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Started by Mergingtraffic, September 02, 2015, 03:30:46 PM

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cl94

Quote from: ixnay on October 15, 2015, 08:48:19 PM
Quote from: Alps on October 15, 2015, 06:40:14 PM
Quote from: Mergingtraffic on October 14, 2015, 07:19:16 PM
Driving on the Van Wyck recently and am amazed at how much bad signing there is from bubble shields to odd font on shields and BGSs.  I didn't take any pics b/c I just can't bring myself to photograph it.

So instead I give you this:
That's not even on the Van Wyck...

Looks like the ramp from the NB Cross Island to the TNB.  I think Mergingtraffic's (love that handle) point is that the sign assembly has twice as many toll bridge signs as necessary.

ixnay

The E-ZPass sign covers a dollar amount, IINM
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

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Alps

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 15, 2015, 09:21:55 PM

Quote from: Mergingtraffic on October 15, 2015, 12:23:23 PM
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/10/decades_of_necessary_construct.html

Verrazano Bridge work...some things of interest:  the widening of the ramps to the Belt and Gowanus.

Oh good, so when the current work on the SIE "finishes," there will be an excuse for why there are still backups.
The backups will still come from Todt Hill, really. That's what happens without a completed Richmond Pkwy.

mariethefoxy

Quote from: Mergingtraffic on October 14, 2015, 07:19:16 PM
Driving on the Van Wyck recently and am amazed at how much bad signing there is from bubble shields to odd font on shields and BGSs.  I didn't take any pics b/c I just can't bring myself to photograph it.

So instead I give you this:


somehow that sign survived a recent sign replacement on the Cross Island. I remember last year a lane was closed when I was driving somewhere up north (I forget) but they were installing the reflective signs just before that one.

ixnay

Quote from: cl94 on October 15, 2015, 09:55:48 PM
The E-ZPass sign covers a dollar amount, IINM

IINM???? 

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

roadman65

That sign also shows the lack of cardinal directions that we were discussing on another thread.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Duke87

Quote from: Alps on October 15, 2015, 11:59:29 PM
The backups will still come from Todt Hill, really. That's what happens without a completed Richmond Pkwy.

Considering the now-dismantled interchange for Richmond Pkwy is beyond the top of the hill, how would that have really helped? No traffic that currently climbs the hill would be diverted away from it. If anything I'd think it'd make the backups worse since some south-shore bound traffic that currently exits at Hylan Blvd or Richmond Rd before the hill would climb the hill and take Richmond Pkwy instead.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

Alps

Quote from: Duke87 on October 16, 2015, 03:33:43 PM
Quote from: Alps on October 15, 2015, 11:59:29 PM
The backups will still come from Todt Hill, really. That's what happens without a completed Richmond Pkwy.

Considering the now-dismantled interchange for Richmond Pkwy is beyond the top of the hill, how would that have really helped? No traffic that currently climbs the hill would be diverted away from it. If anything I'd think it'd make the backups worse since some south-shore bound traffic that currently exits at Hylan Blvd or Richmond Rd before the hill would climb the hill and take Richmond Pkwy instead.
Wait... you're talking westbound? I wasn't aware of WB backups. I'm talking about EB.

Pete from Boston


Quote from: Alps on October 16, 2015, 08:05:31 PM
Quote from: Duke87 on October 16, 2015, 03:33:43 PM
Quote from: Alps on October 15, 2015, 11:59:29 PM
The backups will still come from Todt Hill, really. That's what happens without a completed Richmond Pkwy.

Considering the now-dismantled interchange for Richmond Pkwy is beyond the top of the hill, how would that have really helped? No traffic that currently climbs the hill would be diverted away from it. If anything I'd think it'd make the backups worse since some south-shore bound traffic that currently exits at Hylan Blvd or Richmond Rd before the hill would climb the hill and take Richmond Pkwy instead.
Wait... you're talking westbound? I wasn't aware of WB backups. I'm talking about EB.

I was talking about eastbound, hence Gowanus work factoring in.

Westbound is not as bad, but occasionally someone blinks wrong and it crawls as soon as you get off the Verrazano.  The Turnpike can also spill over onto the SIE, particularly on days when the Bayonne Bridge is closed.

route17fan

Quote from: ixnay on October 16, 2015, 07:24:48 AM
Quote from: cl94 on October 15, 2015, 09:55:48 PM
The E-ZPass sign covers a dollar amount, IINM

IINM???? 

ixnay

Acronym - If I'm Not Mistaken :)
John Krakoff - Cleveland, Ohio

Duke87

The eastbound backups that I'm familiar with routinely ran from a between the two 440 junctions through to Manor Rd or so. These are construction related - whenever there was a lane closed the remaining two weren't enough.

