Recent posts

#1

Northeast / Re: What is it with I-95 & bri...

Last post by LilianaUwU - Today at 08:08:42 PM

Has driver quality lowered in the last few years? I feel like people sucking at driving isn't a new thing.

Oh, it most definitely has!  Riding around in a big rig for the past month at my new job, I'm noticing just how many drivers are on their phones or severely distracted while driving.  Not to mention the excessive speed (80 MPH in the left lane isn't fast enough), the cut-from-far-left-lane to the far right lane across 3-4 lanes at the last possible second, or the weaving in and out of lanes without any blinker or barely a look. 

My brother was in the far left lane of I-95 somewhere down by Fairfield way a couple weeks ago, and got passed by someone on the left... yup, the left.  The shoulder.  Last time I checked... that's not a travel lane.  But someone would rather risk the life everyone on the road just to get to their destination 2 minutes quicker. 

Having been in a big rig (though as a passenger), I noticed something: so many people slow way down to turn right. Nothing's obstructing your way, why are you slowing down that much?!

#2

Northeast / Re: What is it with I-95 & bri...

Last post by shadyjay - Today at 08:04:56 PM

Has driver quality lowered in the last few years? I feel like people sucking at driving isn't a new thing.

Oh, it most definitely has!  Riding around in a big rig for the past month at my new job, I'm noticing just how many drivers are on their phones or severely distracted while driving.  Not to mention the excessive speed (80 MPH in the left lane isn't fast enough), the cut-from-far-left-lane to the far right lane across 3-4 lanes at the last possible second, or the weaving in and out of lanes without any blinker or barely a look. 

My brother was in the far left lane of I-95 somewhere down by Fairfield way a couple weeks ago, and got passed by someone on the left... yup, the left.  The shoulder.  Last time I checked... that's not a travel lane.  But someone would rather risk the life everyone on the road just to get to their destination 2 minutes quicker. 

What scares me even more, especially in CT, is all the wrong-way driver incidents that have been happening in the past 1-2 years.  Do people not know how to read english?  Are they just not paying attention?  Is it the fact that drivers are more under the influence of (insert drug/alcohol here) than they were in the past?  Now, a lot of DOT projects is going towards wrong-way preventitive measures, since the bigger signs they put up aren't cutting it.  Now ramps are getting flashing red lights that are activated if a driver is going the wrong way. 

#3

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by Scott5114 - Today at 07:56:23 PM

The enshitification of YouTube continues.  They've gotten rid of the option to disable autoplay, so if you don't want the video to advance, you have to catch it at the end (and they decreased the countdown to three seconds; I think they used to give 7-10).  Since I often use YouTube to listen to music while doing other things or have a video playing picture in picture, I often won't see the countdown until it's already too late.

Are they trying to drive people away from the platform?

Honest question. Is there a reason that you can't just switch videos once you are hearing something you didn't select? I don't view it a lot different than changing the radio station if a song comes on that I don't like.

I most frequently use YouTube on mobile. It usually plays an ad at the beginning of the video it changed to, and then when I switch it to the video I actually want to watch next, I have to sit through another ad.
There are some situations in which it gives me a free pass on the second ad, but the behavior is so inconsistent that I've never been able to figure out how to replicate it.

I have adblock on desktop, so it's not a problem there.

#4

Mid-South / Re: I-10 expansion between San...

Last post by MaxConcrete - Today at 07:54:21 PM

Bids were opened today for the next section to be upgraded to a minimum of 3x3. This section is from east of the Colorado River, westward to SH 71, including a new interchange at SH 71. Pulice Construction won't sleep well tonight knowing they underbid the next bid lowest bid by $105 million.

This project includes a new 8-lane bridge over the Colorado River on a new alignment. About 1 mile of existing alignment immediately east of the Colorado River will be abandoned (although I don't know the eventual plan for it).

For many years - actually decades! - there has been a need to widen I-10 from Houston to the SH 71 split. With this project, it will finally get done.

County:   COLORADO   Let Date:   05/03/24
Type:   WIDEN ROAD - ADD LANES   Seq No:   3201
Time:   0 X   Project ID:   F 2B24(075)
Highway:   IH 10   Contract #:   05243201
Length:   1.727   CCSJ:   0271-01-083
Limits:   
From:   COLORADO RIVER BRIDGE   Check:   $100,000
To:   US 90 (ALLEYTON RD SOUTH)   Misc Cost:   
Estimate   $469,969,329.15   % Over/Under   Company
Bidder 1   $439,895,580.53   -6.40%   PULICE CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Bidder 2   $545,355,544.63   +16.04%   WEBBER, LLC
Bidder 3   $551,244,651.17   +17.29%   WILLIAMS BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.

#5

Northeast / Re: What is it with I-95 & bri...

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 07:53:48 PM

I don't want to sound crazy

Mission failed. It is odd that it happens a lot, though there's no way those events are connected.

An easy connection would be driver and road quality... Along with cost cutting strategies

Has driver quality lowered in the last few years?

Combination of that and people getting much more aggressive.

#6

Road Enthusiasts Meetings / Re: SWPA25 Road Enthusiast Mee...

Last post by Max Rockatansky - Today at 07:46:51 PM

What if you follow a link to Max's Flickr album of Bakersfield meet photos,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/albums/72177720316194217/with/53652705140

then scroll down to the photos with the Bakersfield arch in the background, some of which have the meet group in the foreground?

I guess Tom put those in another album because I do not see any of the meet group in these.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/albums/72177720316194217/  works for me.

(Sorry for the detour from discussion about tomorrow's meet.)

The one I linked in the Bakersfield thread included non-public photos.  If anyone needs something (namely the group photo) from it just let me know.

#7

Traffic Control / Re: Unique, Odd, or Interestin...

Last post by plain - Today at 07:43:32 PM

https://maps.app.goo.gl/H65XMmtmXE8bUAnW6

I'm fascinated by the road design. The centreline of the road looks somewhat flat, but the sides have a steep crossfall (this view shows how tilted the cars are along the curbs). I'm used to 2% crossfalls directly from the centreline which looks very discreet in comparison (example in Kitchener, ON).

Yeah many streets in the city are like that, especially the older ones. It does help with drainage, except if a drain happens to be blocked or clogged it will create the opposite effect. Happens around my neighborhood quite often.

#8

Traffic Control / Re: Road Sign UNO

Last post by hotdogPi - Today at 07:36:31 PM

ON 17 to US 17

#9

Sports / Re: Hockey

Last post by LilianaUwU - Today at 07:29:14 PM

The Boston Bruins once again find themselves in a position where, in spite of great talent and superb regular season record, they could blow another 3-1 lead.

And possibly take the title of "butt of jokes" from the Maple Leafs.

At least the Bruins were the Stanley Cup champions more recently than 1967.

#10

Traffic Control / Re: Road Sign UNO

Last post by LilianaUwU - Today at 07:23:25 PM

ON 24 > ON 17 (photo previously played for ON 64):

ON 17 EB at ON 64 by Liliana Vess, on Flickr