New York

[kalvado]

It is, and there's no exemption on 3-lane roads for keeping right. However, there's an exemption for those doing the passing; you can do that on the right on a 3-lane road.

ANd here is something I don't understand. If we're talking about 3-lanes as 1+turning+1,  I don't  quite understand how NOT to keep right on those. If 3  lane is asymmetric  2+1, then it looks messy - but I can remember only very few of those, and they are often busy enough to have both lanes full.

Three per direction.

S 1123. When overtaking on the right is permitted.
(a) The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions:
(...)
  2. Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles in each direction;

[RobbieL2415]

It is, and there's no exemption on 3-lane roads for keeping right. However, there's an exemption for those doing the passing; you can do that on the right on a 3-lane road.

ANd here is something I don't understand. If we're talking about 3-lanes as 1+turning+1,  I don't  quite understand how NOT to keep right on those. If 3  lane is asymmetric  2+1, then it looks messy - but I can remember only very few of those, and they are often busy enough to have both lanes full.

I'm saying three through lanes.  When there's three or more lanes are you required in NYS to keep right even if you are moving either at the speed limit of with the normal flow of traffic?

[D-Dey65]

I hate double-posting, but in other unrelated news, the closed Schodack rest area is being reopened as a parking area/"truck inspection station".

It's took a long time to show up.

On another topic, specifically Taconic State Parkway in Putnam County. The NYS Parks Department map of the Clarence Fahnestock State Park claims there's more parking spaces along the parkway that really exists. One of them is probably a closed overlook just south of Exit 25. Also north of NY 301 there's a big parking lot on the east side with one stub preceding it, which I later found out was for an old ski lodge within the park. The entrance to that was at-grade and had no southbound left-turn lane.

Last year there was a beautiful sign "Building The Future! Governor Cuomo blah-blah". Last week that was a virgin snow field with the old building gone..
Now I know how the future looks like - it means no more restrooms but more oversight...

At least they kept the buildings on I-684.

I stand by my previous statement about NYSDOT vs. drivers in New York State.

[Rothman]

Don't know about NY being in the top three regarding LLBs, but I find it a much more prevalent epidemic in Ohio.

It's entirely dependent on your definition. The Ohio mentality is that the left lane of the Turnpike will move at or around 80 mph. Set the cruise, or pick another lane if you're not a bandwagon fan. It's certainly true that Ohioans are some of the "worst" left lane bandits, but at the same time, they're rarely disruptive to flow when they're doing it.

New York, on the other hand, tends to be worse overall, only because you can't guarantee consistency. Some people camp at 55, some at 65, some at 70, and they're all as bad as each other, especially when they don't attempt to maintain the pace set by the guy in front. The other thing is that, in eastern/southern areas of the state, no matter how densely packed a freeway is, you can guarantee the left lane will be moving faster on average than other lanes, even if there are left lane campers. In Western NY, people who left lane camp don't always set a reasonable pace like they do downstate, so they're more disruptive to flow.

FWIW, I tend to disagree that NY is not a "keep right except to pass" state. Every state, including NY, has a law of some form requiring motorists to keep right, and there are a decent amount of signs on the thruway.

Baloney.  It wouldn't be blocking if they didn't impede tracking.  Ohio is absolutely horrible for having slow people in the left lane.  If you are going so slow to slow me down, you should never be in the left lane.

Always dread driving through Ohio because of all the LLBs.  Never experience anything close to that in my native NY.

[machias]

Don't know about NY being in the top three regarding LLBs, but I find it a much more prevalent epidemic in Ohio.

It's entirely dependent on your definition. The Ohio mentality is that the left lane of the Turnpike will move at or around 80 mph. Set the cruise, or pick another lane if you're not a bandwagon fan. It's certainly true that Ohioans are some of the "worst" left lane bandits, but at the same time, they're rarely disruptive to flow when they're doing it.

New York, on the other hand, tends to be worse overall, only because you can't guarantee consistency. Some people camp at 55, some at 65, some at 70, and they're all as bad as each other, especially when they don't attempt to maintain the pace set by the guy in front. The other thing is that, in eastern/southern areas of the state, no matter how densely packed a freeway is, you can guarantee the left lane will be moving faster on average than other lanes, even if there are left lane campers. In Western NY, people who left lane camp don't always set a reasonable pace like they do downstate, so they're more disruptive to flow.

FWIW, I tend to disagree that NY is not a "keep right except to pass" state. Every state, including NY, has a law of some form requiring motorists to keep right, and there are a decent amount of signs on the thruway.

