There are lots of us who drive to Pardaugava from downtown Riga and back to the downtown over Daugava river every day. Some are sitting through traffic jams during the morning and evening rush hours, others - manage to get over in more free from traffic time. A common issue for all car drivers, as well as those using public transportation, is how to reach the destination quicker, avoiding the traffic jams. Which bridge to choose - Cable-Stayed, Stone Bridge or Islands Bridge? Maybe a train, using the Railway bridge? Or the roundway, over the Riga HES?

Answers to these questions will be different in each case, of course - depending on the situation, your route’s starting point and destination. But anyways, I will try to paint an approximate picture of what goes up daily on the bridges of Riga…

Cable-Stayed Bridge (Vanshu)

My fave. And not just because it’s a face of this blog ;) My observations show that it’s very convenient if you’re heading West, to Pardaugava. Well not if you’re using Valdemara street to get on it - there’s a dense traffic every day. Use the riverside to get on the bridge and you’ll be alright. Traffic jams happen there too, but what I gotta tell you is that in Riga, they’re almost everywhere so if you don’t manage to get past them, don’t hold me responsible. One thing’s for sure though - Cable-Stayed Bridge Eastward bound is a bad idea. Be it morning or afternoon, there’s a bumper-to-bumper situation on there. The most right lane will have some room to breathe, as it is a right turn only lane. You can try taking it and then, if you’re in a real hurry, kindly ask someone to let you in the neiboring lane, or just exit to the riverside, from where connect to Elizabeth street or January 13th. So, besides this right lane, the traffic is rather slow (sometimes even from the Press House) and it seems that people are just enjoying the Old Town skyline, beautifulness of the President’s Palace and the Daugava. No doubt, the view while you drive is amazing - Hansabank’s Sun House on one side and Riga in all its glory on another, but if you want to get there quicker, I would suggest to choose another way to the downtown.

Stone Bridge (Akmens)

This bridge is situated between the Cable-Stayed and Islands bridges and it’s also like such a golden middle in terms of traffic jams. It seems to be appropriate in both directions and if you choose it during the rush hour, you’re likely to get to the other side of the river quicker. There can be some difficulties when getting on the bridge while Westward bound, but once you’re on, the traffic is ok. It’s also ok when heading Eastward, so instead of suffering through Cable-Stayed, you best take the Stone one. I have noticed a lot of times that by choosing this route, you can get to the city faster.

Islands Bridge (Salu)

I used to live in Ziepniekkalns which is right over the Islands, and now when I drive to Turiba I often take this bridge. Only that lately, I am not kind of excited by it. The average speed here will be higher (the limit is 70 kmh, you roll a bit faster in the left lane usually), but with all the speed you are gonna have a bumper-to-bumper frozen traffic Westward in the afternoon, especially at the exit to Monks Island (Mukusala), and a pretty packed jam in the morning downtown bound at the Lachplesha street junction.

…In all the cases, one thing is very important - I call it “Smart Lane Switching”. There’s a possibility to predict, in many places, which lane at what moment is going faster, and take it. Of course, without causing any emergency near-accident situations and not shamelessly getting in front of somebody (hey, I’m not a marshrutka driver!), but just when there is such opportunity kindly switch to the neighboring lane. You can’t forget also to flash your emergency lights to the vehicle left behind you.

But if you are not driving and using the public transportation, then usually there’s not much of a choice which bridge to choose when getting over the river. You will choose the most convenient route with no changes which is gonna bring you right to the destination, correct? I can advise to use the train more if it fits your route -  there are no traffic jams on the Railway Bridge =)

Avoiding the traffic by means of Riga HES might seem attactive to those having some business on the South side of the town, meaning Zemgales and Latgales districts, or maybe even Vidzemes. Sure, the fuel gets consumpted more, but the precious time is being saved.

So, I wish y’all luck fighting the traffic jams getting over the river, and let’s wait for a new wonder - named Southern Bridge, which promises to ease our life in the clouds of exhaust gases.

A presentation of brand new WRX Subarus with blue police lights under the grill took place today. Who would those need? Kinda interesting.

