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Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Aug 14, 2014 20:47:54 GMT
Perhaps a way to revisit this would be testing which lane is the fastest when dealing with congestion. Have three cars go on the highway during rush hour, placing one in each lane (left/middle/right) and see which one gets to a prescibed destination first. One rule: No lane changes, unless required for construction or an emergency (disabled vehicle or accident in the lane).
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Post by silverdragon on Aug 15, 2014 8:47:35 GMT
That one will surprise you TUM.
Its been done, by some motoring show, and after two hours, the difference between each lane was marginal. As in, anything under 5 mins difference after two hours is discountable as no significant gain....
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Post by WhutScreenName on Aug 15, 2014 13:19:39 GMT
Perhaps a way to revisit this would be testing which lane is the fastest when dealing with congestion. Have three cars go on the highway during rush hour, placing one in each lane (left/middle/right) and see which one gets to a prescibed destination first. One rule: No lane changes, unless required for construction or an emergency (disabled vehicle or accident in the lane). They did that on the MB show when Tory was the lane changer. Tory won by several minutes even though he felt he was only a car length ahead. I don't remember the order the others came in, but all 4 other cars stuck to their lane the whole way.
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Post by the light works on Aug 15, 2014 14:12:28 GMT
I was thinking more a local/short term scenario. In my case, I normally go through town in the left lane (fast lane) instead of the curb lane, because much of the town has on street parking and the lanes are squeezed to minimum legal widths - which means that anyone who parks badly or opens their door at the wrong time has the potential to become a problem for me. - my tradeoff is I get stuck behind people waiting to turn across traffic.
similarly, in Los Angeles, there were several times I was "splitting lanes" on my bike, and looked over to see normal traffic in the "slow lane" going faster than I was. (granted, I was only going at +2-5 MPH in relation to the lanes I was alongside, instead of the +30-40 that some of the bikers would do)
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Post by silverdragon on Aug 16, 2014 7:49:19 GMT
The Bikers lane, for veritably, it doth say on the licence application, tear along the dotted line....
Right, on a bike, if you are not ahead, you aint trying. Of course that depends on the bike....
If its a put-put, you need the slim lines to squeeze through to get to the front, 'cos after 30, all traffic is passing you anyway.
On a large tourer, you aint gettin' through that gap anyway. But you can go outside a long line....
It depends on the rider and level of risk. If you are a normal slightly paranoid "Why should I wait I can see a large gap" rider, you will gain slightly, and find a parking space less than half hours walk away. If you are a timid frightened trying not to get squished all the time, why bother?... If you are a Despatch rider, when it comes to accidents, its not "If", its "When", they are the origin of the term Organ Donor.
Most sensible riders will take a gift gap when offered, of course only when safe. But define sensible. I have in my past managed a two hour journey in less than one hour with time for a coffee as well.... That same journey can take up to 5 hrs with a Motorway Closure.
Favourite Bike are ST, Sports Tourers, or just throw me a Ducati 907ie.
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Post by the light works on Aug 16, 2014 8:02:50 GMT
The Bikers lane, for veritably, it doth say on the licence application, tear along the dotted line.... Right, on a bike, if you are not ahead, you aint trying. Of course that depends on the bike.... If its a put-put, you need the slim lines to squeeze through to get to the front, 'cos after 30, all traffic is passing you anyway. On a large tourer, you aint gettin' through that gap anyway. But you can go outside a long line.... It depends on the rider and level of risk. If you are a normal slightly paranoid "Why should I wait I can see a large gap" rider, you will gain slightly, and find a parking space less than half hours walk away. If you are a timid frightened trying not to get squished all the time, why bother?... If you are a Despatch rider, when it comes to accidents, its not "If", its "When", they are the origin of the term Organ Donor. Most sensible riders will take a gift gap when offered, of course only when safe. But define sensible. I have in my past managed a two hour journey in less than one hour with time for a coffee as well.... That same journey can take up to 5 hrs with a Motorway Closure. Favourite Bike are ST, Sports Tourers, or just throw me a Ducati 907ie. in California, it is legal to "share" a lane as long as you can safely do so. - which means if you hit something, it is automatically your fault and you get a citation. I have a little Yamaha (700) but I would gladly swap it for a harley. something to do with being able to stretch out and relax.
