Where Does New Jersey Rank Among Best & Worst Places To Drive In The Country?

Author Mike Anthony

October 17th, 2022 3:30 PM

What’s your commute like here in Jersey?  Or how much do you enjoy taking a road trip on the weekend along Route 80 or down the GSP?  Personally, I don’t think it’s too bad.  Don’t get me wrong, I do get a little more than frustrated headed to the beach, mid-summer, sitting in stand-still traffic, with my A.C. cranked as I listen to WDHA on my car radio. There’s no way to find that drive fun. However, Jersey is definitely not a terrible place to travel overall.

In fact, WalletHub just compiled its annual list of the worst cities to drive in and New Jersey cities didn’t make it high on that list. Only Jersey City and Newark came in as not that great to drive through. Obviously, they’re both congested and it can get irritating navigating around them. But they’re still not as bad as, Philadelphia, Detroit, Oakland, San Francisco, and Chicago which came in as the worst cities to drive in.

Why is Jersey not that tough to navigate through?  My theory is that we’re always on a mission.  Being so close to “the city”, whether NYC or Philly makes us a little more hurried and impatient. And I think that’s a good thing.  I’m not saying we should all exceed the speed limit and not follow traffic laws, just to get to where we’re headed quickly, but I think having a little hustle in our drive makes the flow of traffic a little easier.  No offense NY readers/listeners…..we love you, but man do you like to stay in the left lane, barely doing the speed limit without moving over for drivers to pass? And PA…..You guys drive as you have nowhere to get to. Again, that’s where I think a little sense of urgency is helpful.

Don’t get me wrong, does 80 West get jammed up with bumper-to-bumper traffic for miles?  Of course.  Or 287, Don’t get me started on how rough it is to handle the slowdowns at peak driving times.  And as previously mentioned, heading to the shore down the Garden State Parkway can be a daunting task in mid-July. But I think overall, we Jersey peeps have a little pep in our step and push the speed limit a bit to get where we need to go, and overall, that helps not slow everyone else up.  Also, when we are sitting at a red traffic light, you know you’re in Jersey, because once that changes to green, you’d better be accelerating or you’re getting honked at…..and maybe flipped off.

Again, I’m not saying driving like a maniac or being a rude jerk is a good way to handle being in the driver’s seat of a deadly weapon.  But, driving with just a little Jersey attitude could just be what helps make traveling our highways and side streets just a little easier than other cities.

How 19 Bands Moved On After Losing A Member

• Queen

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  When Freddie Mercury died in 1991, fans reasonably presumed that it meant that the band was over. And for a time, it was. Surviving members Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor performed with a parade of guest vocalists at a massive Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992. In the late ‘90s, May and Taylor began performing at special events with different singers (Deacon had retired from music by then). In 2004, May and Taylor hooked up with former Bad Company and Free singer Paul Rodgers, dubbing themselves “Queen + Paul Rodgers.” They recorded a new studio album and toured, parting ways amicably in 2009. A few years later, they hooked up with former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert, doing their first tour with him in 2012. Queen + Adam Lambert still headlines arenas and stadiums today, although it seems doubtful that they’ll ever release any new music. May and Taylor, sans Lambert, performed at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts.

• The Pretenders

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  They performed at the London Taylor Hawkins tribute concert; the lineup included founding singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers (with Dave Grohl sitting in on bass). But the band’s founding guitarist, James Honeyman-Scott, and their founding bassist, Pete Fardon, both died drug-related deaths in 1982. The pair played on the band’s 1980 self-titled debut and 1981’s Pretenders II. Hynde and Chambers soldiered on after that (and even Chambers left the band for a few years). At their 2005 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hynde quipped “I know the Pretenders have looked like a tribute band for the last twenty years, and actually, they are a tribute band.” She may feel that way, but even in their “tribute band” mode, they have released some classic songs, including “Back On The Chain Gang,” “My City Was Gone,” “2000 Miles,” “Middle of the Road,” “Show Me” and “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” to name a few.

