Construction Merge

[MFAWG]

[Uisce Beatha]

True dat.  Front wheel drive and all.   

Also unlike that car much of the color has come off my plastic front bumper.   

[MFAWG]

True dat.  Front wheel drive and all.   

Also unlike that car much of the color has come off my plastic front bumper.   

I'll bet it was US built...

[Uisce Beatha]

Yep, I think it was.  And the 1990 S-10 I used to own was Brazilian built.  Port of entry Shreveport, LA.

[stroh]

On topic:

A.   

Life's too short to fight with people about that stuff.  I don't like it when people do it to me so I don't do it to other people.  The six seconds it either saves me or costs me just isn't that big a deal to me.

Having said that, I should draw a distinction;  The op says on ramp with construction, in that scenario, I would use the lane, and attempt to merge(like everyone else should) the way Fuzz describes in a zipper, every other car dealie.

My post is in reflection to many areas here, where the right lane is coming to an end.  I know it, you know it, everyone knows it, but there are plenty of jackasses who invariably pretend they either don't, or they are too important to merge early.

On those roads, I do as above.  Option A.

I guess I end up being walked on in life more often than not.  Whatever.  Peace.

[Fuzzy]

http://www.dot.state.mn.u...wsrels/03/10/29merge.html

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Fifteen percent of drivers admitted to straddling lanes in order to block late merges in construction zones, according to a recent study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

To address the more than 2,700 crashes and 18 fatalities occurring in highway construction zones last year, Mn/DOT commissioned a study to better understand the behaviors and attitudes that trigger driving decisions in merging situations as drivers enter a work zone.

"Our goal is to increase safety in work zones by reducing the confusion and frustration drivers often experience when merging," said William Servatius, Mn/DOT's Office of Construction. "Many times crashes occur due to aggressive driving, abrupt lane changes or sudden stops, so we want to help drivers make good choices while traveling through our work zones."

In an attempt to minimize the problems discovered in the research, Mn/DOT also conducted a month-long field study on Highway 10 in Anoka to assess a new Dynamic Late Merge System, a traffic control strategy to improve merging at lane closures.

"The fully automated system using remote traffic microwave sensors and a Doppler radar provides instructions to drivers via changeable message signs on when to merge and how to merge according to the current state of traffic," said Craig Mittelstadt, Mn/DOT's workzone safety specialist. "For example, if traffic is heavy, the system will instruct motorists to use both lanes and take turns once they've reached the defined merge point just before the lane closure."

This strategy often referred to as the "zipper" improves traffic flow, reduces conflicts and hopefully will decrease the number of crashes when traffic demand exceeds the capacity of a single lane closure.

"Basically, we want drivers to know that under normal traffic speeds, they should try to merge early to avoid unsafe merging maneuvers; however, when traffic is congested, drivers should use both lanes all the way to the definite merge point," said Servatius.

"We can't completely rid the roads from congestion in a workzone, but data from the study revealed this method shortened queue lengths by 35 percent and reduced lane changing conflicts," said Mittelstadt. "We also hope for a decline in crashes and aggressive driving behavior."

[Uisce Beatha]

stroh, I won't fight about it either. (Well, maybe MFAWG  )

Forget the on-ramp for a minute.  Let's have four lanes on the freeway.  Signs say lane #1 is closing down the way.  Why not keep that lane full and zipper lanes #1 and #2 at the spot where they actually merge?  I don't get the arbitrary rule which says a driver in lane #1 has to say "oh, my lane is ending about ${5000/2000/1000/500/50} yards ahead so I need to merge right now."  We don't hold drivers to the same standard if lane #1 is actually going away and the freeway narrowing to three lanes permanently.  It's only for construction merges that we (y'all) have this rule. 

