Police Forum Police Head Mod: Skidmark
Questions & info about the Motor Vehicle Act. Mature discussion only. | |
10-30-2011, 11:10 AM
|
#1 | Retired Traffic Cop
Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nanoose Bay, BC
Posts: 9,025
Thanked 125 Times in 68 Posts
Failed 3 Times in 2 Posts
| DriveSmartBC - Ramp Metering
Some time ago I wrote about watching streams of traffic trying to enter the freeways in and around Vancouver. Platoons of vehicles would move through the acceleration lanes bumper to bumper and everyone would then try and jam themselves into the first gap in the slow lane that they encountered. Aside from being dangerous, the action contributes to the congestion that drivers are unhappy with in the first place because it causes traffic already on the freeway to slow.
Yesterday I had my first experience with ramp metering as my lane and the lane beside me joined a busy freeway. The beginning of each acceleration lane displayed a red light and stop line. Once we had stopped, the lights turned to green just long enough to allow one vehicle to proceed at a time, and the green lights for our adjacent lanes were staggered. This forced everyone to proper speed and alternating spacing so that we joined the heavy stream of traffic just like the teeth in a zipper.
Yes, I was held up momentarily by the red light, but ultimately the average speed on the freeway I entered was higher and my total travel time was lower. I was also safer because ramp metering can be responsible for a 30% reduction in crashes compared to the same freeway without the system.
Perhaps this is an idea worth implementing in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. It only operates when traffic is heavy, it is something that drivers do not need training to use and the cost of implementation may be offset by savings in travel time and a reduction in insurance claims. Reference Links
Also at DriveSmartBC this week: ICBC - Top 10 Excuses for Using a Cell Phone While Driving
__________________
Have you ever met anyone that would admit to being less than a better than average driver ??
Learn more at DriveSmartBC |
| |
10-30-2011, 11:53 AM
|
#2 | I bringith the lowerballerith
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: PR
Posts: 1,140
Thanked 253 Times in 131 Posts
Failed 6 Times in 1 Post
|
They have it set up getting onto Hwy 1 from Hwy 7A. Though the newly re-designed pre-intersection area is horribly marked/signed.
__________________
"Never give a match up halfway through. Never say that you do not feel up to it, that your condition is bad, and throw in the towel. Fight to the very end, always looking for your chance to break through." - Kazuzo Kudo
|
| |
10-30-2011, 12:10 PM
|
#3 | VAC Head Rotang Mod
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Van
Posts: 10,668
Thanked 1,427 Times in 627 Posts
Failed 33 Times in 24 Posts
|
this is already in operation where vehicles join hwy 1 west bound from lougheed hwy.
used to also be at the mary hill bypass before they juggled the area around.
*edit* thats what i get for loading the page and then going to do something else haha
__________________
2020 ND2 Miata - Polymetal Grey, Red Nappa Leather
1993 Subaru WRX (2004 WRX engine, COBB access port)
2001 CBR600F4i My Feedback (10-0-0) Quote:
Originally Posted by Fei-Ji haha i can taste the cum in my mouth | |
| |
10-30-2011, 03:00 PM
|
#4 | I *heart* Revscene.net very Muchie
Join Date: May 2001 Location: Burnaby, BC
Posts: 3,564
Thanked 330 Times in 163 Posts
Failed 182 Times in 61 Posts
|
It's a great system, until idiots blow through the red light and screw it all up.
Now we have to implement red light cameras WITH the metering system... sigh.
__________________
Don't be the next RS.net statistic - If you drink, don't drive. You'll lose your licence, and the rest of us will laugh at you.
|
| |
10-30-2011, 03:11 PM
|
#5 | Even when im right, revscene.net is still right!
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Richmond
Posts: 1,308
Thanked 689 Times in 180 Posts
Failed 8 Times in 5 Posts
| Quote:
Originally Posted by sho_bc They have it set up getting onto Hwy 1 from Hwy 7A. Though the newly re-designed pre-intersection area is horribly marked/signed. | This Posted via RS Mobile |
| |
10-30-2011, 04:24 PM
|
#6 | I WANT MY 10 YEARS BACK FROM RS.net!
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Abbotstan
Posts: 20,721
Thanked 12,136 Times in 3,361 Posts
Failed 1,848 Times in 413 Posts
| Quote:
Originally Posted by sho_bc:7669610 They have it set up getting onto Hwy 1 from Hwy 7A. Though the newly re-designed pre-intersection area is horribly marked/signed. | I wouldn't call either of these locations (Mary Hill Bypass to Hwy 1 w/b, or Coleman onramp to Hwy 1 w/b) particularly "re-designed" as both areas are undergoing extensive construction and regularly (ie. every few months) being changed and realigned to accommodate the construction and still keep traffic flowing.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Godzira Does anyone know how many to a signature? | .. Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?" | |
| |
10-30-2011, 04:57 PM
|
#7 | I WANT MY 10 YEARS BACK FROM RS.net!
