Traffic Design

ACCIDENTS BEGGING TO HAPPEN

Continuing the discussion of our traffic mess, let's take a look at the freeway system. The current design is dangerously flawed, causing traffic to snarl hopelessly as ongoing traffic is held up by vehicles crossing to exit, and by more cars entering the roadway. Not only does this cause traffic jams of epic proportions, it is also very dangerous. See Fig. 1 below, for a graphic illustration of just how fouled up this system is.

The green arrows represent traffic already on the freeway, and intending to continue. The red arrow indicates traffic

attempting to exit, while the blue shows traffic just entering.

Note how they all converge! Can we say, "asking for trouble?"

Oh, you say, 'the red line comes from the far left lane....'. ... well, come on, now, admit it...people are seen doing exactly this move all the time! In any event, that person attempting to exit is still crossing traffic trying to merge into the freeway, even if they had been in the right-hand lane!

Now, have a look at Fig. 2, below. It is easy to see how much safer, and smoother this design would be. It would not cost any more when implemented at the design drawing stage of freeway construction. (Naturally, the on/off ramps would not converge outside the freeway, either...this illusion reflects the limitations of the paper size on which this was drawn.)

Read the arrow colors exactly the same as for Fig. 1, above. Entering and exiting traffic would not cross each other, resulting in far fewer screeching of tires with panicked brake application, and worse.



Let's pick up this idea and run a campaign with it! Make our highways safer and more efficient. This change alone would do more good than all the carpool lanes ever could hope for. Maybe "just one person" can't make a difference anymore,, but a whole group of "just ones" joined together can!