Your least-favorite roadway feature?

[NE2]

There is no logical reason for ramp metering.  This video explains why it is bad.

Gawrsh, no it doesn't.

[Henry]

* 1+1 roads (this type of road).

I believe the proper term is a Super-2. BTW, I hate them too!

Other things I can't stand:
Four-way stop signs
Left-hand ramps (both entrances and exits)
Red-light cameras
Speed limits posted lower than ideal numbers
Sequential exit numbers
Closely-bunched interchanges, especially if they're not braided
Right-turn traffic signals

[jeffandnicole]

There is no logical reason for ramp metering.  This video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux5ADlWXOvs - explains why it is bad.

I dislike it when dogs drive cars. 

And even if you tried to really stretch this video to ramp metering, it didn't work.  A ramp meter isn't located in the acceleration lane.  It's located within the ramp, where other people can see and expect traffic to be stopped.

I'm also not a fan of barriers between diamond lanes and the general purpose lanes.

Why?  It prevents people from jumping into/out of the lanes illegally.

Really dislike jersey barriers as the sole division between traffic directions.

This just really doesn't make sense.  What else do you want between directions that protects traffic from hitting each other.

Lanes that end shortly after an exit... why is it not just an Exit Only lane?

Because motorists tend to stay in the Exit Only lane until the last moment, then quickly jump out of the lane.  Many motorists don't understand what 'Exit Only' means either...with many thinking that you can exit, but you can't re-enter.

Traffic signals, and rotate between directions of travel, instead of addressing traffic flow.

Huh?

[Mr. Matté]

Not a fan of the idea of ramp meters but I don't live in an area where they are in use or could be in use so I probably can't have too much of an opinion on that. On DDIs there are definitely none around here so again no opinion either way.

Hate red light cameras, just seems like a way for the police to be laid back and but get plenty of income. "For your safety" my ass. Luckily the program in New Jersey has ended, isn't likely to be renewed, and will not be extended to speed cameras here.

I like modern roundabouts, but some people really don't know how to behave. A couple of times in the roundabout I regularly use, a driver in the circle will stop and cede their right of way to the people entering getting me angry. I've had and seen no issues with the one SPUI in my area so I give it a net positive opinion.

Other things I hate, besides the razor blade slot in the bathroom, artificially low speed limits solely to enhance the town revenue, raised reflective markers in shoulders because as a cyclist, they are annoying to ride around especially when they're placed on roads with very narrow or nonexistent shoulders, and traffic signals that have actuation but continue to give long greens to movements without any vehicles.

[freebrickproductions]

Traffic signals, and rotate between directions of travel, instead of addressing traffic flow.

Huh?

I think they mean "split phasing".
There are some intersections here in Huntsville where both streets split phase, but those are only on Memorial Parkway.

[jeffandnicole]

There's a limited number around me.  One they did recently - at first the timing was pretty bad, but after they came back out and adjusted it, I have to say it's working quite well.

Delaware may split-time over 50% of their intersections.  If it's not that high, it's quite close to it.

[TEG24601]

There is no logical reason for ramp metering.  This video -

- explains why it is bad.

I dislike it when dogs drive cars. 

And even if you tried to really stretch this video to ramp metering, it didn't work.  A ramp meter isn't located in the acceleration lane.  It's located within the ramp, where other people can see and expect traffic to be stopped.

Except, with the introduction of metering, especially in Washington and Oregon, it doesn't provide enough time for you to get up to whatever the traffic speed is.  You say it is on the ramp, but I usually see it just before the ramp merges with the traffic lanes.

I'm also not a fan of barriers between diamond lanes and the general purpose lanes.

Why?  It prevents people from jumping into/out of the lanes illegally.

It shouldn't be illegal to jump between lanes.  In Washington and Oregon you can get into and out of the HOV lane wherever you want.  Restricting access is illogical.

Really dislike jersey barriers as the sole division between traffic directions.

This just really doesn't make sense.  What else do you want between directions that protects traffic from hitting each other.

Perhaps you know of medians.  I have seen far to many incidents where a vehicle had either gone over the barriers, or through the barriers and into oncoming traffic, or move the barrier into the oncoming traffic.  Even a minor median would prevent this, in addition of the barrier, or barriers that are not movable.  There are many places where the barriers are built into the road.  Jersey barriers by definition are not affixed to the ground, as they were designed for temporary installations.

Lanes that end shortly after an exit... why is it not just an Exit Only lane?

