Philadelphia

[ekt8750]

They also whiffed when they rebuilt the South St bridge and left the left lane exits in. The traffic caused by them is even worse with the poorly timed traffic lights at the top of those ramps.

[cl94]

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160115_PennDOT_might_open_Schuylkill_Expressway_shoulders_to_traffic.html

The stretch of highway between Route 202 and Route 1 has been subject of a traffic study since late 2014, PennDOT spokesman Eugene Blaum said Thursday, because of major backups that routinely occur there. A study by American Highway Users and AAA last year found the expressway at Route 1 to be among the 50 worst bottlenecks in the country

Only a study at this point, but I seem to recall a similar study/proposal to also open the shoulders on the Blue Route's southern section as well.

So they want to do what Massachusetts did on Route 128? Talk about dangerous. And if someone breaks down, the traffic would be worse than it is now.

[PHLBOS]

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160115_PennDOT_might_open_Schuylkill_Expressway_shoulders_to_traffic.html

The stretch of highway between Route 202 and Route 1 has been subject of a traffic study since late 2014, PennDOT spokesman Eugene Blaum said Thursday, because of major backups that routinely occur there. A study by American Highway Users and AAA last year found the expressway at Route 1 to be among the 50 worst bottlenecks in the country

Only a study at this point, but I seem to recall a similar study/proposal to also open the shoulders on the Blue Route's southern section as well.

So they want to do what Massachusetts did on Route 128? Talk about dangerous. And if someone breaks down, the traffic would be worse than it is now.

Didn't VA do similar on a stretch of I-66 (inside I-495) as well?

[cpzilliacus]

So they want to do what Massachusetts did on Route 128? Talk about dangerous. And if someone breaks down, the traffic would be worse than it is now.

Didn't VA do similar on a stretch of I-66 (inside I-495) as well?

Outside the Beltway.  Between U.S. 50 (Lee Jackson Highway) at Fair Oaks and I-495.

Only on-shoulder operation between I-495 and the T. Roosevelt Bridge are a limited number of buses that may use the shoulders.

[Chris19001]

I assume this means PENNDOT will have to clean the shoulder every now and then?  A nice big partially shredded tire and part of an old crate will probably not do wonders efficiency of a commuter lane.  Seriously though, I heard this news yesterday on TV and let out a groan.  Is this the same person who suggested a Bus rapid transit way to use the right shoulder of I-676 through Camden?  What is with DVRPC's obsession with not expanding lanes (or new transit service for that matter)?

[jeffandnicole]

Many of the people at the DVRPC are bicycle and transit enthusiasts. There's definitely a bias towards those types of projects. However, there's a lot of regular people out there that will like to see widened roads...just not the road they live on. And due to the older infrastructure and dense population in the area, it's tricky and expensive to do any significant widening.

I don't really foresee shoulder driving being permitted anytime soon. The room isn't there for improvements for breakdown areas and ramp merging, unlike what is done with I-66.

[cl94]

There really isn't much room to widen. Good luck widening the Schuylkill at some of the choke points. There is no room east of Exit 342. Even if you widen at US 1, you'd have worse congestion near I-676.

What Philly really needs is more mass transit to bring people in from the suburbs.

[noelbotevera]

There really isn't much room to widen. Good luck widening the Schuylkill at some of the choke points. There is no room east of Exit 342. Even if you widen at US 1, you'd have worse congestion near I-676.

What Philly really needs is more mass transit to bring people in from the suburbs.

...That isn't happening anytime soon.

[DJStephens]

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160115_PennDOT_might_open_Schuylkill_Expressway_shoulders_to_traffic.html

The stretch of highway between Route 202 and Route 1 has been subject of a traffic study since late 2014, PennDOT spokesman Eugene Blaum said Thursday, because of major backups that routinely occur there. A study by American Highway Users and AAA last year found the expressway at Route 1 to be among the 50 worst bottlenecks in the country

Only a study at this point, but I seem to recall a similar study/proposal to also open the shoulders on the Blue Route's southern section as well.

So they want to do what Massachusetts did on Route 128? Talk about dangerous. And if someone breaks down, the traffic would be worse than it is now.

