OT - Grumpy Old Man Thread

[FearlessF]

traffic issues................

at the stop light, 2 lanes of traffic going straight (10 to 20 vehicles) waiting while one vehicle in the left turn lanes goes first.

I appreciate the flashing yellow signal in the left turn lane....  wait until the 20 vehicles go thru and then make your left turn

maybe a reason for more "round abouts"  -  the round abouts don't make me grumpy

[847badgerfan]

Not possible in a major city without buying buildings.

So, not possible.

[FearlessF]

[Cincydawg]

There might be one or two intersections near me where there is room for traffic circles, especially if some parkland is used.  One problem is how many drivers here already struggle with the few we have already.

Meanwhile, we are getting more bike lanes.  The construction now is going to be right outside my office soon.

[bayareabadger]

traffic issues................

at the stop light, 2 lanes of traffic going straight (10 to 20 vehicles) waiting while one vehicle in the left turn lanes goes first.

I appreciate the flashing yellow signal in the left turn lane....  wait until the 20 vehicles go thru and then make your left turn

maybe a reason for more "round abouts"  -  the round abouts don't make me grumpy

Roundabouts also generally slow down traffic.

[FearlessF]

I've not had an issue at a round about nor have I witnessed anyone else have an issue

folks get better with them with more experience - as with most things

[FearlessF]

Roundabouts also generally slow down traffic.

yup, great for intersections that were previously a 2-way or 4-way stop sign

[bayareabadger]

City put in bike lanes all over Austin.  Almost entirely unused but hey, it did succeed in turning many 4 lane roads into 2 lane roads and making traffic much worse.

Victory!

The city I live in try to do dedicated bus lanes for a few years. As far as I can tell, the bus service was still very poor.

they also built a cluster bike lanes, including one that is very funny because it was wide enough that people just kept using it as a right turn lane, and they had to put up those flimsy little reflective, white poles to get people to stop driving there. (Weirdly the biggest traffic issue there is the stoplight timing)

[FearlessF]

poor and/or pitiful stoplight timing makes me grumpy

there is a major boulevard in Sioux City that I avoid for that reason.  Unfortunately, it's been that way since the 80s, probably before

[SFBadger96]

Roundabouts are intended to be chaotic; it is a feature, not a bug. Chaos makes people pay attention, which leads to fewer wrecks. Signaled intersections (stop lights, stop signs) are one of the biggest areas for wrecks because people assume how everyone will act. Roundabouts don't have that problem.

Roundabouts also generally have better throughput than signaled intersections. Drivers think everything gets "slowed down" because they have to slow down earlier than at signaled stops and there is less certainty about when they will get through, but the reduced stoppage time often leads to better throughput, which means higher average speeds. Often, not always.

[utee94]

Roundabouts are intended to be chaotic; it is a feature, not a bug. Chaos makes people pay attention, which leads to fewer wrecks. Signaled intersections (stop lights, stop signs) are one of the biggest areas for wrecks because people assume how everyone will act. Roundabouts don't have that problem.

Roundabouts also generally have better throughput than signaled intersections. Drivers think everything gets "slowed down" because they have to slow down earlier than at signaled stops and there is less certainty about when they will get through, but the reduced stoppage time often leads to better throughput, which means higher average speeds. Often, not always.

Yup, fewer wrecks and higher throughput on average.

I still don't like 'em but we don't have a lot of them around here anyway.

They're quite common in Europe.

[Cincydawg]

They installed a round about near us, a route I often go.  It was a three way intersection, so it should work pretty well, but at least half the time some car stops dead even if zero traffic is coming the other way.  They aren't common enough for visitors to realize how they operate, and no doubt some locals unfamiliar with the area.  I've also had cars in the round about who stop even though they have right of way over me, and I'm already clearly stopping.  

It is better than the old traffic signal there.  It's a very small RAB that didn't take up much extra room.  Just past that is a weird intersection that is ancient, it has an exit ramp and entrance ramp to an ancient freeway that has room for an RAB, maybe.

That freeway is from 1954, some of its concrete is still present.  They built a parallel new freeway and left the old one intact for a few miles.

[Cincydawg]

I got "stuck" on that Etoile once, I had migrated to the inside and my wife was saying to take the fourth exit and I couldn't count exits and dodge cars.  I went around a few times.  The trick is to put on your turn signal and just GO.  I still took the fifth exit.  

[FearlessF]

yeah, I'm not sure about those in Europe where you have 4-6 lanes going each direction