Traffic Management for Accidents

[vdeane]

If I were driver B, I would have honked by horn at driver A and moved to another lane to pass him if at all possible.

As far as I'm concerned, people traveling under the speed limit have a duty to not slow down faster traffic unless conditions require.  So if your car is working fine, weather is OK, and you aren't behind another slow person, speed up or move over.  Also, this is NY we're talking about.  There were probably 25 police cars within 50 miles.  At least they could have gotten the one at the other end of the bridge.  By time time I got through there weren't any police on scene to my knowledge, likely because the accident had been going on for a couple hours by that point.

As for the zipper lane taking a long time to move: there was a lot of time available.  It took me an hour and a half to get through, and I'd estimate the accident happened about half an hour before I got to the jam (boy was it a bad idea for me to stop at a CT service area earlier that day).  Traffic entering the jam just half an hour before I got in it probably took three hours to get through.  By the time I got through, I'd estimate that all the interstates in the area were effectively closed in that direction.

[jeffandnicole]

7.5 years of hibernation is good enough for this...

On my way home yesterday there was an accident on 295 South in NJ at a unexpectedly sharp curve within the 295/76/42 construction project beyond the infamous Aljo curve (https://goo.gl/maps/ztWYjhEQ5gN2).  A tractor trailer loaded with oranges tipped over, rolling oranges all over the highway.  While it smelled orangy fresh, it left a big traffic problem.  The pink sings came out, first saying "Right Lane Closed" and another saying  "Traffic Emergency 1/4 mile".  Thankfully when I went thru there the lanes were all open, which is the point of this message.

The vehicles still being used were all off the roadway, and one was even behind the construction barrier.  No cops or our Emergency Service Patrol Vehicles were present.  Just a forklift moving boxes of oranges, a trailer with oranges being loaded onto it, and another trailer or two which may have transported the forklift to the scene.  If you didn't look closely or know what had happened, you would easily think this was all part of the construction project.

Without the distractions of flashing lights from emergency equipment, traffic was flowing by without a problem. I went this way again later on in the evening, and while all the vehicles were gone, there were still a few hundred oranges laying on the grassy shoulder off the roadway.  Free for the picking; just wipe off the road salt!

[ET21]

Yes they do give travel times too.  The travel time is the primary, accidents/congestion/amber alerts are secondary.

But they are nowhere near as good nor as consistent as the Tollway.  They post travel times at all hours in both directions as well as messages.  IDiOT's main message at the VMS on I-55 Nbd at MP 255?  "Click It Or Ticket".  Really freaking useful.   

It's even better on I-90 with the overhead lane management signs every 1/2-1 mile, which will eventually go on I-294 with the rebuild.

[webny99]

NY has definitely been getting better about giving advance warning for accidents.
I was on NY 104 westbound approaching the Bay Bridge yesterday and the VMS east of Bay Road had this message:

ACCIDENT ON 590 SOUTH BEFORE NORTON
EXPECT DELAYS

It was enough advance warning that drivers bound for 590 South had a few acceptable southbound alternates.
I personally opted to grin and bear it; traffic was dead stopped for about three minutes before picking right up to speed.
Everything was clear by the time I reached the supposed scene.