Long ago, clever transportation engineers came up with a brilliant idea: a long, angled lane from highway on-ramps which allows cars from arterial roads to accelerate and enter the freeway traffic, zippering in. It's commonly known as a "merge lane." Note: that's merge, not WEDGE.
Our freeways make the commute all the more painful because so many Washington drivers take it upon themselves to either thwart or abandon usage of this nifty invention. They either jam their front end into the first credit-card thin gap they find or crawl slowly, oh sooo slowly, beside the flow of traffic with the long lane vacant before them.
What's really fun is when they do this before a semi. Tractor-trailers make the commute interesting. It makes you think of the Lord of the Rings, the swarms of Orcs punctuated by stone trolls and canopied pachyderms... These lumbering, slow moving vehicles take longer to get going, and need a gap to move safely, but that doesn't prevent every subcompact luxury sedan on the road darting into the margin, knocking dead bugs off the trucks' grills as they maneuver. Then the trucker has to screechingly halt their forward momentum so as not to create a yuppie-flavored smear on the highway. The ripple effect slows us all down: simple fluid dynamics.
So here's an idea (somewhat tongue-in-cheek): why not give all the semi trucks unfettered usage of the HOV lanes? I expect it would barely interfere with the carpools or buses, it would provide an expressway for commercial vehicles, which might lower their fuel costs, thereby allowing better business nets, and it would take a major contributor to the stop-and-go traffic out of the way. Plus the carpools could ride in the slipstream, improving fuel economy.
Then we just have to deal with the cell-phone users in their 30-foot high SUVs.
Take a look at what's going on with SR16 from Tacoma to Gig Harbor over the new Narrows Bridge.
The freeway is currently 2 lanes in each direction. The lanes narrow significantly as the cross the, uh, Narrows Bridge. This slows traffic way down, and indeed there is a need for another span. So, rather that build a much wider bridge to really accomodate future needs at a minimal incremental cost, the new span is instead being built just wide enough to provide three new lanes in one direction, shoulders and a small lane for pedestrians and bicycles. The old span will then be convereted into three wider lanes with shoulders all going in the same direction. The only option for the future is a very expensive second deck to the underside of the new span.
Here's the kicker though, once all the new lanes are in place, the whole freeway will have HOV lanes in each direction from Gig Harbor to I-5 effectively bringing it all back to a two lane freeway in both directions, exactly as we have today, albeit with wider lanes and shoulders.
And, we get to pay billions and a nasty toll for the rest of eternity that will probably turn into yet another entitlement tax.
All this to service a small number of commuters who will carpool from bedroom communities on the penninsula into Tacoma and beyond. But mostly to be taken advantage of by soccer mom's with a few kids, or parents bringing their kids in to daycare near their work so they can take advantage of the HOV lane, which does nothing at all to reduce the number of cars.
HOV lanes are an environmentalist/ leftist/ statist/ Democrat invention that are in effect affirmative action for freeways and they should be banned nation wide.
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 29, 2005 12:38 PMSomeone said in a previous comment that allowing them to move over to the HOV lane would cause more disruption in the flow of traffic. My comment to that is we already have that problem with mass transit buses trying to get into the HOV lane. Besides most Semis are trying to get through the HOV lane corridor and not enter or exit in the middle.
Or we should just get rid of HOV lanes all together.
Posted by: M Leinweber on April 29, 2005 01:22 PMIf truckers built I-605, there would be less traffic on I-5 which would reduce the state's bill for road maintenance and lane expansion.
Posted by: Tim Ford on April 29, 2005 01:39 PMFrank
Posted by: Frank on April 29, 2005 01:40 PM/hint
Posted by: Bleeding heart conservative on April 29, 2005 01:43 PMThe fraud of HOV lanes can be seen every evening south bound on I5 between south center and S320th -- three freeways come together and the initial slowup is a combo of trucks going up the hill and various vehicles crossing several lanes of traffic to get to the HOV lane -- then almost immediately the next wave of slowdowns starts as the HOV lane vehicles - esp the commute buses start working their way back to the right side to make the various exits -- as soon as ya get to 320th -- it magically clears up -- what CRAP -- then the next biggest joke is the HOV lanes on the East side -- in Bellevue area -- first on this side and then on that side - back and forth - a horrendous amount of forced unneccessary lane changing -- and the other day I heard the 5 cent gas tax the Oly-craps stuck us with a couple years ago is mostly going to more HOV lanes -- duh and double duh
Posted by: Bill on April 29, 2005 01:46 PM"right side to make the various exits -- as soon as ya get to 320th -- it magically clears up -- what CRAP --"
I wonder if the nearly 1700 vehicles per hour, in the highest one hour period in the evening peak hour, that get off at the 320th southbound exit --about 25% of the volume the passes (again, southbound) under 320th overpass in the same 1 hour period -- has anything to do with the improvement in the operation of southbound I-5.... Naw... It's just "Magic".
Posted by: FlyingTigress on April 29, 2005 01:58 PM"Here's the kicker though, once all the new lanes are in place, the whole freeway will have HOV lanes in each direction from Gig Harbor to I-5 effectively bringing it all back to a two lane freeway in both directions, exactly as we have today, albeit with wider lanes and shoulders."