The Highway Patrol’s move is surely clever. And there are gonna be some “low IQ drivers” detained. But what about the high-speed chase? Given our roads condition?

I don’t know how it goes down in Cobra series - have never watched, but there’s no doubt that on Autobahns made for high-speed traffic, chase is way different. In Latvia, it can turn out to be a pitiful experience..

Hopefully the Silver Bullets’ drivers will prove they got “higher IQ”.

And yes, cops love us. Nice Valentine’s Day gift.

I see people getting crazy over Riga’s public transportation fare price rise. Now it has reached an astonishing limit of 40 santims (just over half a euro). How silly.

I know, other Latvian cities are still to catch up. I heard Vilnius, Lithuania buses are still cheap. But hey, this is something you can’t really stop. Inflation.

Everybody and their mama are dealing with inflation these days. If you live somewhere near Riga you must have felt the impact on your own butt. That’s why if you’re a company, you will not go out and spend more than you earn, right?

That’s just what Riga Transportation Authority does, it’s time they do the move.

Other issue is that I hear people consider dumb that if you ain’t got a ticket on boarding the tram (with no conductor), the ticket will be sold by driver for an impressive investment of 50 santims. Damn, I mean, that’s just 10 cents more! If you forgot to get a tick from a newsstand or whatever, then be ready to pay a lil bit extra, won’t ya? And it’s not the double price after all.

Such practice is employed in many cities around the world and as far as I know and been traveling, I don’t remember locals whinin’ and cryin’ over such type of ish.

Yes, the majority of Rigans are poor and can’t take it - you know everything but the salaries has been going uphill lately. I must confess I been suffering from the big “I” too, still some bills overdue.

But even being an every day car driver myself, having felt the gas price rise, I still consider inflation as something normal and see it as a process of developing. And a motivation to earn more.

So, hopefully, no one gets hurt or left without dinner after such New Year gift.

Have a nice time battling controllers like in Good Ol’ Soviet times, after riding with ticket handed by another passenger on exit.

Sike.

Valsts svētki Latvijā, šķiet, pagāja mierīgi, daudzi apciemojuši radus, draugus un atgriezušies mājās.

Štatos tagad tuvojas viens riktīgs holiday - Thanksgiving week-end, kad arī pieņemts doties ciemos (pie tam parasti kaut kur tālu, nevis pie kaimiņa uz šņabja glāzi). Un tā visi ceļo no štata uz štatu, lai tikai nobaudītu, cik garšīgs ir māsīcas vīratēva tantes cepts tītars.

Nu jā, tās četras brīvdienas tak ir lietderīgi jāizmanto! Es tikai brīnos, ja tāda braukāšana sāktos pie mums, kas notiktu uz ceļiem / dzelzceļa stacijām / autoostām.. Lidostām? Diez kad (vai) līdz tam brīdim maz nodzīvosim.

Vārdu sakot, ASV skaitļi runā paši par sevi: 39 miljoni ceļotāju ir devušies ceļā - jau šodien! Wow. Es gribēju pateikt, dzīvojot Rīgā, nevaru pat iedomāties. Laikam tur valda reāls bardaks. Kā raksta USA Today gan, ir tīri normāli - arī lidostas tiek galā ar cilvēku pieplūdumu.

Atliek tikai novēlēt Happy Thanksgiving, kuram tas kaut ko izsaka.

I’m ghost.

Ja tev nav gadījies pārsniegt atļauto ātrumu, tad droši vien tu esi braucis kaut kur Nepālā, kur ātruma ierobežojumi vienkārši NAV =)

Gadās jau visādi šoferi - ir tādi, kas steidzas un ātrumu pārkāpj tīšām, agresīvi apdzenot, parkārtojoties no joslas uz joslu. Bet ir tādi, kas vienkārši aizdomājušies, nedaudz pielikuši pedāli grīdā iekš dzīvojamās zonas, močījot uz 21 kmh.

