When driving through the upper deck / lower deck split portion of 35, do you take the upper deck or the lower deck?

I'm an upper deck man, myself.

I was thinking about this today when I strangely found myself on the lower deck on a trip through that stretch of 35.

He drives I-35 in Austin AND rides an overpowered electric skateboard thingy. Surely Keegan has a death wish!!

I'm way too scaredy to drive Blood Alley in Austin.

Jim Crenshaw
Class of '65 and married to the world's most rabid "galvanized" Aggie

I like the danger of the lower deck myself, it's like shooting a rapid, except in a very expensive canoe, and the boulders move.

I used to always take the upper deck, but they've closed some entraces and exits on the lower deck over the last few years so it is not quite as exciting as it once was.

On the upper deck you still have to deal with traffic from the outer/slow lanes. Couple that improved traffic flow on the lower deck from closing the entraces/exits, and I've made the switch to the lower deck.

If the upper deck had been designed to draw traffic from the left hand lanes instead of the right, it would be a different discussion entirely.

I use Slo-Pac about 98% of the time but when I do use Die-35 I go the lower deck, especially going south because you don't have to merge over.

Lower deck for me

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I like the danger of the lower deck myself, it's like shooting a rapid, except in a very expensive canoe, and the boulders move.

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Good point.

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If the upper deck had been designed to draw traffic from the left hand lanes instead of the right, it would be a different discussion entirely.

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That would have been some crazy work at the junctions (since the lower deck was the existing freeway), but possibly better for through flow.

And I should add that I was somewhat disappointed when I moved to Austin in 2000 and discovered that they had extended the entrance ramps on the lower deck.

Lower deck every time.

Lower deck is fastest for me...

Usually the lower deck, because I have the option of getting off if there is a wreck or a slowdown.

Have to say though, it's crazy watching people making this very decision, usually at the last minute...usually they're going from lower to upper when this happens.

Anybody else do the horns down when they drive by?

I tried doing Hullabaloo on my car horn Saturday while driving by the Alamodome while droves of whorns were filtering in. I got no response.

I am a lower deck person myself, and agree they should have tried to find a way for the inside lanes to get the upper deck. In hindsight, they should also consider extending it from 183 to Ben White.

I consider that part of I-35 to be one of TxDOT's top ten worst ideas.

Upper Deck always. Don't know if it is faster but it is habit...

I always use the lower deck. "Upper deckers" are just plain mean although they are pretty funny.

Oh wait...you mean the split on I-35...my bad...

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I like the danger of the lower deck myself, it's like shooting a rapid, except in a very expensive canoe, and the boulders move.

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Thats funny and true.

I'm a lower deck man. It's waaaay faster. Everytime I take the upper, I get stuck going 55 mph and have nothing but a view of the hell hole on my right for about 2 minutes.

Hop on the lower, left lane, I go about 75.

I only use the lower deck. It's the only place where there are exits to my house.

Depends on where I am exiting. If it is 1st-15th street, definately upper deck. It is damn near impossible to get over from the lower deck without killing someone. If it is south of the river, then lower deck everytime.

For those of you new to Austin (within the last 5 years) you dont remember how scary the lower deck used to be. There are alot less ramps now than there used to be. And God forbid you had to enter the lower deck. You basically slammed on the gas and prayed there was no one coming. But there funny thing is, Austin drivers understood this and it worked. Dont try doing something like that in Houston!

I'm not from Austin but when I have been there I always end up on the lower deck wishing that I would have gone on the upper deck.

I guess that makes me a lower deck guy... sort of.

I usually used the upper deck. It seemed to go faster.

One Friday night about 8:30PM or so (it was dark), I was on my way to take my GF out and was on the upper deck, slightly behind and to the right of a truck carrying a king size mattress. The wind got under the mattress, stood it up on its end and then blew it off the truck. It bounced once on the guardrail and fell to the lower deck. I bet that was a mess.

Gig 'Em

I prefer the lower deck...more options to get off...

If I'm in a hurry, I usually take the lower deck because I worry about getting stuck on the upper deck due to an accident and not being able to get off.

If I'm not in a hurry, I'll take the upper deck and enjoy the view.

And, yes, I'll give a whorns down or think evil thoughts when I see my grad-school alma mater on the right side...

Upper always. I know driving the lower is now less dangerous, but old habits die hard.

upper deck all the way, especially since I exit 15th southbound and it has that sweet special lane you can only get on from the upper deck.

U D for me.

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For those of you new to Austin (within the last 5 years) you dont remember how scary the lower deck used to be. There are alot less ramps now than there used to be. And God forbid you had to enter the lower deck. You basically slammed on the gas and prayed there was no one coming. But there funny thing is, Austin drivers understood this and it worked.

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Exactly right about slamming the gas and just hoping ... worst thing in the world was punching the gas, getting halfway up the ramp (which was all of about 25 feet) and seeing a stupid Capital Metro bus that was perfectly willing to ram you into the wall and not give a second thought about it.

i tend to avoid I-35 during traffic hour anyways... so slow/fast doesn't seem to make a difference.

I like Upper deck because of the view.

Lower deck. Even with some of the exits closed, it is still an adventure.

How many of you remember the train crossing on the lower deck of I35?

Gig 'em Aggies!

I grew up in Austin and I remember (as a beginning driver) entering the lower deck was tough. Your pulse would race a bit because you weren't always sure that you wouldn't wreck.

When I come back home, I usually stay to the upper deck. It used to be quicker when I was younger (and I guess old habits die hard).

lower deck. if you stay on teh upper deck teh lanes start to become exit onlys and tends to move alot slower.

Mike, I am old enough to remember prior to the UD construction and I think the train crossing was in the vicinity of Hancock Shopping Center and where the original Academy used to be?

When I commuted through Austin in the late 80s, I used to enter the split with another car at generally the same speed. If I was on the LD, I would always wind up a few hundred feet ahead of the car that took the UD. Since I had a long commute, and was looking for any advantage to take the edge off of it, I would always take the LD.

If I recall, the Academy is still there (Max Gotchman, R.I.P.). Although, I am not sure if it still the orginal building. Wasn't it originally a quonset hut?

I don't remember if it was in a quonset hut or not. I do remember that it was a dump. All three of them were dumps (Ben White and Research locations as well). Apparently Gotchman did not believe in expending a lot of money on capital improvements.