Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[jednc]

1 hour ago, Windsurfer said:

Ah, another day in paradise. If we're going to have "road diets", for heaven's sake, have turnout lanes dedicated for busses at the bus stops.  How would a biker handle this?

Maybe stop and wait like everyone else?

[Windsurfer]

1 hour ago, jednc said:

Maybe stop and wait like everyone else?

I asked "would", not 'should'.

[kermit]

5 minutes ago, Windsurfer said:

I asked "would", not 'should'.

Well, since the bus stopped -in- the bike lane the bike would have to stop. Wouldn't it?

[caterpillar2]

37 minutes ago, Windsurfer said:

I asked "would", not 'should'.

jednc gave an appropriate answer. What's the difference whether you said "would' or "should?"  His response answers either question.,

32 minutes ago, kermit said:

Well, since the bus stopped -in- the bike lane the bike would have to stop. Wouldn't it?

Mark this as a "red letter" day. I agree with you. 

[Spartan]

The truth of the matter is that there isn't much you can do to prevent that situation - but I hear ya, It's tough when drivers are mildly inconvenienced.

If I were biking in the bike lane and came across that condition, I'd  ride up to the front of the line of cars and go around in the main travel lane (which is also partially blocked), or I'd hop on the sidewalk and go around the bus (assuming it's at a time point or something).

 

[Windsurfer]

30 minutes ago, Spartan said:

The truth of the matter is that there isn't much you can do to prevent that situation - but I hear ya, It's tough when drivers are mildly inconvenienced.

If I were biking in the bike lane and came across that condition, I'd  ride up to the front of the line of cars and go around in the main travel lane (which is also partially blocked), or I'd hop on the sidewalk and go around the bus (assuming it's at a time point or something).

 

Yes, I would too.  My gripe is with the lack of turnouts for the buses.

[ah59396]

2 hours ago, jednc said:

Maybe stop and wait like everyone else?

This is an especially enjoyable experience when you get a face-full of bus exhaust.

 

Not saying you're wrong, it just blows ass.

[Scribe]

9 minutes ago, ah59396 said:

This is an especially enjoyable experience when you get a face-full of bus exhaust.

All current buses route the exhaust to the top of the bus - like this picture here

Unless you are talking about school buses, that's a whole different ballgame...

[Spartan]

48 minutes ago, Windsurfer said:

Yes, I would too.  My gripe is with the lack of turnouts for the buses.

I don't see the issue with slowing/stopping drivers for 30 seconds while someone gets on/off the bus. People are constantly complaining about how fast and reckless everyone other than themselves drive in this town. Seems like some involuntary speed management would be a good thing.

[Windsurfer]

37 minutes ago, Spartan said:

I don't see the issue with slowing/stopping drivers for 30 seconds while someone gets on/off the bus. People are constantly complaining about how fast and reckless everyone other than themselves drive in this town. Seems like some involuntary speed management would be a good thing.

The reason for the long line behind the bus was because the driver had stepped out of the bus.  This was not rush hour.   I will add, that, this particular stop is just before the buses reach uptown. When they're ahead of schedule, they'll stop and kill time here while waiting for the correct time for the next stop.

As a bike guy, I want the buses to have their turnout lanes. Then, they can linger, pick their noses, chat up friends, whatever, while I ride by on my bicycle in my dedicated lane.

[southslider]

Where are some of these spots that a motorist or cyclist cannot pass a stopped transit bus?

On Davidson Street in Uptown, there are small pullouts just big enough for cyclists to pass but not motorists.

 

[cowboy_wilhelm]

Since the I-77 toll lanes have been discussed so much in this thread, I thought I'd mention that I-40 southeast of Raleigh is getting two additional free travel lanes per direction for eleven miles (ten lanes for three of those miles), plus one extra lane for an additional 1.5 miles. I'm not trying to rub salt in the wound, just pointing out the inequity.

