3 ms·

Good thinking. Apparently your option 2 was implemented (and considered an innovation) around where I live. Here's a picture from 2007: http://www.strassen.nrw.

by morsch 12y ago

Good thinking. Apparently your option 2 was implemented (and considered an innovation) around where I live. Here's a picture from 2007: http://www.strassen.nrw.de/_down/pi-070322-03.jpg http://www.strassen.nrw.de/_down/pi-070322-03.jpg I don't know if they're still doing it. (Late merging has long been the default in Europe and is taught in driver's ed. However people seem to do it more reliably when reminded of the practice.)

wfjackson 12y ago
I wonder if there's an option 3, install a mobile traffic light that allows one lane only at one time, in sequences of one minute or so each, i.e Alternating red and green lights, so that there is no need for merging. This way there's no slowdown caused by the merging, I feel that this method may actually make it faster overall. ____________________________________________ Green _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____________________ Red / ______________________/_____________________ ____________________________________________ Red _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____________________ Green / ______________________/_____________________
- malandrew 12y ago
  Temporary traffic lights is definitely an interesting idea. It would however require a long barrier, otherwise, what is to stop people at the end of the stopped lane from trying to merge into the moving lane. Another idea is a temporary speed bump in the lane that is not ending.
- blahedo 12y ago
  Except that red means "stop", so presumably that whole "you don't have to stop" thing wouldn't work.
- S_A_P 12y ago
  I was driving in Atlanta a few weeks ago and was in a situation where two two lane roads converged to a single two lane road. Each side had this exact thing and it actually worked really well. Not the same as a construction zone but I think would be a helpful tool.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- Fishkins 12y ago
  The picture Negitivefrags posted shows a similar setup currently in use in New Zealand (although it's a permanent merge instead of temporary construction) http://i.imgur.com/AtaDOGX.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AtaDOGX.jpg

by morsch 12y ago

wfjackson 12y ago

I wonder if there's an option 3, install a mobile traffic light that allows one lane only at one time, in sequences of one minute or so each, i.e Alternating red and green lights, so that there is no need for merging. This way there's no slowdown caused by the merging, I feel that this method may actually make it faster overall. ____________________________________________ Green _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____________________ Red / ______________________/_____________________ ____________________________________________ Red _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____________________ Green / ______________________/_____________________

malandrew 12y ago
Temporary traffic lights is definitely an interesting idea. It would however require a long barrier, otherwise, what is to stop people at the end of the stopped lane from trying to merge into the moving lane. Another idea is a temporary speed bump in the lane that is not ending.
blahedo 12y ago
Except that red means "stop", so presumably that whole "you don't have to stop" thing wouldn't work.
S_A_P 12y ago
I was driving in Atlanta a few weeks ago and was in a situation where two two lane roads converged to a single two lane road. Each side had this exact thing and it actually worked really well. Not the same as a construction zone but I think would be a helpful tool.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
Fishkins 12y ago
The picture Negitivefrags posted shows a similar setup currently in use in New Zealand (although it's a permanent merge instead of temporary construction) http://i.imgur.com/AtaDOGX.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AtaDOGX.jpg