Because motorists tend to stay in the Exit Only lane until the last moment, then quickly jump out of the lane.  Many motorists don't understand what 'Exit Only' means either...with many thinking that you can exit, but you can't re-enter.

Then perhaps we should change it to "Must Exit", but 9 times out of 10, I see someone fly past the exit in the lane, then nearly cause an accident whilst attempting to merge.

Traffic signals, and rotate between directions of travel, instead of addressing traffic flow.

Huh?

I guess the correct term is split-phase, but they are basically controlled all-way stops.  It just seems like lazy design, and in the places I see them, people seem to run them more often than regular lights due to impatience.

[TEG24601]

I forgot a couple:


Multi-lane roads where one lane reverts to parking after a certain time of day.
Low traffic intersections, without left turn yield options.
Speed limits that are reduced or raised for a short period (less than 5 miles) without any need.
School Zones near schools without pedestrian use (many are in the country without people living nearby), but still have school zones.

[jakeroot]

There is no logical reason for ramp metering.  This video - - explains why it is bad.

I dislike it when dogs drive cars. 

And even if you tried to really stretch this video to ramp metering, it didn't work.  A ramp meter isn't located in the acceleration lane.  It's located within the ramp, where other people can see and expect traffic to be stopped.

Except, with the introduction of metering, especially in Washington and Oregon, it doesn't provide enough time for you to get up to whatever the traffic speed is.  You say it is on the ramp, but I usually see it just before the ramp merges with the traffic lanes.

It might be time to buy a new car.

[Ray_Stantz]

Traffic signals, and rotate between directions of travel, instead of addressing traffic flow.

Huh?

I think they mean "split phasing".
There are some intersections here in Huntsville where both streets split phase, but those are only on Memorial Parkway.

"Pretimed"
(Split phasing makes sense but is usually used when describing left-turns.)

[US81]

...
Lanes that end shortly after an exit... why is it not just an Exit Only lane?
...

I have mixed feelings with these. In principle I agree, but in practice, I can think of a few exits where I'm glad they're structured this way because of the tendency of drivers to stay in the exit-only lane until the last moment then try to merge in. On a true exit only lane, this can block the exit lane so that the traffic intending to exit is stuck on the freeway waiting on the jerk to merge left.

[Gnutella]

Speed limits posted well below a safe and reasonable speed. Fuck every city that posts a 35mph limit on 4/6 lane arterials that have dedicated left turn lanes and no particular reason for a lower limit, like on-street parking or an excessive number of driveways.

That's how the city makes money.  It's bullshit of course, and I agree with you.

On a sort-of related note, am I the only one who thinks it's awesome that Pennsylvania doesn't allow local police to run radar? By law, only the state police are permitted to. All the little Barney Fiefdoms and irrelevant shithole towns that happened to win the highway lottery can't balance their budgets with ticket revenue. For them, it's pretty much VASCAR or nothing.

Anyway, one thing I hate about some roads is unnecessary zigging, zagging and swerving over a short distance when a simple arc movement or straight line would do. Curves with improper banking or geometry bug the hell out of me too. I also hate when auxiliary right-turn lanes are too short for a car to use without slowing down in the main travel lane anyway. What's the point of having them in that case? Georgia seems to be especially bad with this.

[DandyDan]

1. Red light cameras.
2. Inappropriately low speed limits
3. Traffic signals where the light automatically turns red even if there is no cross traffic.
4. In parts of downtown Omaha, there is diagonal parking where you are expected to back into the parking spot.  You pull ahead of your spot and then back in.

[texaskdog]

...
Lanes that end shortly after an exit... why is it not just an Exit Only lane?
...

I have mixed feelings with these. In principle I agree, but in practice, I can think of a few exits where I'm glad they're structured this way because of the tendency of drivers to stay in the exit-only lane until the last moment then try to merge in. On a true exit only lane, this can block the exit lane so that the traffic intending to exit is stuck on the freeway waiting on the jerk to merge left.

Like, all of Austin????  People are A) too dumb to get out of the exit lane  B) stay in the left lane until the last second and get over 3 lanes.  And none of them ever use their blinkers.

[texaskdog]

How much you have to slow to go over a speed bump also depends on how your car is built, I believe. I can comfortably take these style of speed bumps at 25 mph while I've seen people (and been behind said people) who have to slow to an almost complete stop.

Generally those in very high backup trucks too

[1995hoo]

....
4. In parts of downtown Omaha, there is diagonal parking where you are expected to back into the parking spot.  You pull ahead of your spot and then back in.

