Zipper merge at the lane drop? Or queue up?

"Slave2anMG" (Slave2anMG)
11/28/2013 at 15:50 • Filed to: None

Minnesota DOT says zipper. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (11)

area man > Slave2anMG
11/28/2013 at 15:59

Zipper merge, there's really no debate. You have to use all the available lane space until the very last minute, otherwise you're contributing to a traffic jam. If you have everyone trying to get into the left lane a half mile before the right lane disappears, then you're going to back up that lane way before it needs to get that crowded. The ripple effect does the work from there.

Klaus Schmoll > Slave2anMG
11/28/2013 at 16:10

Zipper! It's the law over here as well. Unfortunately, people are too stupid and queue up way too early only to complain about "those pesky (enter brand here) drivers who always merge in the last second!". It's probably some sort of misguided kindness or something, not using all of the space available.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Slave2anMG
11/28/2013 at 16:18

I always go as far forward as I can anyways. Since MNs roads are always under construction, and I mean ALWAYS, we Minnesotans have gotten pretty good at it.

Slave2anMG > area man
11/28/2013 at 17:12

Thank you, Oppopotamuses. A trucker took exception to my calling out the truckers who block the lanes leading to the drop...one day I'd like to see state troopers cite those guys for obstructing the flow of traffic.

davedave1111 > area man
11/28/2013 at 18:28

"there's really no debate. You have to use all the available lane space until the very last minute, otherwise you're contributing to a traffic jam"

In theory, that's true. In practice, it's going to usually be better to (effectively) extend the length of the lane-closed zone by a couple of hundred yards in order to get a smoother merge.

It's silly merging miles back, but it's also a bit unrealistic to think that if everyone waits to merge until the very last minute, some idiot isn't going to screw it up and bring everyone to a complete halt. A bit of common sense is all that's needed. Don't merge too early, but also don't wait so long that if someone makes an error merging, you don't have a second bite at the cherry before running out of road.

area man > davedave1111
11/28/2013 at 19:09

It's true, there is no way that a completely perfect zipper merge could occur on a highway in real life.

davedave1111 > area man
11/28/2013 at 19:18

I've seen good merging at times, but ironically only when the road's empty enough that it makes no difference.

And sometimes there's just no good way to merge. There's a permanent two-lane merge near me that they've managed to make coincide with a bus stop and pedestrian crossing. Even when traffic's fairly light, you need to be watching out for pedestrians and buses at the point when you should have your attention on merging.

fink stinger > Slave2anMG
11/29/2013 at 11:11

Uh, what? You are pissed at the truckers who are the only ones on the road that know how to 'jump start' the constant flow of traffic? I am not a trucker, but have driven a LOT of miles and been in a lot of traffic backups. The one constant I see is that clueless people all contribute to the backup with their stop and go. Sometimes, it only takes two vehicles to go slowly at a constant speed for a little while to get traffic flowing smoothly again.

Slave2anMG > fink stinger
11/29/2013 at 11:46

I drive 35-40K miles a year now so I'm regularly in backups. What I'm talking about isn't like setting the speed limit lower on the M25 during rush hour - that DOES help traffic flow. This is two trucks crawling along parallel at 10 mph for the mile or two leading up to the lane drop and that isn't jump starting anything. It's illegal (impeding the flow of traffic) and runs counter to multiple traffic studies.

fink stinger > Slave2anMG
11/29/2013 at 11:58

Sounds like we are talking about slightly different scenarios. Sorry. Can't say I have witnessed the one you are talking about.

What I was talking about is where we sometimes end up in these long backups where everyone goes forward 100 feet and then stops for 30 seconds, repeat, rinse, repeat. Having a couple of trucks slow down beside each other to just below the average speed of the stop and go traffic for a while can get the traffic behind them flowing smoothly again.

Thing is, the trucks are all talking to each other about the backups before they get there and might sometimes have a chance to proactively quench it. All the individual cars just roll up unaware and are forced to react.

Slave2anMG > fink stinger
11/29/2013 at 12:03

Very different things, yes. You're talking about the standing-wave conga dance... As for mine, the next time you're out on the Interstate and come upon a construction zone on the other side...look at the truckers. They'll pair up...they want to stop people from going all the way to the merge point, thus creating multi-mile long queues.