Used to refer those lanes as "Salvucci lanes" in honor of the useless transportation secretary under equally useless governor Michael Dukakis.   Believe Mass Highway is finally nearing finishing a lane addition on a stretch of route 128, a section which should have been improved/widened forty plus years ago. 

[mariethefoxy]

one thing i didnt get about the shoulder lane use on Route 128 was, how did they handle the onramps, if you got people driving on the shoulder and then part of the onramp space, that seems like a recipe for disaster

[Pete from Boston]

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160115_PennDOT_might_open_Schuylkill_Expressway_shoulders_to_traffic.html

The stretch of highway between Route 202 and Route 1 has been subject of a traffic study since late 2014, PennDOT spokesman Eugene Blaum said Thursday, because of major backups that routinely occur there. A study by American Highway Users and AAA last year found the expressway at Route 1 to be among the 50 worst bottlenecks in the country

Only a study at this point, but I seem to recall a similar study/proposal to also open the shoulders on the Blue Route's southern section as well.

So they want to do what Massachusetts did on Route 128? Talk about dangerous. And if someone breaks down, the traffic would be worse than it is now.

Used to refer those lanes as "Salvucci lanes" in honor of the useless transportation secretary under equally useless governor Michael Dukakis.   Believe Mass Highway is finally nearing finishing a lane addition on a stretch of route 128, a section which should have been improved/widened forty plus years ago.

How about you start a thread about how the least political-hack of transportation secretaries in recent memory was useless.

If forty-plus years ago is your beef, why no digs at Alan Altshuler?  Hell, why not call them Sargent lanes?

one thing i didnt get about the shoulder lane use on Route 128 was, how did they handle the onramps, if you got people driving on the shoulder and then part of the onramp space, that seems like a recipe for disaster

There is still shoulder rush-hour use around.  Entrance and exit works just like any road with short acceleration lanes and/or no shoulder–exits and entrances occur from/to the rightmost operating lane.  You have to keep in mind that while traffic is heavy during the peak times when these lanes are open, it is also not moving at top speed.

[roadman]

one thing i didnt get about the shoulder lane use on Route 128 was, how did they handle the onramps, if you got people driving on the shoulder and then part of the onramp space, that seems like a recipe for disaster

Simple, they posted warning signs on the ramps about the peak-hour breakdown lane travel, and posted Yield signs at the ends of the ramps.  Massachusetts also used the dotted white line extensions at exit and entrance ramps within the peak hour breakdown lane travel areas long before it became an MUTCD standard for all exit ramps.

Note that potential conflict between entering traffic and traffic using the breakdown lane for travel has not been a major problem.  The bigger issue has been with people colliding with stopped cars in the breakdown lane.  Over the 30+ years that peak hour travel has been allowed in the I-95/I-93 breakdown lanes, there have been at least four fatalities because of this.

[cl94]

one thing i didnt get about the shoulder lane use on Route 128 was, how did they handle the onramps, if you got people driving on the shoulder and then part of the onramp space, that seems like a recipe for disaster

Simple, they posted warning signs on the ramps about the peak-hour breakdown lane travel, and posted Yield signs at the ends of the ramps.  Massachusetts also used the dotted white line extensions at exit and entrance ramps within the peak hour breakdown lane travel areas long before it became an MUTCD standard for all exit ramps.

Note that potential conflict between entering traffic and traffic using the breakdown lane for travel has not been a major problem.  The bigger issue has been with people colliding with stopped cars in the breakdown lane.  Over the 30+ years that peak hour travel has been allowed in the I-95/I-93 breakdown lanes, there have been at least four fatalities because of this.

Which is probably the main reason they're doing away with breakdown lane travel

[spooky]

one thing i didnt get about the shoulder lane use on Route 128 was, how did they handle the onramps, if you got people driving on the shoulder and then part of the onramp space, that seems like a recipe for disaster

Simple, they posted warning signs on the ramps about the peak-hour breakdown lane travel, and posted Yield signs at the ends of the ramps.  Massachusetts also used the dotted white line extensions at exit and entrance ramps within the peak hour breakdown lane travel areas long before it became an MUTCD standard for all exit ramps.