• AC/DC

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  Few bands have rebounded from a death in the family as successfully as AC/DC. Frontman Bon Scott died in 1980. Brian Johnson joined the band shortly after, and by the end of the year, they released their best-selling album ever, 'Back In Black.' Interestingly, Johnson was one of the performers at the London Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, playing “Back In Black” (which, itself, is a tribute to Bon Scott), followed by a song from Bon’s era, “Let There Be Rock.”
• Metallica

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  Drummer Lars Ulrich performed with Brian Johnson and the Foo Fighters at the London Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert, and he surely could have given the Foos some advice. Of course, Metallica was just a few years into its career when they lost bass player Cliff Burton in a bus accident. They soon hired Jason Newstead, formerly of Flotsam & Jetsam, to replace him. Members of the band later admitted that they didn’t take enough time to grieve over the loss of their friend, and James Hetfield regretted the “hazing” that Newstead got when he joined.

• The Rolling Stones

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  Guitarist Brian Jones parted ways with the Rolling Stones in June of 1969, and they quickly replaced him with Mick Taylor. Jones died just weeks later, but the band had already moved on by then. In 1985, keyboardist Ian Stewart died of a heart attack. Stewart wasn’t an official member of the band. He was, however, a founding member; their manager Andrew Loog Oldham forced the Stones to fire him because he didn’t fit their image. However, he would play piano on most of their early albums and was their road manager and often played piano at their live shows. His death actually seemed to help the band to reunite: they hadn’t performed in four years when they got together to play a show in tribute to him. Not long after, they started working on their 'Steel Wheels' album. More recently, drummer Charlie Watts died. They had already hired Steve Jordan to fill in for the ailing Watts on an already-postponed tour when Watts passed. They’ve been playing with him ever since. Had Watts died during a period of inactivity, Mick and Keith may have called it a day. But since there were shows on the books, they soldiered forward and now seem pretty comfortable working with Jordan, even hinting that he may record with them.

• The Who

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  In 1978, their legendary drummer Keith Moon died. Soon after, Pete Townshend released a statement: "We are more determined than ever to carry on, and we want the spirit of the group to which Keith contributed so much to go on, although no human being can ever take his place." They soon welcomed former Faces drummer Kenney Jones and released two albums with him. The band effectively split up in 1983, reunited in 1985 for Live Aid, and that was the last time they ever performed with Jones. Zakk Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, has been their touring drummer since 1996.
• Led Zeppelin

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  In contrast to the Who, when Zep’s drummer John Bonham died in 1980, the band pretty quickly announced that they were breaking up. Surviving members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones have only performed together a handful of times since. They played mini-sets at Live Aid, at Atlantic Records’ 40th anniversary celebration in 1988, at Jason Bonham’s wedding in 1990, and at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. On December 10, 2007, Plant, Page and Jones played their only full concert since Zeppelin’s breakup, with Jason Bonham on drums. And it seems likely that it won’t happen again.

• Nirvana

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  Kurt Cobain’s death was the end for the band. Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic have performed Nirvana songs together for special occasions with different singers.

• INXS

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  Sometimes, you just can’t find the right person. INXS tried a bunch of singers, before turning to the reality show 'Rock Star' to find someone to replace the late Michael Hutchence, who died in 1997. In all, they had three different singers fill in for Hutchence over the years. In 2012, the band announced that they were retiring from the road.
• Lynyrd Skynyrd

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  After the 1977 plane crash that took the life of the band’s singer and leader Ronnie Van Zant, along with guitarist Steve Gaines, backing singer Cassie Gaines and members of the band’s crew, it appeared that Skynyrd’s days were done. A decade later, some of the surviving members reactivated the band for a tour. Ronnie’s younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, who already had started his solo career, was the new singer. Johnny has been leading the band (along with founding guitarist Gary Rossington) for 35 years.

