Lane Reconfiguration for the worst!

[Mergingtraffic]

A recent check of CT's State Traffic Commission meeting I found this!

Background:  A couple of years ago, I-84 in Cheshire, CT (East of Waterbury) was widened from 4 to 6 lanes as well as the exit ramps were widened as well for future growth.
The I-84 EB Exit 26 off ramp was previously a left-turn lane and a right-turn lane at it's intersection with CT-70 before the construction project.  
After the project was finished the exit was widened and reconfigured with a left-turn lane and a DOUBLE right turn lane with it's intersection with CT-70.  CT-70 was also 4-laned in this area as well.

NOW:  I checked the STC meeting minutes and found this!


Cheshire — STC# 025-1005-01
Rescind all previously approved lane-use controls at the intersection of Route 70 (Waterbury Road)
and the I-84 Eastbound On/Off Ramps in the Town of Cheshire.
Approve lane-use controls at the intersection of Route 70 (Waterbury Road) and the I-84 Eastbound
On/Off Ramps in the Town of Cheshire as follows:
I-84 Eastbound Off Ramp: A right-turn lane
A shared through/left-turn lane
Route 70 Eastbound: A through lane
A left-turn lane
Route 70 Westbound: A through lane
A through lane

Why would they restripe the exit and TAKE AWAY a right turn lane!?!?!?!  After the money was spent to widen it in the first place?  I know traffic volumes aren't that heavy on the exit ramp...but why not leave it that way b/c it will be someday.  It's better to have the capacity than not to have it.  Here is a map of the exit.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qxq4n38xmp2d&scene=15154352&lvl=1&sty=o&where1=Cheshire%2C%20CT

Any dumb things like this where you are?  Plus out of all the other areas that can use a striping reconfiguration...(ie: no left turn lanes in shopping ares and other hi-traveled intersections in the area without the proper lane striping) ...why do they chose THIS item?!?!?

[Bickendan]

Oh yes, thank you ODOT!

OR 224 from OR 211 south into Estacada was a four-lane highway. They repaved it this year... as a two-lane with a middle turn lane. Lots of trucks on this segment, and lots of pissed off locals. The middle lane got used as a suicide lane.

ODOT is reluctantly repaving and restriping to four lanes... at the tune of $425,000.

[rickmastfan67]

Here's one.  I-77 North coming to intersect I-81 just outside of Fort Chiswell.  In the past, NB stayed two lanes past the I-81/US-11 North offramp and then merged into one lane to merge onto I-81/US-11 South.  However, VDOT thought it would be better to make I-77 NB change into one lane right at the I-81 North exit split.  Doesn't make sense to me and confused the heck out of me and the family when encountering it for the first time after the re-strip...

Here's the old configuration still shown on Google's Sat view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.945716,-80.91906&spn=0.006277,0.013937&t=k&z=17

And a view of the new config:

[vdeane]

NY just did this to NY 590 at the interchange with NY 104.  The new striping is more logical, but they clearly came up with the idea at the last possible second because the Titus Ave roundabout is two lanes, but NY 590 is only one lane each direction north of NY 104!  Additionally, there's now a suicide left merge heading south, so traffic coming from the north better hope that nobody's using the left lane of the ramp from NY 104.

[Alps]

Fairfield Rd. in Fairfield, NJ was recently restriped from four lanes (since back when it was original US 46/NJ 6) to two with a center turn lane.  There's not a lot of traffic, but I was all set to pull out and pass someone going 10 under when I realized I suddenly couldn't.  Even better, he front-followed me through the next turn... 

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I don't what the story is with all this lane repainting. Several ramps at I-71-270, northend of Columbus, were restriped from two lanes to one lane in the last couple of years.

[JREwing78]

They also did this at the I-475/US-23 interchange on the west side of Toledo. Formerly, I-475 westbound maintained two lanes into the interchange, which ramped down to one lane as it merged with US-23 southbound. Now, I-475 is forced into the left lane while the right lane feeds into US-23 northbound.

My understanding for this was to prevent accidents that occur when people are trying to merge down to one lane in a curve, by forcing the merge early.

[jemacedo9]

NY just did this to NY 590 at the interchange with NY 104.  The new striping is more logical, but they clearly came up with the idea at the last possible second because the Titus Ave roundabout is two lanes, but NY 590 is only one lane each direction north of NY 104!  Additionally, there's now a suicide left merge heading south, so traffic coming from the north better hope that nobody's using the left lane of the ramp from NY 104.

What drives me crazy about this new lane striping is that they didn't attempt to center the lanes on the pavement at all...the new NB left shoulder looks to be about 2 feet and the new NB right shoulder looks like it's 20 feet or so, the old lane plus the old shoulder.

And honestly, it looks like there is room from NB 590 to EB 104 for that ramp to be two lanes, not one...I was hoping they were going to do that.  But the new lanes are definitely better than the old...

[vdeane]

And honestly, it looks like there is room from NB 590 to EB 104 for that ramp to be two lanes, not one...I was hoping they were going to do that.  But the new lanes are definitely better than the old...

It was.  They restriped that section over a decade ago, probably because they didn't want a left merge onto NY 104 (ironically, NY 590 south now has a left merge onto itself).  But the main thing I hate about the restriping is that it's so ugly.  At least the exit for Ridge Rd now has acceleration/deceleration lanes.