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Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction


monsoon

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85 has much more legitimate interstate and intercity traffic volume.   77 congestion is more illegitimate commuters from suburban bedroom communities into the city.  This is not what interstate infrastructure was intended for and is a very poor use of resources and a very bad way to design cities.   To break the bad habit of commuting in a single occupancy vehicle 30-40 miles to a workplace instead of behaving like normal urban citizens and living and contributing to the community in which you work, they must have innovative designs to help keep the infrastructure flowing.   

 

Interstates that are stop and go carry significantly less traffic.

 

If you want a freeway to flow smoothly and get to your destination on time, but it is filled with high vehicle miles traveled, single-occupancy vehicle commuters, then you need HOV and HOT lanes to allow buses, carpoolers, and people willing to pay indulgences for their sins to flow and get out of the general purpose lanes.  

 

 

I roll my eyes at every person crying for free lanes on 77.   Chances are high that your behavior in life is part of the problem and you are wasting very very expensive infrastructure.      And just because 85 also has this bad behavior means they should be adding HOT/HOV lanes to that road and not that 77 should be all general purpose lanes requiring no change in bad commuting habits.     

 

If I had my way, they would be HOS lanes (High Occupancy or Spanking) where these selfish brats must get out and pay with a spanking for wasting everyone's time and money. 

 

Exactly. The single raindrop never blames itself for the flood.

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Regardless of your feelings on the toll issue, some of the strategies the opponents are adopting are ludicrous and make them look really stupid. There were signs at the county commissioner meeting last night claiming that the toll road would hinder evacuations on I-77 (the signs were definitely implying evacuation caused by mcguire nuclear). If I were a full on opponent of the plan I would be seriously humiliated by that. 

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The most legitimate argument is that the design actually converts some existing general purpose lane for the new toll lanes. Converting the existing HOV lanes is one thing, but even reducing the existing non-HOV lanes? Granted, it's a short section north of 485, and saves on construction, but it's yet another transfer of a public asset to the private concession aire without any public vote or compensation.

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City Council will vote on Monday for a study that would determine whether a "ramp metering" system would relieve congestion on interstates in the Charlotte area. They are basically red lights for entering the interstate. It would allow a couple of cars at a time, and would prevent cars from over-flooding the interstate. They would be used on I-77, I-85, and I-485:

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article20496516.html

 

Ramp_meter_from_Miller_Park_Way_to_I-94_

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City Council will vote on Monday for a study that would determine whether a "ramp metering" system would relieve congestion on interstates in the Charlotte area. They are basically red lights for entering the interstate. It would allow a couple of cars at a time, and would prevent cars from over-flooding the interstate. They would be used on I-77, I-85, and I-485:

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article20496516.html

 

Ramp_meter_from_Miller_Park_Way_to_I-94_

 

I've used these in San Diego and Utah.  They're excellent.  I hope they are implemented.

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City Council will vote on Monday for a study that would determine whether a "ramp metering" system would relieve congestion on interstates in the Charlotte area. They are basically red lights for entering the interstate. It would allow a couple of cars at a time, and would prevent cars from over-flooding the interstate. They would be used on I-77, I-85, and I-485:

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article20496516.html

 

Ramp_meter_from_Miller_Park_Way_to_I-94_

Exit 28 northbound please

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Whoa, what happened to July 20?!  I told my wife that we should plan a full 64-mile circuit on opening day.....she didn't cotton to that idea much.

 

NCDOT announced today that the final bit of 485 will open at noon on June 5. #backupsarecoming

Honestly, I really want to do a 64 mile race... Am I the only one?

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Whoa, what happened to July 20?!  I told my wife that we should plan a full 64-mile circuit on opening day.....she didn't cotton to that idea much.

 

I suppose the July date was a deliver-by date to the contractor, and they decided it was far enough along to move the opening date? Either way if they call at this point and push the date back it would take something unforseen, the likes of which I can't begin to guess.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I-485 is getting a speed limit raise to 70MPH on the outerbelt:

 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article21017073.html

 

I remember getting a speeding ticket from a CMPD officer for going 65 in a 55 on the stretch between US-29 and I-85.  This was the evening of the day this segment first opened, and there were no lights whatsoever.  I still don't know where he came from, but all of a sudden, there were white and blue lights in my rear-view mirror.

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The North Carolina Department of Transportation is conducting a survey to find out what North Carolina residents think about various services provided by NCDOT.

North Carolina residents can take the survey here: http://go.ncsu.edu/ncdotsurvey

Results from this survey will be used to identify ways we can make North Carolina transportation safer, more efficient, and customer focused.

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