Are you suggesting that the TRB (Transportation Research Board) should come up with a revised set of capacity reduction factors for the lane capacity calculations in the next update to the Highway Capacity Manual? And that the lane width (for lanes less than 12 feet), roadway shoulder, and lateral distance to an obstruction (such as, say, a vehicle traveling in the opposing direction on the side of a 12 inch stripe -- rather than 6 feet or greater?) factors, should be eliminated -- since, apparently, the absence of shoulders, substandard lane widths, and negligible separation from an obstruction, no longer appear to have a quantifiable benefit to the capacity of a 'lane'?
Posted by: FlyingTigress on April 29, 2005 02:08 PMI believe that a lot of congestion can be cleared up if drivers just practice some basic common courtesy.
Here are a few problems that I see.
Merging:
It seems that most people get tunnel vision as they enter the freeway. If they would just look to their left and pace themselves accordingly they could easily fit into a spot. Conversely if you are traveling in the right lane it would behoove you to keep plenty of space between you and the car in front of you so that the car merging can fit into said space. And always use your turn signal at least 15 seconds before you change lanes.
Proper Spacing:
For some reason people think that if there is an empty space in front of you it is imperative that it is filled, and if you don’t fill it they will pass you and fill it themselves. Then they proceed to tailgate the person in front of them. Having at least one car length of space in front provides what I call a “Braking Buffer” zone. If the person in front of me has to slow down for whatever reason, the buffer not only gives me time to react but the car in front of me may recover before the gap in front of me closes. That way I may not have to slow down at all and If I don’t have to slow down then the people behind me do not either. This eliminates the ripple effect of brake lights. This method works extremely well even in 5mph traffic (hwy16)
Fear of your vehicle:
I notice this a lot. People freak out and slow down to an unreasonably slow pace when they are confronted with an uncomfortable situation. Like being passed by a Semi, entering and exiting a clover leaf, having a Jersey barrier for a shoulder, crossing a bridge, entering a tunnel etc. Please people know yourselves and your vehicles limitations and abilities. Make sure you have properly working brakes, struts, shocks, eyeglasses, contacts, etc. Realize it’s only a bridge or a tunnel not an evil portal to hell. Have respect for your vehicle but do not fear it.
As for HOV lanes, they suck. They don’t work if they’re in the right lane. I don’t see too many problems with a truck making all the way to the left lane, busses currently do it. Most truckers are safe drivers and I trust their judgment on accomplishing this task safely.
I have more ideas but this message is way too long already. Sorry
-Kolomona
Why not build a monorail line that extends from Vancouver to Bellingham? The current monorail project conservatively estimates 14 miles of the green line will cost $1.7 billion. That is about $121 million per mile.
It is about 254 miles from Vancouver to Bellingham which would cost about $30 billion for a monorail connecting those cities. Someone please check my math.
Posted by: Tim Ford on April 29, 2005 02:17 PMRegarding Kolomona's comments about "Proper Spacing;" I'm one of those jerks who keeps going around you. Until you convince all of the merging traffic of the sanctity of your "Braking Buffer zone," what you are doing seems an ineffective way to get home.
Here's how I see it: while your car is slowly progressing past a merging lane, car after car get in front of you, and as you will not close the "Dead Zone" in front of you, those of us behind you are just standing still. Rather than resign myself to this fate, I go around.
I realize that living in a world with a sacred Buffer Zone would be nice; but until then, I'll invest my attention on the cars ahead of me and my money on anti-lock brakes.
-Kolomona
HOVs are a huge waste for everyone. They don't save fuel and they don't encourage people to carpool. It's a 1970's idea that was done in a panic and hasn't been killed for some reason. Actually, if they were opened up to all traffic, all traffic would flow faster, average commute time would be reduced, and the fuels savings would far outweigh the minor savings that result from whatever puny number of people actually carpool so they can use the HOV lanes.
Posted by: DeadManVoting (aka Iguana) on April 29, 2005 05:04 PMFirst, the HOV lanes need to be changed to the GOV lanes.
Second, all State and County employees must be required to use them when commuting to and from work. I figure it is only right that they use them since they feel that they are so nessary. It is also why we need to change them to GOV lanes. The government employees might argue that what if they have to go somewhere after work and they need to use their personal vehicle. Simple, make them buy a yearly univeral transit pass and they can choose to use the transit system they so love if they want to or not. Who will then say they won’t have a choice? How will we figure out how much the passes will be? Easy, take the average of a Bus ticket, Sounder train ticket (no more empty cars to and from Everett), and a ferry pass, multiply it by 5*52-holidays and there is your total. Sounds like a lot of money, but not really when you pull the old IRS trick and deduct a small amount from every pay check to pay for it. They won’t even notice it like the 5 cent and 9 cent gas tax hikes of the last few years.
Third, let us have more meaningless holidays that government employees get to take off. Notice how thin traffic is on the second tier holidays. We could have Big Toe day, Hair falling out day, or my all time favorite, Welfare day, the day that celebrates all the hard work that people put forth in order to stay on the welfare rolls.
Food for thought. I could go on, but I feel cynicism starting to rise and I do not want to get upset.
Posted by: bblanco on April 29, 2005 11:29 PMAs for the "wedge" misuse--I propose getting pulled over and have a state patrol person give you a big "wedgie!"
My personal observation is that on/off ramps and crossovers confuse the shyt out of NW drivers--slowing, stopping, generally causing panic in the traffic flow;