Baloney.  It wouldn't be blocking if they didn't impede tracking.  Ohio is absolutely horrible for having slow people in the left lane.  If you are going so slow to slow me down, you should never be in the left lane.

Always dread driving through Ohio because of all the LLBs.  Never experience anything close to that in my native NY.

Having made the drive from Chicago to Syracuse, N.Y. on several occasions over the past year, I can safely say that Ohio is AWFUL to drive through because of the LLBs. Once you get Northeast of Cleveland it's not quite as bad, but I've driven across Ohio on 80/90, 70, 71, and 77 and there's more LLBs than any of the other 46 states I've driven in.

I've driven the entire length of the NYS Thruway numerous times, and south of Albany on I-87 has more LLBs than the I-90 portion, and it gets worse the closer you get to New York.

[RobbieL2415]

Don't know about NY being in the top three regarding LLBs, but I find it a much more prevalent epidemic in Ohio.

It's entirely dependent on your definition. The Ohio mentality is that the left lane of the Turnpike will move at or around 80 mph. Set the cruise, or pick another lane if you're not a bandwagon fan. It's certainly true that Ohioans are some of the "worst" left lane bandits, but at the same time, they're rarely disruptive to flow when they're doing it.

New York, on the other hand, tends to be worse overall, only because you can't guarantee consistency. Some people camp at 55, some at 65, some at 70, and they're all as bad as each other, especially when they don't attempt to maintain the pace set by the guy in front. The other thing is that, in eastern/southern areas of the state, no matter how densely packed a freeway is, you can guarantee the left lane will be moving faster on average than other lanes, even if there are left lane campers. In Western NY, people who left lane camp don't always set a reasonable pace like they do downstate, so they're more disruptive to flow.

FWIW, I tend to disagree that NY is not a "keep right except to pass" state. Every state, including NY, has a law of some form requiring motorists to keep right, and there are a decent amount of signs on the thruway.

Baloney.  It wouldn't be blocking if they didn't impede tracking.  Ohio is absolutely horrible for having slow people in the left lane.  If you are going so slow to slow me down, you should never be in the left lane.

Always dread driving through Ohio because of all the LLBs.  Never experience anything close to that in my native NY.

Having made the drive from Chicago to Syracuse, N.Y. on several occasions over the past year, I can safely say that Ohio is AWFUL to drive through because of the LLBs. Once you get Northeast of Cleveland it's not quite as bad, but I've driven across Ohio on 80/90, 70, 71, and 77 and there's more LLBs than any of the other 46 states I've driven in.

I've driven the entire length of the NYS Thruway numerous times, and south of Albany on I-87 has more LLBs than the I-90 portion, and it gets worse the closer you get to New York.

How hard is it to get over? Seriously!

[J N Winkler]

I have driven in both New York and Ohio.  As someone who sets cruise control at or slightly below the speed limit and regards overtaking as an isolated activity, I have not been able to see a difference between either state in tendency to block the left lane.

[webny99]

Baloney.  It wouldn't be blocking if they didn't impede tracking.  Ohio is absolutely horrible for having slow people in the left lane.  If you are going so slow to slow me down, you should never be in the left lane.

If you want to go faster than 80 mph, then I agree; lots of people who are comfortable at 80 and unwilling to move right. But the average driver does not want/need to travel that fast. In practice, this does not make the left-lane hogs obstructive to flow, even if they are numerous (and annoying).

Always dread driving through Ohio because of all the LLBs.  Never experience anything close to that in my native NY.

My experience (I-90 to Cleveland countless times, Turnpike to Toledo a handful of times, I-71 to Columbus twice) has not been reflective of that at all. There are definitely a lot of people who stay in the left lane obtusively, but aside from the isolated case, they seem to always be moving along pretty well.

[webny99]

I have driven in both New York and Ohio.  As someone who sets cruise control at or slightly below the speed limit and regards overtaking as an isolated activity, I have not been able to see a difference between either state in tendency to block the left lane.

Admittedly, it is both (1) easier to notice and (2) easier to find fault with a left-lane camper when you are the one that has to slow down or pass on the right.

I agree that the difference between the two (in particular, the difference between WNY and Northern Ohio) is negligible. Downstate NY is a different, and more aggressive, set of circumstances altogether, while my travels in Southern Ohio have been minimal.

[empirestate]

It is, and there's no exemption on 3-lane roads for keeping right. However, there's an exemption for those doing the passing; you can do that on the right on a 3-lane road.