Lai nu kā būtu, tāpēc arī eksistē zaļie vīriņi ar fēniem, kas slēpjas krūmos, vai tagad jau modernākie Hyundai, Volvo un whatever vēl cita veida auto mēsli, aprīkoti ar iebūvētiem radariem. Ir kāds redzējis radaru? Radio Detection (vai Direction, kā mācīja Asaris kādreiz Jūrskolā) and Ranging. Radars. Jā, bet kas tam kopīgs ar ierīci, ko veikli izmanto mūsu brašie likuma sargi? Un kāds no tā tolks, ja bieži nākas dzirdēt, ka autovadītājus apčakarē, uzrādot tiem nepareizu ātrumu uz radara displeja - protams, lielāku, nekā pats šoferis ir piefiksējis uz sava auto spidometra. Vairākums, tomēr, izlemj nomaksāt sodu, nekā tiesāties, it īpaši, mūsu L.R. tiesu sistēmā, bet vairāki tiesas darbi ir notikuši - ne visos gan pārkāpēji ir attaisnoti, bet varbūt tas ir tikai laika jautājums.

Jo tagad mums ir GPS. Та самая, Globālā pozicionēšanas sistēma. Kas, izrādās, ir ne tikai pietiekoši gudra, lai, savienojoties ar pavadoņiem, parādīt mums īsāko ceļu līdz, piemēram, līdz šim nezināmajai Zvaigznāja gatvei, bet arī nomērīt ātrumu, ar kuru pārvietojas mūsu vadītais auto.

Iepazīstieties ar bijušo šerifu no Kalifornijas Rodžeru Rūdu. Kā vēsta CNN, džeks ir uzinstalējis savam 17-gadīgam padēlam GPS ar iespēju uz emailu saņemt ziņojums, kad tīņa Celica pārsniedz senča uzstādīto ātruma limitu.

And guess what? Arī aiz okeāna ir gadījumi, kad “zaļie vīriņi” (vai tur viņi ir zilie?), kādai mašīnai tuvojoties, uziet pavisam nejēdzīgu ciparu uz fēna displeja. Mr. Rūds, protams, šokā - taisnībai jāuzvar! Un, apbruņojies ar izdrukām ar padēla auto ātrumu uz ceļa posma aizturēšanas brīdī, apņēmības pilns, vēršas ar prasību tiesā, gatavs pat sadabūt zinātniskos datus un ekspertu viedokļus..

Atliek tikai novēlēt viņam veiksmi un padomāt - var būt mēs varam izmantot tādu rīku, kā ga-pe-es, ātruma mērīšanā savam auto arī uz Latvijas ceļiem? Paturot prātā gan, ka apstrīdot Ceļu policijas lēmumu tiesā, izredzes uzvarēt būs minimālās.. Ja nu tikai cerot, ka zaļais vīriņš, kas jūs nofēnoja, neierādīsies uz tiesas sēdi ;-)

Pēdējā laikā TV*Netā tiek publicētas agresīvo autovadītāju bildes, kuras paši lasītāji arī iesūta - tādā veidā pazemojot tos, kas, steidzoties, pārkāpj noteikumus.

Stučīšana jau tā īsti nav - jo pēc LR likumdošanas tāpat nevar sodīt uz foto vai video pamata. Tā ir vienkārši tavu slikto darbu publiskošana, tāpēc arī minēju vārdu “pazemot”. Iedomājies, ka tu izdarīji ko sliktu - piemēram bērnu dārzā visi rāda ar pirkstu uz tevīm, skolā uz sienas var uzrakstīt “Vovka - durak, kurit tabak”, bet īstajā dzīvē tas pats Vovka jau ne tikai “spichki vorujet”, bet arī “devchjonok celujet”, tātad nemazām nav zaudētājs.

Sliktie puiši ir godā, pie tam arī var paspēt visur laikā, nevis sēdēt korķī stundām. Jā - gadās arī uzrauties, bet kas neriskē, tas nemāk dzīvot skaisti.

Wannabe-fotoreportieriem gan ieteicams daudz neriskēt ar savām kamerām, savādāk Rīgas autovadītāju agresivitāte var tikt vērsta arī pret viņiem. Kaut gan… Visiem jau gribās dzīvot skaisti =)