Note that potential conflict between entering traffic and traffic using the breakdown lane for travel has not been a major problem.  The bigger issue has been with people colliding with stopped cars in the breakdown lane.  Over the 30+ years that peak hour travel has been allowed in the I-95/I-93 breakdown lanes, there have been at least four fatalities because of this.

Which is probably the main reason they're doing away with breakdown lane travel

The reason they're doing away with breakdown travel on I-95 is because they're finally finishing the add-a-lane project that replaces the added capacity provided by breakdown lane use with a proper 4th lane.

They still have breakdown lane use on MA 3 from Weymouth to Pembroke, and will continue to do so.

[roadman]

one thing i didnt get about the shoulder lane use on Route 128 was, how did they handle the onramps, if you got people driving on the shoulder and then part of the onramp space, that seems like a recipe for disaster

Simple, they posted warning signs on the ramps about the peak-hour breakdown lane travel, and posted Yield signs at the ends of the ramps.  Massachusetts also used the dotted white line extensions at exit and entrance ramps within the peak hour breakdown lane travel areas long before it became an MUTCD standard for all exit ramps.

Note that potential conflict between entering traffic and traffic using the breakdown lane for travel has not been a major problem.  The bigger issue has been with people colliding with stopped cars in the breakdown lane.  Over the 30+ years that peak hour travel has been allowed in the I-95/I-93 breakdown lanes, there have been at least four fatalities because of this.

Which is probably the main reason they're doing away with breakdown lane travel

The reason they're doing away with breakdown travel on I-95 is because they're finally finishing the add-a-lane project that replaces the added capacity provided by breakdown lane use with a proper 4th lane.

They still have breakdown lane use on MA 3 from Weymouth to Pembroke, and will continue to do so.

Not to mention I-93 between Wilmington and Methuen, although the Methuen end was truncated to the Merrimack River bridge to accommodate the Methuen Rotary work.

[froggie]

although the Methuen end was truncated to the Merrimack River bridge to accommodate the Methuen Rotary work.

Speaking of which, what are they doing there?  From what I could see a couple weekends ago, looks like they're converting it into some sort of par-clo.

[PHLBOS]

although the Methuen end was truncated to the Merrimack River bridge to accommodate the Methuen Rotary work.

Speaking of which, what are they doing there?  From what I could see a couple weekends ago, looks like they're converting it into some sort of par-clo.

Correct.  Such has been mentioned and probably buried in one of the Massachusetts threads; nonetheless:

METHUEN- INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION ON I-93 AT ROUTE 110/113 ROTARY, INCLUDING REMOVAL OF M-17-017 & M-17-018, REHAB OF M-17-007 & NEW BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION OF M-17-040

The project will eliminate the rotary and realign Routes 110 and 113 under I-93 and result in a continuous through movement for Route 113 west of the rotary to Route 110 east of the rotary. Routes 110 and 113 west and east of the rotary would be realigned to provide a four-leg and a "T"  intersection, respectively. The preferred alternative calls for a partial cloverleaf interchange. The interchange ramps would be realigned with new loops located in the northeast and northwest quadrants. The first loop would provide the movement from westbound Route 110/113 to the southbound on-ramp in the northwest quadrant, and the second from the northbound off-ramp to westbound Route 110/113 in the northeast

Source Enter Methuen and look under Project 605181.
_________________________________________________________________________

We now return to our regularly-scheduled Pennsylvania thread now already in progress. 

[roadman]

although the Methuen end was truncated to the Merrimack River bridge to accommodate the Methuen Rotary work.

Speaking of which, what are they doing there?  From what I could see a couple weekends ago, looks like they're converting it into some sort of par-clo.