I hold doors, help old people, refrain from kicking cats even though they need kicking, put my shopping cart away, change to the inside lane so the guy turning right can get out of the side street, never walk on stroh in life, etc.  I just don't see this one as "jackasses who invariably pretend they either don't, or they are too important to merge early."  I see it as a common sense approach and I wish everyone would do it / allow it to be done.

[stroh]

Forget the on-ramp for a minute.  Let's have four lanes on the freeway.  Signs say lane #1 is closing down the way.  Why not keep that lane full and zipper lanes #1 and #2 at the spot where they actually merge?  I don't get the arbitrary rule which says a driver in lane #1 has to say "oh, my lane is ending about ${5000/2000/1000/500/50} yards ahead so I need to merge right now."  We don't hold drivers to the same standard if lane #1 is actually going away and the freeway narrowing to three lanes permanently.  It's only for construction merges that we (y'all) have this rule. 

Fair enough, I guess I see it (well, other than an unfixable problem) as causing a problem and not solving one.  Let's say that in your scenario that at 2 miles away from lane 1 waning, we are traveling at a comfortable 40 MPH.  Lane 1 occupants start merging with lane 2, at at 1 end point we are all still traveling at 40 mph.  Utopian?  Probably.


In the zipper scenario, at end point, now both lanes 1 and 2 are traveling at zero to allow for synchronized swimming maneuver and hand gesturing.

I hold doors, help old people, refrain from kicking cats even though they need kicking, put my shopping cart away, change to the inside lane so the guy turning right can get out of the side street, never walk on stroh in life, etc.  I just don't see this one as "jackasses who invariably pretend they either don't, or they are too important to merge early."  I see it as a common sense approach and I wish everyone would do it / allow it to be done.

   Grazi. 

I'm glad there is at least one other dude out there that puts his cart in the thingy.


I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.  What you see as an empty unused road, I see as people being stubbornly opportunistic to "get in front of" all of us saps who travel this road every day, knowing that the lane ends right after the light, because they are obviously more important or at least smarter and more Darwinianly advanced than those of us who have respect for the cars that did the right thing, got in the lane that's not ending and waited our turn to advance, and drive home to get on with the rest of our lives.


I'm certainly not implying that you're not respectful. 

[Fuzzy]

Forget the on-ramp for a minute.  Let's have four lanes on the freeway.  Signs say lane #1 is closing down the way.  Why not keep that lane full and zipper lanes #1 and #2 at the spot where they actually merge?  I don't get the arbitrary rule which says a driver in lane #1 has to say "oh, my lane is ending about ${5000/2000/1000/500/50} yards ahead so I need to merge right now."  We don't hold drivers to the same standard if lane #1 is actually going away and the freeway narrowing to three lanes permanently.  It's only for construction merges that we (y'all) have this rule. 

Fair enough, I guess I see it (well, other than an unfixable problem) as causing a problem and not solving one.  Let's say that in your scenario that at 2 miles away from lane 1 waning, we are traveling at a comfortable 40 MPH.  Lane 1 occupants start merging with lane 2, at at 1 end point we are all still traveling at 40 mph.  Utopian?  Probably.


In the zipper scenario, at end point, now both lanes 1 and 2 are traveling at zero to allow for synchronized swimming maneuver and hand gesturing.

I'd suggest this isn't usually the case. If you need to get to zero to put 2 lanes into 1 it is going to happen somewhere. Either at the merge or 5 miles before the merge.

I think the section from MNDOT I posted makes a lot of sense. The problem is who defines "congested"?

And now with all this talk of zippers I just remembered I need to go put my pants on.

[Walfredo]

Accordian Effect FTW

[Clive]

Put me down for about 2.5.  Go down that good lane, but definitely merge before the paint squeezes the lane away.  And with my usual benevolent love for all God's creatures.  Even the stupid ones.

[hobbit]

Put me down for about 2.5.  Go down that good lane, but definitely merge before the paint squeezes the lane away.  And with my usual benevolent love for self testicular exams and all God's creatures.  Even the stupid ones.

fixed.