ANd here is something I don't understand. If we're talking about 3-lanes as 1+turning+1,  I don't  quite understand how NOT to keep right on those. If 3  lane is asymmetric  2+1, then it looks messy - but I can remember only very few of those, and they are often busy enough to have both lanes full.

I'm saying three through lanes.  When there's three or more lanes are you required in NYS to keep right even if you are moving either at the speed limit of with the normal flow of traffic?

Yes; as I say, there's no exemption in that instance.

How hard is it to get over? Seriously!

It isn't. However, that's not the question to ask–what gives drivers a hard time isn't the actual act of moving over, but rather of just putting that much thought into it in the first place.

[SignBridge]

I think many LLB's are either senior citizens who just don't get that speed limits are not taken seriously.............and immigrants who naively believe that speed limits in America are for real.

[empirestate]

I think many LLB's are either senior citizens who just don't get that speed limits are not taken seriously.............and immigrants who naively believe that speed limits in America are for real.

Not necessarily. I've talked a lot of people who feel that, since they plan to be driving relatively fast, and expect to pass most of the vehicles in the right lane, the best approach is just to head directly for the left lane and stay there.

[SignBridge]

Hmm.......I might have used the wrong terminology. I'm talking about people who drive at the speed limit in the left lane causing traffic to back up behind them and have to pass on the right. If that's not what an LLB is then sorry, my mistake.

[seicer]

I think many LLB's are either senior citizens who just don't get that speed limits are not taken seriously.............and immigrants who naively believe that speed limits in America are for real.

Can we get a big eye roll here? Immigrants? What about: drivers who were not properly educated because our driving laws and requirements are very lax? Some immigrants come from countries with far stricter driving standards, such as Germany. The fault isn't with either seniors or immigrants, but our entire drivers education system.

[SignBridge]

You might be right.........but I doubt any of them are Germans because in Germany there is strict adherence to the idea of keeping right except to pass. It's a way of life there. They even have a phrase for it: Rechts Fahren It means: "drive right".

[webny99]

Hmm.......I might have used the wrong terminology. I'm talking about people who drive at the speed limit in the left lane causing traffic to back up behind them and have to pass on the right. If that's not what an LLB is then sorry, my mistake.

That is an example of an LLB, but not the actual definition. In my books, it has nothing to do with speed; it has to do with whether they're obstructing flow.

[J N Winkler]

Rechts fahren, links überholen.

[D-Dey65]

I think many LLB's are either senior citizens who just don't get that speed limits are not taken seriously.............and immigrants who naively believe that speed limits in America are for real.

Or, they could also be people who get into the left turn lanes, because they want to be able to get into the left-turn lanes that they're looking for.

[froggie]

That is an example of an LLB, but not the actual definition.

Keep in mind that there isn't an official or designated definition of such.  Given how you described your own definition, it's clear that people have different viewpoints on what constitutes an LLB.

Or, they could also be people who get into the left turn lanes, because they want to be able to get into the left-turn lanes that they're looking for.

Not applicable on freeways or the above-mentioned Thruway.

[empirestate]

Hmm.......I might have used the wrong terminology. I'm talking about people who drive at the speed limit in the left lane causing traffic to back up behind them and have to pass on the right. If that's not what an LLB is then sorry, my mistake.

It is, but it is also someone who drives at some speed other than the limit, causing traffic to back up behind them. An LLB's speed is pertinent only in how it pertains to other drivers, not to the speed limit.

Or, they could also be people who get into the left turn lanes, because they want to be able to get into the left-turn lanes that they're looking for.

Yes, or perhaps an exit-only lane, if they do it too soon.

[Buffaboy]

You might be right.........but I doubt any of them are Germans because in Germany there is strict adherence to the idea of keeping right except to pass. It's a way of life there. They even have a phrase for it: Rechts Fahren It means: "drive right".

Probably because you can go at any speed you choose in the left lane on the Autobahn.

[SignBridge]

There are speed limits on some sections of the Autobahns, especially in urban areas where traffic is heavier.

[Buffaboy]

Here's a picture I took of work under NY-5 Skyway. There always seems to be work going on with this bridge. What are they doing here?

[Beltway]

Here's a picture I took of work under NY-5 Skyway. There always seems to be work going on with this bridge. What are they doing here?

Probably routine bridge inspections.  Call NYSDOT and check with them.

[Buffaboy]

Here's a picture I took of work under NY-5 Skyway. There always seems to be work going on with this bridge. What are they doing here?

Probably routine bridge inspections.  Call NYSDOT and check with them.

They're drilling and stuff on the deck too though. I know they have a big project coming up.