Correct.  Such has been mentioned and probably buried in one of the Massachusetts threads; nonetheless:

METHUEN- INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION ON I-93 AT ROUTE 110/113 ROTARY, INCLUDING REMOVAL OF M-17-017 & M-17-018, REHAB OF M-17-007 & NEW BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION OF M-17-040

The project will eliminate the rotary and realign Routes 110 and 113 under I-93 and result in a continuous through movement for Route 113 west of the rotary to Route 110 east of the rotary. Routes 110 and 113 west and east of the rotary would be realigned to provide a four-leg and a “T” intersection, respectively. The preferred alternative calls for a partial cloverleaf interchange. The interchange ramps would be realigned with new loops located in the northeast and northwest quadrants. The first loop would provide the movement from westbound Route 110/113 to the southbound on-ramp in the northwest quadrant, and the second from the northbound off-ramp to westbound Route 110/113 in the northeast

Source Enter Methuen and look under Project 605181.
_________________________________________________________________________

Better still, go to http://methuenrotary.mhd.state.ma.us/

We now return to our regularly-scheduled Pennsylvania thread now already in progress. 

[jeffandnicole]

It's been often mentioned an alternative to widening the Schuylkill Expressway is to have rail instead.  SEPTA has narrowed down the proposed routes to 5: http://www.kingofprussiarail.com/tier3.html  Basically, all will end at the Valley Forge Convention Center & VF Casino, all will go near the King of Prussia Mall, and all will intersect with the existing Norristown High Speed Line. 

Because there always has to be one group that wants to fight it, some people in Upper Merion, PA want to 'talk' about the rail line and to have a voice in the planning and decision making. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/in-transit/One-group-is-saying-NO-to-King-of-Prussia-rail-proposal.html

There's also a small issue about funding the estimated $1 Billion price tag for the line, which right now has no sources of funding.

[Rothman]

It's been often mentioned an alternative to widening the Schuylkill Expressway is to have rail instead. 

It will be a great day when such advocates realize that building transit lines supplement current capacity, not replace it.  Not that building a $1B rail line with no apparent funding sources is a bad thing.

[jeffandnicole]

It's been often mentioned an alternative to widening the Schuylkill Expressway is to have rail instead. 

It will be a great day when such advocates realize that building transit lines supplement current capacity, not replace it.  Not that building a $1B rail line with no apparent funding sources is a bad thing.

Generally agree.  But the chances of widening the Schuylkill are so remote (and have even less of a chance of securing a funding source) that this will have to do.

[ekt8750]

It's been often mentioned an alternative to widening the Schuylkill Expressway is to have rail instead. 

It will be a great day when such advocates realize that building transit lines supplement current capacity, not replace it.  Not that building a $1B rail line with no apparent funding sources is a bad thing.

You have to realize a lot of transit advocates don't care about that. 50% of them are weirdo foamers that want to play choo choo with the public transit system, Another 40% are tree hugging nutjobs that thing the personal automobile is the ruination of the planet and will do anything to see ever car banned, and then you have the other 10% which are actual level headed people.

[cl94]

It's been often mentioned an alternative to widening the Schuylkill Expressway is to have rail instead. 

It will be a great day when such advocates realize that building transit lines supplement current capacity, not replace it.  Not that building a $1B rail line with no apparent funding sources is a bad thing.

You have to realize a lot of transit advocates don't care about that. 50% of them are weirdo foamers that want to play choo choo with the public transit system, Another 40% are tree hugging nutjobs that thing the personal automobile is the ruination of the planet and will do anything to see ever car banned, and then you have the other 10% which are actual level headed people.

You realize that similar things can be said about people on this forum, right? How many users want a million freeways to be built? The number of foamers is quite low, as are the "tree huggers".

[ARMOURERERIC]

Shame they could never build an east shore  HOT-3/BRT reversible 2 lane out to Norristown

[odditude]

there are two new monotube gantries on I-95 in Philly in the GIR project zone - one northbound and one southbound. the northbound one is still unoccupied, but the southbound one hosts a pair of signs - the exit sign for Girard Ave / Delaware Ave, in Clearview and lacking an exit tab, and a long-needed advance sign for I-676 / US 30 / Callowhill St / Central Phila (it omits the Ben Franklin Bridge destination that the other existing signs have). The advance sign is in construction orange with Series E at a significantly smaller size than the Clearview on the adjacent panel, and has an odd I-676 shield - the "676" legend is in undersized Series C aligned with the top of the blue section, so as a whole the shield just looks off.