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Post by OziRiS on Aug 16, 2014 23:16:58 GMT
The ones we have in Oregon look a lot like what Adam and Jamie devised. View AttachmentLooks like a two lane roundabout: (1) an outer entry/exit lane and (2) an inner travel lane. The roundabouts I've used have been single lane only, which creates a bigger mess. Whether single lane creates a bigger mess is down to two things: 1: Whether or not the people using it are used to raoundabouts 2: Whether the roundabout's been constructed to handle the amount of traffic that's going to pass through it. You'd be surprised how many city councils and what not have opted for a single lane roundabout in a place that has more than 3,000 cars per hour, even though there's a lot of research to suggest a single lane is only suitable for places with a max of 1,500 cars per hour.
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Post by the light works on Aug 17, 2014 10:20:13 GMT
Looks like a two lane roundabout: (1) an outer entry/exit lane and (2) an inner travel lane. The roundabouts I've used have been single lane only, which creates a bigger mess. Whether single lane creates a bigger mess is down to two things: 1: Whether or not the people using it are used to raoundabouts 2: Whether the roundabout's been constructed to handle the amount of traffic that's going to pass through it. You'd be surprised how many city councils and what not have opted for a single lane roundabout in a place that has more than 3,000 cars per hour, even though there's a lot of research to suggest a single lane is only suitable for places with a max of 1,500 cars per hour. This is the one I think is bad - and apparently other people think it is, too. keep in mind this is on the north-south highway. wikimapia.org/9446849/Roundabouteverytime I have been through there, it has been causing a traffic ripple; because for 90% of the drivers, it is basically an awkward chicane.
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Post by OziRiS on Aug 17, 2014 12:37:23 GMT
Whether single lane creates a bigger mess is down to two things: 1: Whether or not the people using it are used to raoundabouts 2: Whether the roundabout's been constructed to handle the amount of traffic that's going to pass through it. You'd be surprised how many city councils and what not have opted for a single lane roundabout in a place that has more than 3,000 cars per hour, even though there's a lot of research to suggest a single lane is only suitable for places with a max of 1,500 cars per hour. This is the one I think is bad - and apparently other people think it is, too. keep in mind this is on the north-south highway. wikimapia.org/9446849/Roundabouteverytime I have been through there, it has been causing a traffic ripple; because for 90% of the drivers, it is basically an awkward chicane. It may be because I'm used to roundabouts, but I don't see the problem there. Looks reasonable enough to me.
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Post by the light works on Aug 18, 2014 2:07:35 GMT
Are you used to taking roundabouts like that at 55 mph? Because that is the speed limit on that road.
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Post by OziRiS on Aug 18, 2014 6:51:39 GMT
Are you used to taking roundabouts like that at 55 mph? Because that is the speed limit on that road. No, but I'm used to roundabouts popping up on roads with a 45-50 mph speed limit and slowing down to get through them. That's kind of how they work. Question is why it's been put there. Was it originally a T-intersection where people had to wait long periods of time to get from the side road to the main road and does that side road have a lot of traffic needing to get onto that main road? If that was the case, it would have made sense to put it there. If it wasn't, then placing a roundabout there was a complete waste of time and money, not to mention inconveniencing people for no good reason.
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Post by silverdragon on Aug 18, 2014 11:01:19 GMT
Are you used to taking roundabouts like that at 55 mph? Because that is the speed limit on that road. Hmmm... "Limit" or "Target"...?.... I know TLW aint here at the mo, but I wonder how many people manage 55mph around that obstacle... and then ask how many of them should have been going that fast.... "I see stupid people".............
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Post by the light works on Aug 22, 2014 16:00:34 GMT
Are you used to taking roundabouts like that at 55 mph? Because that is the speed limit on that road. Hmmm... "Limit" or "Target"...?.... I know TLW aint here at the mo, but I wonder how many people manage 55mph around that obstacle... and then ask how many of them should have been going that fast.... "I see stupid people"............. few to none, because it don't get done - remember in traffic tricks about how one person braking set up a permanent ripple? I think last time I ran that stretch of road was in my wife's pickup - which isn't really a slouch on corners - and my analysis would be that if I had clear roadway to take as many lanes as I wanted, I could straighten it enough to take at 35-40. this is an example of it being there because they wanted to own a traffic circle, not because they felt it could improve the flow through the intersection.