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Abbotstan
Posts: 20,721
Thanked 12,136 Times in 3,361 Posts
Failed 1,848 Times in 413 Posts
|
One other thing about these metered ramps: the main problem with them is that, like roundabouts, they've simply been jammed into service where nobody has a clue how to deal with them properly (except me, of course), and everyone has a different idea of how to proceed. I'll see some cars start going as soon as the car next to him clears... then the next guy stops at the red and I'd swear, takes so long to get going again when it turns green, he must have put the car in park once he stopped. By the time he gets rolling, the other light has now turned green and back to red, thus screwing up the guy waiting there. Then you get a truck rolling up, and they just keep rolling slowly so they don't have to actually stop, because if they did it would take five minutes for them to get started again and actually clear the light. And you get the one guy who goes through and then creeps along, while the two behind him gun it after they get their greens and get on the first guy's ass, and before you know it everyone is bunched into a little block again before they have to merge onto the freeway...
And then with the Mary Hill ramp at least, they've changed the exit from the merge so it snakes around under the new overpasses, and it's so winding and bumpy that once again, you get some creeping, others in a rush, and by the time you get to the freeway, there's a thick line of cars trying to all barge their way into the flow again. Fortunately, at least there, they've now got a couple km of uninterrupted lane before they DO have to merge over (although a lot of people don't realize this, or aren't paying attention, and still try to move over ASAP, usually slowing to a crawl to do it).
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Godzira Does anyone know how many to a signature? | .. Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?" | |
| |
10-31-2011, 10:27 AM
|
#8 | Where's my RS Christmas Lobster?!
Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: vancouver
Posts: 827
Thanked 184 Times in 106 Posts
Failed 9 Times in 7 Posts
|
Mary Hill Bypass has this. I like it.
They DESPERATELY need it for the Knight street bridge on ramp southbound from Marine drive. It's a NIGHTMARE there.
|
| |
10-31-2011, 10:56 AM
|
#9 | Banned (ABWS)
Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kits/Richmond
Posts: 4,409
Thanked 1,105 Times in 540 Posts
Failed 555 Times in 222 Posts
|
The only problem with these systems is it pushes the traffic from the freeway onto the side streets accessing the freeway. If the side streets are not capable of handling a backup it becomes a nightmare.
LA has many of these metered ramps and they work very well, yet almost all feed off busy connector roads with a dedicated lane for accessing the freeway - thus if that lane backs up its no big deal for other cars on that road.
|
| |
11-01-2011, 09:48 AM
|
#10 | I Will not Admit my Addiction to RS
Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ōsaka
Posts: 591
Thanked 164 Times in 86 Posts
Failed 17 Times in 9 Posts
|
Also around LA the metered ramps are long enough to accommodate more a more than a few cars lined up. The ramps on to HWY1 in the Lower Mainland are barely adequate to accelerate to hwy speeds for a lot of vehicles. Ramp metering is great, I just don't think it would work with our current hwy designs.
|
| |
11-05-2011, 05:45 PM
|
#11 | I Will not Admit my Addiction to RS
Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: burnaby
Posts: 555
Thanked 34 Times in 3 Posts
Failed 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by BallPeenHammer2 Mary Hill Bypass has this. I like it.
They DESPERATELY need it for the Knight street bridge on ramp southbound from Marine drive. It's a NIGHTMARE there. | thanks to some genius, who thought having 3 lanes merge into one lane and then subsequently merge from a dual on/off ramp ( lorries getting off on mitchell island)... ridiculous!
but then again nothing surprises me in this metro, i thing we are the only city in the world that has a traffic light on a freeway! ( 72nd ave surrey/delta)
|
| |
11-07-2011, 01:05 AM
|
#12 | racing & tech mod.
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vancouver
Posts: 4,034
Thanked 507 Times in 188 Posts
Failed 22 Times in 12 Posts
|
It's a great tool for drivers who haven't figured out how to merge properly on their own.
|
| |
11-07-2011, 07:43 AM
|
#13 | I WANT MY 10 YEARS BACK FROM RS.net!
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Abbotstan
Posts: 20,721
Thanked 12,136 Times in 3,361 Posts
Failed 1,848 Times in 413 Posts
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Sandor It's a great tool for drivers who haven't figured out how to merge properly on their own. | If they haven't figured that out, they shouldn't have passed their road test.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Godzira Does anyone know how many to a signature? | .. Quote:
Originally Posted by Brianrietta Not a sebberry post goes by where I don't frown and think to myself "so..?" | |
| |
11-07-2011, 06:43 PM
|
#14 | racing & tech mod.
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Vancouver
Posts: 4,034
Thanked 507 Times in 188 Posts
Failed 22 Times in 12 Posts
|
I hate to break it to you but there are a lot of drivers out there with a licence that shouldn't have passed their road test. |
| | |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:09 PM. |