See that picture up there? That’s what I see every day on the way home from school. They are building Lincoln’s first 2 lane round-a-bout and the left lane is closed ahead. If you squint, you can just make out the big arrow sign.
Notice what you don’t see in the left lane? Any cars. For about a mile before the lane is actually closed everyone has already queued up in the right lane and are calmly and politely heading home from work. It absolutely amazes me every single day.
Don’t get me wrong, there are things that Nebraska drivers do that drive me crazy too, but they have this down.
And when I see this happen:
I knew that he’s going to turn left. He did.
The early merge vs the late merge (known here in Germany as the zipper) is quite the topic for research and discussion. You can read all about it here: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/workshops/accessible/McCoy.htm
I’m not going to lie – I only skimmed it, but the ‘late merge’ system seems interesting. Do they merge into a brand-new ‘neither left-or-right’ lane?
I just experienced a traffic pattern like that last night. I was in the lane that was ending, and had trouble deciding if I should get over. It seems polite to me to get over soon, but that is not the common practice in Baltimore, so getting over only means having dozens of cars butt in line ahead of you.
After living here for so long, I am now confused and conflicted when approaching a heavy-traffic merge.
I was told once that you should stay in an open lane until right before it merges. That keeps traffic moving in BOTH lanes until the construction signs requires you to switch.
I tend to agree with this thinking. I believe you should use both lanes until you can’t anymore. Then take turns merging into one lane. I’ve experienced this working successfully (and politely) in NY.
It can work just as well, but it can’t work as quickly.
People here are awful about that. They stay in the closing lane as long as possible and sometimes even past. If the area is exceptionally bad and some drivers are mad at the habitual bad drivers, they’ll drive in the lane that’s ending, but only to block potential butters. That creates even more tension.
But I live in an area where the driving is crazy-aggresive, there are a lot of us, and the infrastructure has always needed work.
That’s actually the second two lane roundabout, there is also one next to the stadium where salt creek roadway meets 9th St. and I’m surprised you don’t take Cornhusker Hwy to 34 (I180) I’ve found that it is actually faster. (I go out to Airpark everyday)
I forgot about that one (actually, I forgot it was 2 lanes (actually, I’m not entirely sure I believe you, and might have to drive by it)).
I drive in on Cornhusker, but find that the likelihood of hitting a train at 33 & A at the time of day when I drive home is about 93%.
SO did you drive by it and check? (If not I promise it’s two lanes) And did you mean 33rd and Adams? If so I would take 56th to Fremont, Fremont to 48th and 48th to Cornhusker, this way you go under the train and won’t have to worry about stopping.
Wow, Seward must be a magical place….somewhere over the rainbow!
I have to say that I get annoyed at the people who zoom ahead & then are real aggressive with butting in. I wonder why the East is not as polite as the mid-west. Higher altitude? Ocean air? Not enough plains?