Ramp Meters being installed on US 69 in Johnson County Kansas

[route56]

Last time Scout added Ramp Meters to 435, I was sentenced to hand-deliver toilet paper to bears for a year because I forgot to mention it to everyone else. Let's just say I'm not making the same mistake twice.

For more information, contact Michele Compton, 816-607-2027.
July 17, 2015 — For immediate release                                               

Ramp Meters Scheduled to Improve Travel on U.S. 69 This Summer

LEE'S SUMMIT — Kansas City Scout, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Transportation, will introduce ramp meters at the U.S. 69 and 135th Street interchange this summer.

During morning rush hours it's challenging to enter northbound U.S. 69 from the 135th Street on-ramps due to heavy congestion. KC Scout -- a traffic management program jointly operated by the Kansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation -- is responding to the issue by adding ramp meters to the northbound on-ramps. They'll be installed this summer and are anticipated to be in operation by early to mid-August.

The ramp meters will work and look similar to traffic signals, and drivers must obey them as they would any other signals. A red light means stop, a green light allows vehicles to proceed onto the highway, controlling the flow of merging traffic.
KC Scout partnered with Kansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation to successfully install ramp meters along the I-435 corridor in 2009. Learn more about ramp metering online at http://www.kcscout.net/rampmetering

KC Scout is Kansas City's bi-state traffic management system, designed to lessen traffic jams by improving rush-hour speeds, increasing safety by decreasing the number of rush-hour accidents and improving emergency response to traffic situations by clearing incidents quickly and safely. Scout manages traffic on more than 300 miles of continuous freeways in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

Learn more about KC Scout at http://www.kcscout.net. Follow KC Scout on twitter at twitter.com/kansascityscout, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KansasCityScout.

[Darkchylde]

All the ramp meters in the world don't do much when there's still something up the road causing all the gridlock in the first place. Just look at 435 eastbound during the evening rush hour.

[Rothman]

Heh.  MnDOT actually ran an "experiment" with ramp meters along I-494 some years ago, I believe.  They actually shut them off and because things got worse and complaints were received, they were turned on again.

[GaryV]

If the Detroit area had ramp meters, nobody would pay any attention to them.

[froggie]

Heh.  MnDOT actually ran an "experiment" with ramp meters along I-494 some years ago, I believe.  They actually shut them off and because things got worse and complaints were received, they were turned on again.

MnDOT's entire Twin Cities system got shut down in 2000 for a Legislatively-mandated study.  The results were much as you describe:  things got worse.  But due to the politics and public reaction leading up to the shutdown, when they were turned back on, the algorithms were revised and shortened with faster cycling.  A few ramp meters (most notably NB 35W to WB 94) were removed.

[skluth]

Heh.  MnDOT actually ran an "experiment" with ramp meters along I-494 some years ago, I believe.  They actually shut them off and because things got worse and complaints were received, they were turned on again.

MnDOT's entire Twin Cities system got shut down in 2000 for a Legislatively-mandated study.  The results were much as you describe:  things got worse.  But due to the politics and public reaction leading up to the shutdown, when they were turned back on, the algorithms were revised and shortened with faster cycling.  A few ramp meters (most notably NB 35W to WB 94) were removed.

I remember visiting Minneapolis back then. The meters were useless because most people ignored them. After watching about 8 of 10 ignore one at a ramp onto I-35W I did the same.

[slorydn1]

I remember the ones on the Ike in Chicago when I was growing up and I don't really remember them doing any good. Once the light went green and you would get to the bottom of the ramp there was nowhere to merge to, everything was blocked up solid.

[route56]

The new ramp meters on US 69 at 135th are slated to be utilized for the first time tomorrow (8/13)

[Brandon]

If the Detroit area had ramp meters, nobody would pay any attention to them.

How can you get up to speed fast enough with them?  Duh!