Christmas Traffic: Dartmouth Mall vs. SouthCoast Marketplace

When it comes to the holidays, mall traffic is always a stressful affair.

It goes without saying that if you're reading this and you drive, at some point of your life you've been a vicitim of the holiday shopping traffic at the North Dartmouth Mall. Trust me, we've all been there. But have you experienced the building traffic the new SouthCoast Marketplace has formulated?

Over the last month or two, I recently joined the new Crunch Fitness in the SouthCoast Marketplace, and as much as I'm enjoying the gym, I'm not exactly thrilled with the bumper-to-bumper traffic getting in and out of the SouthCoast Marketplace. Even if I'm going to Kappy's or Market Basket, it's an absolute zoo, and this was during the summertime.

Now, Route 6 in Dartmouth usually gets a bit backed up around Chipotle as you're trying to turn into the mall, but on the opposite entrance where Panera is, you're lucky if you can make four light changes before turning into the shopping center. Traffic there backs up all the way to the I-195 ramps, causing road rage and obsessive honking. Whichever way you go, it's never easy around Christmas time.

Back to Fall River: for those who are unfamiliar with the SouthCoast Marketplace area, there is a back-way in (highly recommended for those who food shop at Market Basket), but taking that route isn't quite convenient to out-of-towners who are entering the city by 195. Speaking of which, that exit coming from 24 South to William S. Canning Blvd. is an absolute travesty. If you truly want to test the art of merging, give that exit a try. Guaranteed stress, honking, and a lot of waiting to reach a traffic light that's only 100 feet away.

Let's be honest, there's no fixing the amount of shoppers around this time of year, and the traffic is always going to be there. I'm just curious as to which area is worse, Dartmouth or Fall River.

Perhaps I'm at a "cross road" with this one--see what I did there?
https://discover.apester.com/media/5bfd658da1783463da88f7ab?src=link