• Def Leppard

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  Def Leppard are a famously tough band. They’d already endured drummer Rick Allen’s horrific 1984 accident which cost him his arm. But in 1991, guitarist Steve Clark died of an overdose. They eventually moved on by recruiting another guitar hero from the era: former Dio and Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell, who is still with the band today.

• Yes

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  The band has been known for its revolving door lineup, but the one constant has always been bass player Chris Squire, who co-founded Yes and was with them until his passing in 2015 (minus a few years off when they were broken up). Then, last year, drummer Alan White who joined in 1972 passed away as well. Guitarist Steve Howe is the only current member who was on their classic ‘70s albums. Yes is still touring but at this point, they play much smaller venues.
• The Beastie Boys

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  Adam Yauch’s passing marked the immediate end of the group. Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz collaborated on other projects, including 'The Beastie Boys Book,' a brief speaking tour to promote it and then a film based on that tour. They both cameoed on Public Enemy’s “Public Enemy Number Won” from their 2020 album, 'What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?' But no one expects to see the Beastie Boys reunite.

• The Red Hot Chili Peppers

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  Original guitarist Hillel Slovak’s death was devasting for the band. After he died, drummer Jack Irons quit, leaving Flea and Anthony Kiedis to figure out a path forward. Their rebirth was nothing short of stunning. After solidifying a new lineup with drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, they released ‘Mother’s Milk,’ a solid album. But the followup, 1991’s ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ made them superstars. Frusciante has since quit the band twice, but he rejoined a few years ago, and this summer, they headlined their first stadium tour.

• The Allman Brothers Band

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  Their lead guitarist and leader, Duane Allman, died in a motorcycle accident on October 29, 1971, just three albums into the band’s career. On November 11, 1972, bassist Berry Oakley died – also in a motorcycle accident, just three blocks from where Duane’s accident occurred. The band moved on with bassist Lamar Williams and keyboardist Chuck Leavell, but soon fizzled out. They reunited in ‘78, splitting up again in ‘82. But when they tried again in ‘89, it stuck and the Allmans were frequently on the road for more than two decades after that, before splitting up for good in 2014. The more recent deaths of drummer Butch Trucks and singer/keyboardist Gregg Allman, though, seem to signal that the band’s days are done.
• Alice In Chains

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  When singer Layne Staley died in 2002, the music world assumed that that would be the end of the band, and for a long time Alice In Chains was inactive. William DuVall was playing guitar and singing in Jerry Cantrell’s touring band and when they played Alice In Chains songs, something really clicked. A few years later, the band reunited with DuVall as their new singer. They’ve since released three albums and built up a respectable discography with the current lineup. “Check My Brain,” “Your Decision,” “Black Gives Way To Blue,” “Voices,” “Hollow,” “The One You Know” and “Never Fade” — to name a few – are great songs.

• Mother Love Bone

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  Singer Andrew Wood died soon after they finished their debut album, 1990’s 'Apple.' Supposedly, the band’s label offered them the opportunity to find a new singer and keep moving on, but the band decided to split up. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard eventually got back together though, forming Pearl Jam; they still occasionally perform MLB’s classic “Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns” in concert.

• Sublime

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  Frontman Bradley Nowell died right before the band’s breakthrough album, 'Sublime,' was released. Bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh worked together in different bands after that, but realized that Sublime tribute bands were pulling bigger crowds than they were. Eventually, they launched “Sublime with Rome” with singer/guitarist Rome Ramirez. Gaugh has since left the band, but Sublime’s legacy is so big that they still tour.
• Stone Temple Pilots

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  Scott Weiland had been replaced by Chester Bennington in 2013, after the band parted ways with the singer. After Bennington left, he was replaced by their current frontman, Jeff Gutt, who they’ve recorded two albums with.

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Author Mike Anthony

Category:

• 105.5 WDHA
• Local News

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New Jersey