Traffic & Crossing, Moscow

Moscow's traffic is a nightmare. It looks like nobody really cares about speed limits or traffic rules.

Cars drive at almost full speed in the city centre, especially on the multi-lane bridges over the Moskva river

For pedestrians it is often very difficult and dangerous to cross the wide roads. Sometimes it is even better to consider taking another route, it could save your life!

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You never know how long it will take to go anywhere... especially on hollydays time - New Year time some people spend in Traffic jams 2-6 hrs. This year near Kremlin area drivers spent 2.3 hrs for 1 kilometer way.

Traffic jams paralysed Moscow complitely nowadays.

It is truely unbelievable how bad traffic is in Moscow. This makes public transportation a far more efficient option than driving. Budget extra time if you are required to take a car somewhere (i.e. airport).

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The longest underground road in Russia is the Lefortovo Tunnel, 1.4 miles long.
It is on the third ring road around Moscow.
Combined with the erratic behavior of many drivers, it is not a place to go unless you must.

Here is a clip from YouTube of why to be careful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fLW3OiH8OQ

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A most busy road intersections there are pedestrian subways, it's best to use these rather than risk crossing the roads. The odd times I had no choice I didn't feel safe even at the pedrestrian crossings, it may have been the 8 lanes of traffic coming towards me that looked like they had no intention of stopping. The metro stations are also ideal places to cross the roads, as well as being safe a lot of them have shops & some of the stations are attractions themselves.

As I was here in the middle of winter I expected snow. There was plenty on the ground. But it didnt snow while I was there.

This snow pack on the streets made the already maddening driving feel crazier because you couldnt see lines or lanes in the road. People just move where they feel like and if enough follow its a new lane.

I very much enjoyed being able to drive while I was here. Gave me a new outlook on traffic.

Moscow has some pretty busy roads and loads of traffic driving all over the place…fast. Many places that we went there were no pedestrian crossings….and we risked life and limb by running across 8 lanes of traffic….not very smart or safe.

It took us a while to notice these signs….and then realised they are everywhere – they show you were there are pedestrian subways under the roads.

A much safer option, and interesting as well, as many of these subways had shops in them, selling all sorts of items, from CDs & DVDs to clothing and food.

Everything you hear about Moscow traffic is true.
You don't even want to think about crossing a busy road above ground. Some of the roads are as wide as major highways and the drivers think they're on a racetrack. As for crosswalks -they're just an excuse to go faster.
Other traffic problems include monumental traffic jams. This is not such a problem for most tourists - you'll probably be using the metro to get around rather than being driven. If you are being escorted around by car however, these jams can seriously eat into the time you have to sightsee. If you can do so without causing offense, suggest you use the metro (you can always say it is on your list of Moscow "must-sees"). Otherwise you could end up spending a lot of your time smelling diesel fumes rather than the roses.

Please check your air ticket which airport you are supposed to take your flight. There are two (or more than two) airports in Moscow, Terminal I and II. Terminal I is for domestic flights, but be careful, the Russian has different defination for domestic and international, e.g. the flight to Belarus is regarded as domestic. Terminal II is for international. There is supposed tranfer shuttle, providing free transfer to passengers with ticket. But if you are new there, you will not be easy to find the shuttle, and then there will be men coming to you offering taxi with "offical price", i.e., 10 euro. But the two terminals are just about 500 m apart.

The traffic in Moscow is probably the biggest danger you'll face, whether in a car or on foot. Even if you spot the natives attempting to cross a road without a light, you're better off waiting until you find a proper crossing or an underground passageway. Those people risking the danger are far more familiar with the traffic at this location than you are. Better safe than sorry!