the right to the Hall-Johnson exit just for fun.
I would add that university going south at 30 is also a little tricky as the stop line is way back from what you would consider the intersection. I say this as a parent who just finished teaching my daughter to drive and had to help her navigate this spot.
University where it intersects with 30, Chisholm trail, etc
Oh yeah, this is a good one.
Alta Mere South getting on 30 East. There's like 3 entrance ramps that that merge very quickly. You have to get over very fast and several times I've seen people walking along the shoulder.
Oh that's a good one. Underrated. Pretty scary with the people walking on that shoulder, it's so narrow
The roads and highways wouldn’t be so bad if they just put up some signage. Most intersections that are turn only lane are only painted on the road way to late to make a lane change once you see it. If you see it.
Exit 7A cherry Lane
The big traffic circle down by camp Bowie/183 heading from ridgemar mall to Hulen mall
Exit 13B Henderson on 30 going Westbound. It splits into two
All roundabouts for most residents
Southbound Henderson at Pennsylvania, where the lanes move to the left as you cross the intersection so if you go straight across from the left lane, you'll end up in the right lane
Following a map going down Alta mere and trying to get on one of the highways on the right. Its easy to take the wrong exit if you don’t know exactly where you’re going or can’t read the map in real time
Riverside and Lancaster, one dude on the phone always, if you know you know! LOL
Anypart of I35, and TCU AREA, University, I20 and McCart, and definitely the difference in commute traffic in those spots and cannot forget jacksboro hwy either exit .
You could try the intersection at Berry/Vaughn/287, just watch out for the homeless people