Recent posts

#1

General Highway Talk / Re: No more 'rainbow' crosswal...

Last post by Scott5114 - Today at 12:24:23 AM

But looks like those lower level professionals are no longer there, most likely boomers going into sunset.

I seem to recall at the beginning of Duffy's term of office, there was a big push to get rid of a whole bunch of those lower level professionals. We had a lower level professional from another agency who was very angry about it make a thread about it on this forum, even.

I don't know if it's because I've been up since yesterday, but the idea of a LGBT organization maintaining roads seems hilarious to me for no other reason than the absurdity of the concept.

I don't know of any particular LGBT organization that has done it, but interest groups volunteering to take care of potholes and trash and other things that city governments won't do in under-served areas is a way that they sometimes try to win support for whatever their cause is.

#2

General Highway Talk / Re: No more 'rainbow' crosswal...

Last post by LilianaUwU - July 04, 2025, 11:48:48 PM

So, to come back to original issue. I hope whatever agency spends money on those rainbow things has enough money and manpower to maintain their bridges and roads.

I'm sad to tell you that Friends of Madison Arts Commission, Pride San Antonio, Northalsted Business Alliance, and other local organizations that fund the rainbows are letting all the roads they maintain go to shit.

I don't know if it's because I've been up since yesterday, but the idea of a LGBT organization maintaining roads seems hilarious to me for no other reason than the absurdity of the concept.

#3

General Highway Talk / Re: No more 'rainbow' crosswal...

Last post by Rothman - July 04, 2025, 11:34:01 PM

US SecTrans (Sean Duffy) has ordered that all 'rainbow' crosswalks in the USA be removed as being a distraction to drivers.  Thoughts?

I don't think he's competent to serve as Secretary of Transportation. He has no qualifications for the office aside from appearing on two television shows that have the word "road" in the title—which I suspect is the reason he was appointed to the office, as such a naive misunderstanding would be par for the course for the person who made the appointment.

Functionally, this memo can be ignored—the only way USDOT has to enforce compliance is by withholding federal funding. Most streets that are pedestrian-focused enough to have crosswalks are maintained by local agencies that get no federal funding anyway.

In light of that, I strongly encourage Secretary Duffy to take a long walk off a short pier, then to go jump in a lake (I understand there is a rather large one in Wisconsin's 7th district, which he represented in Congress), and when he's done with that to go piss up a rope, and I would say so to Secretary Duffy were he to ask my opinion on the matter, either directly or on a Congressionally-required public comment docket.

You described someone as qualified, if not more qualified than the previous guy.

Equating a TV show guy to a previous elected official who had responsibility for their jurisdiction's transportation program is certainly a stretch.

My neighbor is working on his driveway right now. Would that make him qualify to lead DOT from your perspective?
My biggest memory of Pete B. Is how FAA - which is part of DOT - was going through complete meltdown while big boss was on paternity leave.

At least the entire USDOT wasn't melting down.  FHWA is letting DOTs know that review periods have now doubled, delaying projects.  The scale of damage done since January is astronomical compared to anything prior.

Are we still attacking personalities or talking something else?

Evidently, you're moving goalposts.  We were talking about qualifications and then the results of the lack therof and how this administration has done more damage to USDOT than any other in my lifetime.

#4

General Highway Talk / Re: XY Challenge

Last post by wanderer2575 - July 04, 2025, 11:16:54 PM

US-35 northbound at US-6 southeast of Kingsbury, IN:

#5

Off-Topic / Re: Random Thoughts

Last post by Henry - July 04, 2025, 11:11:57 PM

I've heard that song a zillion times in the almost 40 years since its release, and the title never made sense to me (a problem that's compounded by the fact that the chorus goes "I can't live with or without you"). You have to decide if you want to be with or without someone, and it can't be done both ways.

#6

General Highway Talk / Re: No more 'rainbow' crosswal...

Last post by NE2 - July 04, 2025, 10:59:25 PM

So, to come back to original issue. I hope whatever agency spends money on those rainbow things has enough money and manpower to maintain their bridges and roads.

I'm sad to tell you that Friends of Madison Arts Commission, Pride San Antonio, Northalsted Business Alliance, and other local organizations that fund the rainbows are letting all the roads they maintain go to shit.

#7

Mid-Atlantic / Re: Virginia

Last post by Beltway - July 04, 2025, 10:59:24 PM

This is now open -- a huge improvement. The ramp now has 2 lanes and long 2 lane transitions on both highways. Instead of long backups on Route 288, it was free-flowing at normal speeds when I went thru there at peak hours.

https://www.chesterfield.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4734

Route 288 Southbound to Route 360 Westbound Ramp Improvements

This Streamline 360/288 project will lengthen the Route 288 Southbound to Route 360 Westbound off-ramp, widening it to two lanes, and construct a park-and-ride lot at the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center - Hull Street Campus. The Route 288 Southbound to Route 360 Westbound off-ramp carries a high volume of exiting traffic during the afternoon rush hour, with over 1,700 vehicles in one travel lane. As a result, vehicles back-up onto Route 288 beyond the deceleration lane, extend nearly a mile upstream and causing a pattern of rear-end crashes.
. . . . . .

There are several more improvements planned here. A semi-directional ramp for the opposite movement, C-D lane for SB Route 288, and six-lane widening of Route 288 between US-360 and VA-76 Powhite Parkway.

#8

General Highway Talk / Re: No more 'rainbow' crosswal...

Last post by kalvado - July 04, 2025, 10:14:36 PM

I am just saying that the bar is already set low enough. And that is before we start talking about engineering.. 

I would absolutely love more DOT secretaries with any sort of DOT experience.

But whether or not Duffy sucks is entirely orthogonal to whether Buttigieg sucked or not. And whatever your opinions of him, Buttigieg is no longer even in a position to suck (so there is no need to get him to stop; if he sucks he can do it in the comfort of his own home where it doesn't bother anyone), while Duffy is actively sucking in public every day.

We are talking about the way things (don't) work. Usual response is that while some top brass are political appointes, lower level bureaucracy stays and keeps things going. But looks like those lower level professionals are no longer there, most likely boomers going into sunset.
And of course throwing money at problems as the preferred way of solving them works only as long as there are money to throw.
So, to come back to original issue. I hope whatever agency spends money on those rainbow things has enough money and manpower to maintain their bridges and roads.

#9

General Highway Talk / Re: Google Maps for navigation...

Last post by Max Rockatansky - July 04, 2025, 10:12:44 PM

I ran a time estimate from my house to Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park last night.  I got 2 hours 25 minute result which I thought was pretty conservative for no traffic.  This morning I made it to Crystal Cave in 2 hours 8 minutes.  I suspect that I made up a lot of that time on Crystal Cave Road which doesn't seem to have a lot of solid data. 

#10

Traffic Control / Re: Erroneous road signs

Last post by Big John - July 04, 2025, 10:09:14 PM

^^ and the US 36 shield leaves something to be desired at the long corners.