I'm sure it backs up going this way during morning rush but I don't think I've ever been heading eastbound at that time of day so I can't fully comment.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

ixnay

Quote from: route17fan on October 16, 2015, 10:08:37 PM
Quote from: ixnay on October 16, 2015, 07:24:48 AM
Quote from: cl94 on October 15, 2015, 09:55:48 PM
The E-ZPass sign covers a dollar amount, IINM

IINM???? 

ixnay

Acronym - If I'm Not Mistaken :)

Thank you.  I'd never seen that abbreviation before.

ixnay
The Washington/Baltimore/Arlington CSA has two Key Bridges, a Minnesota Avenue, and a Mannasota Avenue.

Pete from Boston


Quote from: route17fan on October 16, 2015, 10:08:37 PM
Quote from: ixnay on October 16, 2015, 07:24:48 AM
Quote from: cl94 on October 15, 2015, 09:55:48 PM
The E-ZPass sign covers a dollar amount, IINM

IINM???? 

ixnay

Acronym - If I'm Not Mistaken :)

Abbreviation, but whatever.  Acronym would be spoken "inm."

odditude


Pete from Boston


noelbotevera

I think the dollar amount covered was $3.50. Not sure.

mariethefoxy

the good ol days when getting off Long Island wasnt criminally expensive.

noelbotevera

Quote from: mariethefoxy on October 17, 2015, 08:39:57 PM
the good ol days when getting off Long Island wasnt criminally expensive.
Word. I hated the $14 toll for the Outerbridge Crossing.

Pete from Boston


Quote from: noelbotevera on October 17, 2015, 08:44:38 PM
Quote from: mariethefoxy on October 17, 2015, 08:39:57 PM
the good ol days when getting off Long Island wasnt criminally expensive.
Word. I hated the $14 toll for the Outerbridge Crossing.

Wrong island. 

mariethefoxy

What is the point of the Lower Level truck ban on the GWB and Verezano? They stuck it in after 9-11 but like if someone wants to cause harm does it matter what level they are on? It just seems like a massive pain in the ass for truck drivers to go down an already huge pain in the ass highway.

Pete from Boston


Quote from: mariethefoxy on October 18, 2015, 12:00:16 AM
What is the point of the Lower Level truck ban on the GWB and Verezano? They stuck it in after 9-11 but like if someone wants to cause harm does it matter what level they are on? It just seems like a massive pain in the ass for truck drivers to go down an already huge pain in the ass highway.

I have always assumed it was for two reasons: first, keeping trucks in one place makes surveillance and inspection more manageable.  Second, the force of an explosive in an open space dissipates more easily.  It also directly impacts one deck as opposed to two.

It's true that there are ways to cause harm no matter what, but given the scarcity, difficulty in replacing, and economic/social importance of these crossings, they get extra attention.

mrsman

Quote from: Duke87 on October 13, 2015, 08:13:46 AM
Quote from: Alps on October 11, 2015, 02:20:11 AM
Quote from: Mergingtraffic on October 10, 2015, 09:32:18 PM
Maybe they will drop it to HOV-2 at some point.  CT did that as well b/c of the lack of use of the lane.  It should've been a general purpose lane.
I do wonder. It's going to be a Bus/HOV lane, so all of the buses will get a nice ride, but there are Federal guidelines for utilization, which I believe require 500 riders/hour minimum at the peak utilization.

If that requirement is measured in riders and not vehicles then the lane will have zero trouble meeting it. A quick check of express bus schedules suggests that between 7 and 8 AM on a weekday there are at least 47 buses using most or all of the HOV lane on Staten Island, with 71 more entering at or near the bridge and using it in Brooklyn. Given the intent for the lane to eventually be continuous across the bridge and all the way to the Battery Tunnel, HOV 3+ is reasonable. Even if they don't meet 500 riders per hour on the upstream end in the middle of Staten Island, the lanes overall will.

I suppose DOT could do 2+ in Staten Island and then 3+ upon reaching the bridge with all 2-occupancy vehicles required to exit the lane at that point, but that'd be needlessly confusing and cumbersome.

