Weird lane configuration

[mrsman]

There is a surface arterial near me that has a very weird lane configuration.

Veirs Mill Rd. between Rockville, MD and Wheaton, MD

For the most part, the street is two lanes in each direction, with an occasional third lane.  The road has a median and left turn pockets.

For whatever reason, that I cannot fiugre out, when approaching Randolph Road, from either direction, the two thru lanes become the center and the right lane and a new left lane is created.  But once passing Randolph, it is the right lane that will end (or force a right turn) and the two left lanes continue.

Any ideas as to why a DOT would design a road this way?  Why should a new lane pop up on the left side when one of the through lanes just has to end after the intersection within a 1/4 mile?  Why can't the two main lanes of VM stay as the two main lanes and have the right lane start and end as appropriate at busier places down the road?

I've always found this to be troubling, basically forcing an entire lane of traffic to merge, when IMO it would be far easier to shift traffic so that traffic in the two lanes approaching Randolph can continue all the way to the ends of the road.

Here is a link to the location, just south of the intersection.  But ifyou pan around, you can see that it happens on the north side as well.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0549735,-77.0801244,127m/data=!3m1!1e3

[Dirt Roads]

Any ideas as to why a DOT would design a road this way?  Why should a new lane pop up on the left side when one of the through lanes just has to end after the intersection within a 1/4 mile?  Why can't the two main lanes of VM stay as the two main lanes and have the right lane start and end as appropriate at busier places down the road?

It's been a long time since I've been there, but I'm quite familiar with this intersection.  (A close relative used to live over in Glenmont).  It looks like a creative solution to the fact that right turn traffic for Randolph Road (and McDonalds) backs up on Viers Mill Road, thus the extra left lane allows left turn and through traffic to pass around the queue.  It looks to me that a long right turn lane would have accomplished something similar, but would have resulted in fewer through lanes through the Randolph Road intersection.

Also, I notice that MDOT has been incrementally adding a service road on both sides of Viers Mill Road in this area.  The entrance to this apartment complex complicates the entire widening process (as does the McDonald's, but that's a totally different type of issue).

[Troubleshooter]

There is a surface arterial near me that has a very weird lane configuration.

Veirs Mill Rd. between Rockville, MD and Wheaton, MD

For the most part, the street is two lanes in each direction, with an occasional third lane.  The road has a median and left turn pockets.

For whatever reason, that I cannot fiugre out, when approaching Randolph Road, from either direction, the two thru lanes become the center and the right lane and a new left lane is created.  But once passing Randolph, it is the right lane that will end (or force a right turn) and the two left lanes continue.

Any ideas as to why a DOT would design a road this way?  Why should a new lane pop up on the left side when one of the through lanes just has to end after the intersection within a 1/4 mile?  Why can't the two main lanes of VM stay as the two main lanes and have the right lane start and end as appropriate at busier places down the road?

I've always found this to be troubling, basically forcing an entire lane of traffic to merge, when IMO it would be far easier to shift traffic so that traffic in the two lanes approaching Randolph can continue all the way to the ends of the road.

Here is a link to the location, just south of the intersection.  But ifyou pan around, you can see that it happens on the north side as well.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0549735,-77.0801244,127m/data=!3m1!1e3

That is not what I am seeing. Viers Mill Road has 3 lanes except where there is a service road on the westbound side before Randolph.

The added lanes accommodate the double left turns to Randolph.

Are you sure you do not mean Parkland Drive? It drops to 2 lanes there with a right turn.

We have a street in my town that adds lanes on the left and drops them on the right, but they say that if the adds and drops were on the same side, the traffic lane use is unbalanced.

[mrsman]

Any ideas as to why a DOT would design a road this way?  Why should a new lane pop up on the left side when one of the through lanes just has to end after the intersection within a 1/4 mile?  Why can't the two main lanes of VM stay as the two main lanes and have the right lane start and end as appropriate at busier places down the road?

It's been a long time since I've been there, but I'm quite familiar with this intersection.  (A close relative used to live over in Glenmont).  It looks like a creative solution to the fact that right turn traffic for Randolph Road (and McDonalds) backs up on Viers Mill Road, thus the extra left lane allows left turn and through traffic to pass around the queue.  It looks to me that a long right turn lane would have accomplished something similar, but would have resulted in fewer through lanes through the Randolph Road intersection.

Also, I notice that MDOT has been incrementally adding a service road on both sides of Viers Mill Road in this area.  The entrance to this apartment complex complicates the entire widening process (as does the McDonald's, but that's a totally different type of issue).

That's a great hypothesis.  It might be the reason.  We will never know.

