Seeking clues to your highway traffic mysteries

[froggie]

Pickett and Edsall...an area of commercial hell.

[1995hoo]

Pickett and Edsall...an area of commercial hell.

Pretty much. I can't imagine wanting to live in the new condos going up at the corner of Pickett and Van Dorn.

[mrsman]

I wish instead of the sign you've posted they would use the unambiguous "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS." All too many people think it's OK to say, "Well, I'm going the speed limit, so I'm not 'slower.'"

That's right, and New Jersey, the one state that I'm familiar with that regularly posts these signs has very good compliance on keeping the left lane open.  I tend to drive between Suburban Washington DC and New York about 3 times a year and though most of Southern NJ, the left lane is kept pretty clear.

If you are driving at the speed limit, keep to the right.  Let the faster traffic go around you and don't try to self-enforce the speed limit.  Keep all the traffic moving well.

[cpzilliacus]

I wish instead of the sign you've posted they would use the unambiguous "KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS." All too many people think it's OK to say, "Well, I'm going the speed limit, so I'm not 'slower.'"

That's right, and New Jersey, the one state that I'm familiar with that regularly posts these signs has very good compliance on keeping the left lane open.  I tend to drive between Suburban Washington DC and New York about 3 times a year and though most of Southern NJ, the left lane is kept pretty clear.

My experiences on the South Jersey part of the New Jersey Turnpike (the four lane segment between 1 and 4) vary.  Sometimes the slower drivers are very good about keeping the left lane open for faster traffic.  Other times, it becomes a very unpleasant trip because someone is hogging the left lane.  Once past Interchange 4, the extra lane each way makes things much better (though then there is (for now) the overloaded segment of the Turnpike  between 6 and 8A, though the widening should be done sometime in 2014, which means the dual-dual lanes will make driving that part of the Turnpike a lot more pleasant.

Maryland has actually posted signs advising motorists to keep to the right except to pass along the southern (four lane) section of I-97 between the half interchange at Md. 178 and U.S. 50, but (of course) the worst offenders ignore the signs.

If you are driving at the speed limit, keep to the right.  Let the faster traffic go around you and don't try to self-enforce the speed limit.  Keep all the traffic moving well.

Nestoring.  If you are not familiar with the verb To nestor, read this 2008 Washington Post column.

[Alps]

That's right, and New Jersey, the one state that I'm familiar with that regularly posts these signs has very good compliance on keeping the left lane open.