The trouble is that outside of rush hour the number of express buses is a tiny shadow of what it is during rush hour (some routes only run during rush hour). The old shorter HOV lane was woefully underused because outside of peak hours it was buses only when really outside of peak hours it should revert to general purpose like the lanes on the LIE do.

Even outside of rush hour, there are plenty of cars using this bridge.  And plenty of "carpools" (i.e. families heading back to the city together) that there probably is justification for keeping the lane HOV3+ at all times. 

I have family in Queens, so most of my trips from MD to Queens involve taking the SIE to the VZ.  And even at off-peak times, it's generally a crawl.  Usually, the lane is closed off to all except buses and it's a pain, but I understand that there would be a bottleneck as the HOV lane merges in with the left lane before the defunct toll plaza.

Currently, the HOV lane merges into the left lane.  The left two lanes of the SIE lead to the upper level of the bridge.  The third lane leads to either upper level or lower level.  And all lanes further to the right (coming in from entrances near the SIE) lead only to the lower level.  To me, it would seem wiser to have the HOV lane become the left lane of the upper level of the bridge without merging, even if we can't restrict it to HOVs on the bridge itself.  This would eliminate the last minute merge and provide a good excuse for keeping the lane open to general traffic (or HOV) at all times.  Then, the next two lanes will go to the upper level.  The third lane will go only to the lower level.  And all lanes further to the right (coming in from entrances near the SIE) lead only to the lower level.

mariethefoxy

new state name shield for 278, not sure if its still there or not, its a 2014 Google Street View and I haven't been down that way in some time.

I know there was a state name 495 shield on the LIE just past the Cross Island exit but I think that was gone since I saw it once years ago then it was gone.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7679093,-73.9049146,3a,30.4y,70.16h,90.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCryN-2F-r8pyCKuhxIfdPA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Alps

Quote from: mrsman on October 18, 2015, 10:02:16 AM

Even outside of rush hour, there are plenty of cars using this bridge.  And plenty of "carpools" (i.e. families heading back to the city together) that there probably is justification for keeping the lane HOV3+ at all times. 

I have family in Queens, so most of my trips from MD to Queens involve taking the SIE to the VZ.  And even at off-peak times, it's generally a crawl.  Usually, the lane is closed off to all except buses and it's a pain, but I understand that there would be a bottleneck as the HOV lane merges in with the left lane before the defunct toll plaza.

Currently, the HOV lane merges into the left lane.  The left two lanes of the SIE lead to the upper level of the bridge.  The third lane leads to either upper level or lower level.  And all lanes further to the right (coming in from entrances near the SIE) lead only to the lower level.  To me, it would seem wiser to have the HOV lane become the left lane of the upper level of the bridge without merging, even if we can't restrict it to HOVs on the bridge itself.  This would eliminate the last minute merge and provide a good excuse for keeping the lane open to general traffic (or HOV) at all times.  Then, the next two lanes will go to the upper level.  The third lane will go only to the lower level.  And all lanes further to the right (coming in from entrances near the SIE) lead only to the lower level.
The whole point of the project currently on the bridge is to create a continuous HOV lane. It will still end into the left lane at most hours, though, because outside of the AM rush you just don't have many vehicles using it. The bridge is only wide enough for 7 lanes (barely), so something's gotta give. The bridge lane will be reversible, matching the Gowanus. You'll have to deal with the merge otherwise. Also, know that the entrances near the SIE lead to both levels. They drop into the middle between Upper and Lower with a choice of where to go.

route17fan

John Krakoff - Cleveland, Ohio

roadman65

Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 18, 2015, 12:57:52 AM

Quote from: mariethefoxy on October 18, 2015, 12:00:16 AM
What is the point of the Lower Level truck ban on the GWB and Verezano? They stuck it in after 9-11 but like if someone wants to cause harm does it matter what level they are on? It just seems like a massive pain in the ass for truck drivers to go down an already huge pain in the ass highway.

I have always assumed it was for two reasons: first, keeping trucks in one place makes surveillance and inspection more manageable.  Second, the force of an explosive in an open space dissipates more easily.  It also directly impacts one deck as opposed to two.

It's true that there are ways to cause harm no matter what, but given the scarcity, difficulty in replacing, and economic/social importance of these crossings, they get extra attention.
How about a car bomb on the lower level?  They soon forgot that is what was used the very first time the WTC got attacked.

Also why stop cars on the Staten Island Ferry?   Do trucks use that like cars use it?  Probably not, but if a car bomb on the Staten Island Ferry is thought of, why not one on the bridges?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe



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