CGord
06-02-2001, 12:55 AM
Commuter lanes are the bane of my existence.
They are the worst idea on the public roadways I have ever seen, barring the 55mph limit. They don't encourage carpooling, they just make traffic WORSE by limiting the available roadway. It is a failed experiment that needs to end.
When I was in Washington, the carpool lanes were carpool lanes 24-7; all the time, no matter what.
Here in CA, (or, at least here in the Bay Area) they are commuter lanes only during rush hour. They are HOV lanes from 6am-9am & from 4pm-7pm (or is that 3pm?) Monday thru Friday. The rest of the time, they're the fast lane. (I have not yet attempted to test these lane's status on legal holidays that don't fall on a weekend.)
The rules of the lanes are posted; 2 occupants or more. Well, what if the 2nd person is not of driving age?
Or not a licensed driver?
Or legally blind?
They may as well be the family pet, in regards to easing traffic congestion.
Going back to the lanes being HOV only during rush hour, I thought that was a GREAT idea when I moved here from WA. And when it's not rush hour, the extra lane is a boon to traffic flow.
But then I looked at it from a different perspective.
The highway I travel on in my commute is 2 lanes + 1 HOV lane. I am usually on it somewhere between 5:30pm-7:30pm every weekday. Hundreds of thousands of us sit there, watching a car go by every few seconds. Then it hit me.
During the busiest time of day on the freeways, what does this system do?
LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE ROADWAY!!!!!!!!
On the freeway I use, BY A GODDAMNED THIRD!!!
Guess what happens at 7:00?
The congestion clears up, traffic begins to move.
Well, yeah, you've just increased the amount of available lanes by 50%, duh!
It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
Now, let's say traffic is moving fairly briskly. There is always an idiot going 60 in a 65 with a passenger, so they automatically get into the HOV lane, because they can.
If I'm going faster than they are, & I'm by myself, I am forced to pass on the right. How safe is that? I'm regularly going faster than the traffic on either side of me, & I'm not the fastest driver out there, not by a long shot.
The bluehair in the Valiant would tell me to drive the speed limit; I would refer them to the rule of the road that says SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. This is posted as often as the speed limit. It says NOTHING about the speed of the faster vehicle, it says SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. There is no
*unless the faster vehicle is obviously breaking the posted limit
at the bottom of these roadsigns. RRRGGHHHH!!!!!!!
Commuter lanes need to go the way of the 55mph limit & environmental impact fees. Bad, bad, bad legislation.
------------------
-Curt
"There ought to be limits to Freedom."
http://home.earthlink.net/~fiveofanatic/exmo.jpg
[This message has been edited by CGord (edited 06-02-2001).]
They are the worst idea on the public roadways I have ever seen, barring the 55mph limit. They don't encourage carpooling, they just make traffic WORSE by limiting the available roadway. It is a failed experiment that needs to end.
When I was in Washington, the carpool lanes were carpool lanes 24-7; all the time, no matter what.
Here in CA, (or, at least here in the Bay Area) they are commuter lanes only during rush hour. They are HOV lanes from 6am-9am & from 4pm-7pm (or is that 3pm?) Monday thru Friday. The rest of the time, they're the fast lane. (I have not yet attempted to test these lane's status on legal holidays that don't fall on a weekend.)
The rules of the lanes are posted; 2 occupants or more. Well, what if the 2nd person is not of driving age?
Or not a licensed driver?
Or legally blind?
They may as well be the family pet, in regards to easing traffic congestion.
Going back to the lanes being HOV only during rush hour, I thought that was a GREAT idea when I moved here from WA. And when it's not rush hour, the extra lane is a boon to traffic flow.
But then I looked at it from a different perspective.
The highway I travel on in my commute is 2 lanes + 1 HOV lane. I am usually on it somewhere between 5:30pm-7:30pm every weekday. Hundreds of thousands of us sit there, watching a car go by every few seconds. Then it hit me.
During the busiest time of day on the freeways, what does this system do?
LESSEN THE AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE ROADWAY!!!!!!!!
On the freeway I use, BY A GODDAMNED THIRD!!!
Guess what happens at 7:00?
The congestion clears up, traffic begins to move.
Well, yeah, you've just increased the amount of available lanes by 50%, duh!
It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
Now, let's say traffic is moving fairly briskly. There is always an idiot going 60 in a 65 with a passenger, so they automatically get into the HOV lane, because they can.
If I'm going faster than they are, & I'm by myself, I am forced to pass on the right. How safe is that? I'm regularly going faster than the traffic on either side of me, & I'm not the fastest driver out there, not by a long shot.
The bluehair in the Valiant would tell me to drive the speed limit; I would refer them to the rule of the road that says SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. This is posted as often as the speed limit. It says NOTHING about the speed of the faster vehicle, it says SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. There is no
*unless the faster vehicle is obviously breaking the posted limit
at the bottom of these roadsigns. RRRGGHHHH!!!!!!!
Commuter lanes need to go the way of the 55mph limit & environmental impact fees. Bad, bad, bad legislation.
------------------
-Curt
"There ought to be limits to Freedom."
http://home.earthlink.net/~fiveofanatic/exmo.jpg
[This message has been edited by CGord (edited 06-02-2001).]