I-5111 Public Meeting Map 1
I-5111 Public Meeting Map 2
I-5111 Public Meeting Map 3
I-4739 Public Meeting Map

[southslider]

On 10/6/2017 at 10:07 AM, Windsurfer said:

Ah, another day in paradise. If we're going to have "road diets", for heaven's sake, have turnout lanes dedicated for busses at the bus stops.  How would a biker handle this?

Where is this?

 

[Windsurfer]

25 minutes ago, southslider said:

Where is this?

 

Statesville Ave. Southbound, almost where the old Ford Plant was. There are a couple along that stretch.  What's also weird is the bike lanes were installed for only about 1/2 mile. So, before you reach the bike lanes, it's four lanes, then, after the brief stretch becomes four lanes again. Half-ass finished.

[Dale]

We don't even make the Worst-25 ...

http://inrix.com/press-releases/us-hotspots/

 

 

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, Dale said:

We don't even make the Worst-25 ...

http://inrix.com/press-releases/us-hotspots/

As much as people complain about traffic - and who doesn't - that statistic doesn't surprise me, despite the fact that I'm living in a temporary I-77 commute hell. Nor does it surprise me to see Nashville so far up the list.

[KJHburg]

Nashville traffic in my opinion is far worst than Charlotte and my last trip there in May I saw no road construction whatsoever in the central part of the city.  Plus no other options but buses and light rail is far off there as no financing set for their plans. 

[southslider]

On 10/9/2017 at 7:09 AM, Windsurfer said:

Statesville Ave. Southbound, almost where the old Ford Plant was. There are a couple along that stretch.  What's also weird is the bike lanes were installed for only about 1/2 mile. So, before you reach the bike lanes, it's four lanes, then, after the brief stretch becomes four lanes again. Half-ass finished.

It's a road conversion, or road diet. It could have been left four lanes to pass buses but then no bike lanes. Basically, it was a near-term, low-cost design to right-size and humanize a thoroughfare.

[Windsurfer]

1 hour ago, southslider said:

It's a road conversion, or road diet. It could have been left four lanes to pass buses but then no bike lanes. Basically, it was a near-term, low-cost design to right-size and humanize a thoroughfare.

Yes, I know it's a road diet.  That' s what I said in my original post.  However, if you're going to do this, at least build turnouts for the daggum buses. Why is that so hard to convey on this board?  Arrgh.   It must be me.

[kermit]

Didn't somebody say something about Vision Zero a few months back? We are moving in the wrong direction....

[kermit]

RE Toll lanes:

It appears that roughly 25% of toll lane drivers in Los Angeles are not paying the tolls (mostly by inappropriately switching their transponders to carpool mode).

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-toll-lane-cheating-20170929-story.html

 

[elrodvt]

Given the I77 private funding they might be a bit more aggressive? I wonder how that is written in the contract.

It's not a good sign though that the HOV enforcement is non existent. 

[kickazzz2000]

On 10/7/2017 at 5:18 PM, cowboy_wilhelm said:

Since the I-77 toll lanes have been discussed so much in this thread, I thought I'd mention that I-40 southeast of Raleigh is getting two additional free travel lanes per direction for eleven miles (ten lanes for three of those miles), plus one extra lane for an additional 1.5 miles. I'm not trying to rub salt in the wound, just pointing out the inequity.

I-5111 Public Meeting Map 1
I-5111 Public Meeting Map 2
I-5111 Public Meeting Map 3
I-4739 Public Meeting Map

Shocking 

[KJHburg]

Raleigh Wake County also has the only 2 toll highways in the state that are operating today. The rest of I540 beltway south of Raleigh will all be toll.   Leave RTP going south to Apex and you will be tolled all the way! Even with 77 express lanes open Wake County has more miles of toll roads than Mecklenburg

I hate toll roads but they will be a fact a life everything in this region soon.  First 77 north to Mooresville the express lanes, then the Monroe Bypass all toll road, then the new toll express lanes on 485 from 77 S to US 74 in Matthews.

 

[southslider]

^and 74 in Charlotte