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Post by blazerrose on Mar 2, 2015 4:49:36 GMT
Rewatching this episode tonight I realized that they had Tory check in at the counter and check luggage. I wonder how much more time he would have saved by coming in with print-at-home boarding passes and not checking luggage. I would bet I saved probably a good half an hour at each airport when I flew to Japan last year by not having to go get my luggage before going through customs, then rechecking it. Even on domestic flights, however, I do the same and I feel like I save a lot of time.
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Post by the light works on Mar 2, 2015 18:53:12 GMT
an anecdotal illustration I forgot about: in college I attended a conference in seattle, which was about 500 miles from my college - due to my schedule, I couldn't carpool with the rest of the group, so I flew up and back. for the return leg, the group dropped me off at the airport at about the correct lead time for my flight. I got into the dorm about 5 minutes after they did. however: my first leg flight was delayed, because it was slow departing the previous stop due to ice on the runways. the second leg was delayed because an earlier flight out of the stopover airport had mechanical trouble, and they gave them our plane, since they had already been waiting a couple hours. I spent the extra 4 hours sitting in airport seating reading my book, instead of sitting in a car on the road.
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Post by silverdragon on Mar 3, 2015 9:24:06 GMT
The plane still leaves at the same time.... And what would you do with the extra time?.. Sit about bored waiting at an airport whilst your connecting flight still hasnt boarded yet?... Yeah, I will print-at-home and use express luggage systems when available, but I am mindful that the plane wont leave early, what ever I do......?
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Post by silverdragon on Mar 3, 2015 9:28:01 GMT
Delays, always delays, and usually when you need them least. I always get delays when I am doing domestic family runs. Why?.. Because my stupid family REFUSE to leave "early". They whine like a dry back axle when we hit a traffic jam... And when I say "Well if we had left when I said we would have missed this", the atmosphere goes all funny?... like it MY fault anyway?....
No this isnt a rant, its just with near on 40 years experience of roads, as a professional driver, you would think I knew how to plan a long journey by now?... So why do my family "Know better"...
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Post by the light works on Mar 3, 2015 14:16:15 GMT
Delays, always delays, and usually when you need them least. I always get delays when I am doing domestic family runs. Why?.. Because my stupid family REFUSE to leave "early". They whine like a dry back axle when we hit a traffic jam... And when I say "Well if we had left when I said we would have missed this", the atmosphere goes all funny?... like it MY fault anyway?.... No this isnt a rant, its just with near on 40 years experience of roads, as a professional driver, you would think I knew how to plan a long journey by now?... So why do my family "Know better"... because you're just the autopilot. kinda like my vent a few months ago about Mrs TLW pushing back our departure time by a half hour, and insisting that we go through the singular most congested road in Portland; which resulted in us arriving at the airport at the same time the plane was leaving the airport. (I am leaving out her insistence that our exit wasn't our exit, because that actually resulted in a net savings of time)
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Post by blazerrose on Mar 4, 2015 5:58:49 GMT
The plane still leaves at the same time.... And what would you do with the extra time?.. Sit about bored waiting at an airport whilst your connecting flight still hasnt boarded yet?... Yeah, I will print-at-home and use express luggage systems when available, but I am mindful that the plane wont leave early, what ever I do......? It does, but you don't have to leave the house as early if you don't check luggage, etc.
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Post by silverdragon on Mar 4, 2015 7:57:22 GMT
As of Reading the post by TLW, any excuse to leave later, my family will miss the flight.
We also do early morning, as the traffic is quieter, the airport is empty, and its a lot easier when the staff are not rushed... Knowing your way around and knowing which staff to talk to are also of great help (From me working there) I still gets all the security, as I should do, I would be offended if anyone thought I didnt need it, but they already know I wouldnt take the rise.
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