Any Way to Avoid Congestion From Western NY thru Albany to VT

Started by flyfishingjon, July 14, 2016, 05:07:04 PM

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Rothman

Quote from: kalvado on July 28, 2016, 04:22:21 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 27, 2016, 10:48:22 PM
The dissatisfaction with that intersection is quite frequent amongst employees at NYSDOT.
Any talk about redesigning that ramp to full 2-lane 55 MPH operation?


No.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.


froggie

Given the Thruway toll plaza is barely 600ft past the ramp merge, I don't see where making it a 55 MPH ramp would be sane.  Even if the Thruway were to convert to AET, you'd barely have a quarter-mile between the ramp merge and the Thruway ramp split, with a lot of weaving there.

kalvado

Quote from: froggie on July 28, 2016, 10:21:32 AM
Given the Thruway toll plaza is barely 600ft past the ramp merge, I don't see where making it a 55 MPH ramp would be sane.  Even if the Thruway were to convert to AET, you'd barely have a quarter-mile between the ramp merge and the Thruway ramp split, with a lot of weaving there.
Its a bit of convoluted issue.
As far as I understand, ramp was built as a high speed 2-lane ramp, with 3 lanes (I-90 east, Thruway, and option lane) at the exit. Other ramp to I-90E is sort of hairy at 55 MPH, but doesn't have too many accidents.
Long straight ramp to Thruway with a sharper curve and  toll right after merge resulted in significant number of accidents - mostly involving trucks, as far as I understood. SO ramp was reduced to 1 lane by pavement marks - and vehicles have more room to recover if coming with excess speed. Cost is - well, it is 1 lane at all times, and that single lane often  moves at 15-20 MPH.
I would say solution have to be two-fold: make curve less harsh (and looks like there is enough space for that, it is really about  a small patch of grass), and slowing down traffic - maybe some "toll ahead - slow down"  and "EZpass booths 20 MPH limit"  signs would work as ramp heads directly into toll anyway.

Actually there are 2 more locations nearby with similar problem due to same design pattern. One has much lower traffic and works sort of fine, another has same backup issue, exaggerated by poor lane management.  Talk about one engineer leaving  landmarks to be blamed for decades to come.

Rothman

Quote from: kalvado on July 28, 2016, 11:00:01 AM
Actually there are 2 more locations nearby with similar problem due to same design pattern. One has much lower traffic and works sort of fine, another has same backup issue, exaggerated by poor lane management.  Talk about one engineer leaving  landmarks to be blamed for decades to come.

Same design as Exit 24/Exit 1?  Which locations are you thinking about?
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

kalvado

Quote from: Rothman on July 28, 2016, 12:04:02 PM
Quote from: kalvado on July 28, 2016, 11:00:01 AM
Actually there are 2 more locations nearby with similar problem due to same design pattern. One has much lower traffic and works sort of fine, another has same backup issue, exaggerated by poor lane management.  Talk about one engineer leaving  landmarks to be blamed for decades to come.

Same design as Exit 24/Exit 1?  Which locations are you thinking about?
I am thinking ramp I87 exit 2W as a carbon copy and somewhat similar southern terminus of 787 (with attempted correction of sharp curve, though)

Conn. Roads

From western NY, I'd get off around Amsterdam, then take NY 67 through Ballston Spa, and Mechanicville. Those would be the only choke points, other than a few other small villages east of Mechanicville, and you are through them before you blink anyway. You'll get to experience Malta, which I'm sure holds the record for the most round abouts per square mile. If you're a rail geek too, there's the benefit of following the Boston and Maine/Pan Am.

hotdogPi

Quote from: Conn. Roads on November 24, 2018, 08:43:40 PM
From western NY, I'd get off around Amsterdam, then take NY 67 through Ballston Spa, and Mechanicville. Those would be the only choke points, other than a few other small villages east of Mechanicville, and you are through them before you blink anyway. You'll get to experience Malta, which I'm sure holds the record for the most round abouts per square mile. If you're a rail geek too, there's the benefit of following the Boston and Maine/Pan Am.

You're over two years late.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

vdeane

From what I've heard, Carmel, IN has Malta beat by quite a bit.  They have over 100 roundabouts.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Buffaboy

Quote from: vdeane on November 25, 2018, 07:21:11 PM
From what I've heard, Carmel, IN has Malta beat by quite a bit.  They have over 100 roundabouts.

Who pushed for all of those? They look decent, I wonder how they function.
What's not to like about highways and bridges, intersections and interchanges, rails and planes?

My Wikipedia county SVG maps: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Buffaboy

kalvado

Quote from: Buffaboy on November 26, 2018, 12:17:15 AM
Quote from: vdeane on November 25, 2018, 07:21:11 PM
From what I've heard, Carmel, IN has Malta beat by quite a bit.  They have over 100 roundabouts.

Who pushed for all of those? They look decent, I wonder how they function.
So-so. One of those circles made it into a top 20 crash list in the area.
It was quite early push, almost late 1990s, I believe.



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