Yield signs and lane additions

[Mergingtraffic]

This comes up a lot on CT roadways.  You have 1 or more lanes adding on to the mainline from a ramp.  CTDOT likes to put YIELD signs on the lanes that are coming on.  However, since there is no merge, there is no reason to YIELD. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2068363,-73.1924443,3a,75y,80.47h,74.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKVt_CSPk2yq-gGl8wJdd6A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bridgeport,+CT/@41.2068205,-73.1917425,147m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89e8092a96783719:0xdf8bfca7094fcece!8m2!3d41.1865478!4d-73.1951767

If you're on a through lane and want to merge over to a lane that is coming on, you have to merge to the traffic that is in that lane.  The YIELD signs make it the opposite.  Thoughts?

[kphoger]

We had a similar discussion several months ago, too lazy to look it up right now. The same thing exists in town, where a right turn off channelized into its own added lane but also gets a Yield sign. I always ignore the Yield sign in these scenarios.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

Example of that in Eau Claire Wi, right turning traffic from US 12 has to yield to the oncoming left turning traffic even though both get their own lane, because the major movement turns right at the intersection ahead.

https://goo.gl/maps/KLZBAvT1Wv42

[Brian556]

There are many reasons that traffic in that situation would need to yield. The cloverleaf example is a good one. Also, at this one, you need to cross 3 lanes if you want to get to SB I-35E, or even the mall. You can't do that with traffic flowing by.
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.0081912,-96.9711036,3a,75y,251.42h,83.84t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIbMys56y2RvUb1lwVRYc2g!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DIbMys56y2RvUb1lwVRYc2g%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D279.70517%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Also. free right turns are problematic for through traffic that needs to get in the right lane as soon as it begins in order to turn in to a business driveway.
This one is signalized, but is an example of this:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.0463983,-97.009509,3a,46.2y,293.4h,90.1t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sA3CrrR_xN0aEC4HBXLwlmg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DA3CrrR_xN0aEC4HBXLwlmg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D125.82783%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Also, this one sucks for more reasons. Drivers coming from SB I-35E cannot access Edmonds Ln, and the signal occurs too soon after the right turn, and a lot of drivers don't see it. They don't even bother with a warning sign for this situation.

In general, I disapprove of how some of these have yield signs while others don't. Similar situations should be handled similarly

[jeffandnicole]

Sometimes, there are less obvious reasons why a Yield sign is present.  Take this for example in NJ: https://goo.gl/maps/o1zidHsuhcQ2  The left lane is traffic coming off from I-295 North to US 130 North.  The right lane is local traffic entering the ramp system.  It appears they have their own lane, so why the Yield sign?  It's a little more obvious in the aerial view: https://goo.gl/maps/RTZDWVzbUfK2  Barely 400' from where the lanes join, traffic can exit onto a slip ramp.  The Yield sign is intended to slow (or stop) those coming from the slower side street to allow those coming off the much faster highway ramp to freely merge into the right lane so they can slow and exit onto that slip ramp.