I definitely agree that it's nice that three lanes of northbound Veirs Mill go through the intersection, but IMO it would make far more sense if the two main lanes shifted left and the right lane is the one that starts fresh.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0544677,-77.0793639,3a,75y,290.51h,92.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfVjG3sGZ9XzOCaFtLIjFPQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

At the above point, you are 1 block south of Randolph, and we have the service road.  The only real purpose for the service road is to avoid heavy traffic right next to the single family homes.  There is talk of a bus rapid transit project for Veirs Mill, so I'm not sure if the service road will be removed and replaced with regular traffic lanes to accommodate the new bus lanes, but I'm sure that it's a possibility.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0548066,-77.0799969,3a,75y,318h,83.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sD5RwHf0kw2xps7wh2Pf8RA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

At this point, the lanes IMO should shift gradually to the left to allow a new thru lane to be formed on the right, not the left.  That would still accommodate any traffic that is heading to McDonalds, Randolph Rd east, or the busy shopping center (Korean Korner / Unique Thrift Store) just beyond Randolph, while thru traffic continues seamlessly in the left two lanes.  There is no reason to force the right lane to turn right at Randolph, the right lane can still be allowed for traffic through the intersection, without getting caught in the business traffic.  The right lane should be primarily for the local traffic to all of the above businesses while the two left lanes handle the through traffic.     Especially considering that the right lane will force traffic to turn right on Parkland Dr in about 1/2 mile anyway.

I am currently teaching my daughter to drive, as she recently got her learner's permit.  One thing I have mentioned is that is a good idea to get in the proper lane early and not to wait to the last minute to change lanes.  If you are on a street with two or more lanes in each direction, you can drive for a while in the left lane if you eventually want to turn left (or the right lane if you want to turn right).  But specifically on a street like this, I have to mention that its not intuitive that if I'm driving on Veirs Mill from Wheaton and if I want to turn right on any of the streets beyond Parkland (like Aspen Hill or Twinbrook), I should be driving in the left lane, not the right lane, because the right lane of the two will end at Parkland, even though the street is always 2 or more lanes per direction for its entire length.

[A similar issue does exist on Georgia Ave northbound near the Beltway.  But this one is more understandable as a design choice given the reversible lane section and the Beltway ramps.  Nonetheless, while there are three lanes of northbound Georgia Ave leaving Downtown Silver Spring, only the far left lane becomes the right moving traffic lane, once you are in Wheaton.  The third lane ends just after Forest Glen (near Beltway) and the second lane (which becomes the third lane after Forest Glen) becomes a parking lane north of Veirs Mill at all times except afternoon rush  hour.  The left lane is the only one that allows traffic to continue all the way to Wheaton and beyond.]

[mrsman]

There is a surface arterial near me that has a very weird lane configuration.

Veirs Mill Rd. between Rockville, MD and Wheaton, MD

For the most part, the street is two lanes in each direction, with an occasional third lane.  The road has a median and left turn pockets.

For whatever reason, that I cannot fiugre out, when approaching Randolph Road, from either direction, the two thru lanes become the center and the right lane and a new left lane is created.  But once passing Randolph, it is the right lane that will end (or force a right turn) and the two left lanes continue.

Any ideas as to why a DOT would design a road this way?  Why should a new lane pop up on the left side when one of the through lanes just has to end after the intersection within a 1/4 mile?  Why can't the two main lanes of VM stay as the two main lanes and have the right lane start and end as appropriate at busier places down the road?

I've always found this to be troubling, basically forcing an entire lane of traffic to merge, when IMO it would be far easier to shift traffic so that traffic in the two lanes approaching Randolph can continue all the way to the ends of the road.

Here is a link to the location, just south of the intersection.  But ifyou pan around, you can see that it happens on the north side as well.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0549735,-77.0801244,127m/data=!3m1!1e3

That is not what I am seeing. Viers Mill Road has 3 lanes except where there is a service road on the westbound side before Randolph.

The added lanes accommodate the double left turns to Randolph.

Are you sure you do not mean Parkland Drive? It drops to 2 lanes there with a right turn.

We have a street in my town that adds lanes on the left and drops them on the right, but they say that if the adds and drops were on the same side, the traffic lane use is unbalanced.

THe service road has basically no traffic - the westbound/northbound Veirs Mill is two lanes north of Ferrara. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0546413,-77.07968,3a,75y,333.92h,75.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4RF7Y69ghBYilHyj_khydg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

At this point two lanes and a service road.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0548607,-77.0801008,3a,75y,326.1h,73.79t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGJMQpPtDzmulPqUzlvQ1kg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

At this point the new lane is added as the left lane, with the thru lanes becoming center and right lanes of the three lane Veirs Mill.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0551627,-77.0806643,3a,75y,341.42h,72.87t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swjXM5qHyEY6L-ygNtqf72A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

At this point, the left turn pocket begins

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0557976,-77.0818002,3a,75y,327.28h,78.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sMn_7F8PdHHiJWw-TQ9NVag!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

At this point the left turn lane becomes a dual left turn lane.


The dual left turn lane can still be accommodated, even if the thru lanes shift to the left, to allow the two thru lanes to become the left and middle lanes of the three lane VM.  The mystery is why the two thru lanes (north of Ferrara) become the center and right lanes instead, especially as the right lane is bogged down by traffic to the McDonalds and the shopping center and forces a right turn along Parkland.  It would seem better if the right lane were the new lane and that only traffic that wanted to turn into McD, Randolph, or the shopping center would use that lane.

[wanderer2575]

There's a goofy setup near me on westbound Eleven Mile Road before Inkster Road in Southfield, MI.  A lane opens on the right but then the left lane ends just a few hundred feet farther along, so thru traffic has to move to the right.  Then there's a short divided highway section, after which a lane opens on the left and the right lane becomes right turn-only at Inkster Road, so thru traffic has to move back to the left.

https://goo.gl/maps/duaKcCGWFfJKecSo7