DC has this in some places, but in some of them it's restricted by day and time. For example, there are a number of places near churches where "back-in, pull-out" diagonal parking is allowed only from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sundays. If you parallel park during "diagonal hours," you get a ticket; if you diagonal park outside the specified time, you get a ticket; if you diagonally park front-in instead of backwards, you get a ticket.

I saw a LOT of diagonally-parked cars with tickets yesterday because people going to the Capitals game, which started at 1:00, parked that way and left their cars that way past 2:00 (because Verizon Center doesn't allow you to leave and re-enter except for smokers through one specific door). Of course, it's those people's own fault for not parking in one of the many nearby garages. They thought they could save money parking on the street and didn't read the signs. We paid $17 to park in a garage, but that's cheaper than a parking ticket.

[wphiii]

Busy intersections where the left lane is for both straight and left-turning traffic and the right lane is right-turn only. Especially when there isn't a protected left-turn cycle. At certain times of day only one or two cars will even be able to make the left turn each cycle, so all of the cars trying to go straight are basically screwed, and to what end I have no clue.

Also, sequential exit numbers.

[hotdogPi]

Also, sequential exit numbers.

Sequential exit numbers that are actually sequential are fine.

"Sequential" exit numbers like 38, 37, 35C, 35B, 35A, 34, 32... (I-495 Massachusetts, southbound) on the other hand...

[jakeroot]

....
4. In parts of downtown Omaha, there is diagonal parking where you are expected to back into the parking spot.  You pull ahead of your spot and then back in.

DC has this in some places, but in some of them it's restricted by day and time. For example, there are a number of places near churches where "back-in, pull-out" diagonal parking is allowed only from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sundays. If you parallel park during "diagonal hours," you get a ticket; if you diagonal park outside the specified time, you get a ticket; if you diagonally park front-in instead of backwards, you get a ticket.

Quite a few back-in angle parking locations in Tacoma. Some are 24-hour free zones, some are 2-hour pay zones:

[74/171FAN]

I do not believe that I have a photo of one of these, but those old left-turn signals in Henrico County (the new ones aren't so bad) really annoyed me for some reason.  I think it was because they looked odd.

[sipes23]

Erased road markings/lack of any maintenance - this is for you, Chicago!

I mean, seriously, sometimes I wonder if a turn lane is there or not due to the erased road markings. Even where to stop if you're the first at a red light can be ambiguous.

4 way stop signs. What's worse? A consecutive series of blocks with stop signs. No wonder my friend and I get well below our EPA estimates for city fuel economy! :X Gimme roundabouts with yield signs!

Unclearly delindeated overly wide lanes on a 2 lane road. I want to drive in a lane, not a general vicinity. This allows idiots to wander left and right while driving. It rewards the incompetant and is a hell for the precise.

Fixed time signal lights. I think I have to wait at least three minutes at a red light everyday when there's no traffic perpendicular to me.

Manhole covers that are directly in the path of travel of your tires within the lane. I bet the tire lobby is behind that one!

Too short on ramps and off ramps. Cloverleafs with cramped designed. It just gets messy with too many conflict zones while entering/exiting the Interstate.

Unsmooth road surface in general. I drive a BMW with runflats. I feel everything.

The Chicago driving experience encapsulated. I hate a lot of these things too. The manhole covers under the tires seems like deliberately poor design.

Not mentioned: 5 and 6 way intersections. HATE.

[jakeroot]

Not mentioned: 5 and 6 way intersections. HATE.

Agreed, if they are signalized. 5+ legs are great places to use roundabouts.

[roadman65]

Also, sequential exit numbers.

Sequential exit numbers that are actually sequential are fine.

"Sequential" exit numbers like 38, 37, 35C, 35B, 35A, 34, 32... (I-495 Massachusetts, southbound) on the other hand...

Oh you forgot about how FL messed up I-4 in Sanford with 50, 51A, and then 51.  Plus the awful double suffixed Saxton Boulevard with it being Exit 53CA and 53CB between Exits 53 and 54.

That is one reason why they got rid of the sequential numbers, because some idiots did not know their abc's in addition to their 123's.

[cl94]

I hate:

* New Jersey traffic circles (more-so because the other people can't drive properly in one worth shit)

My favorites are the ones with the main road cutting through the middle. US 1 near Princeton?

Speaking of those, someone at TRB had a poster claiming that there were only 3 of these "hamburger roundabouts" in America with only one in Jersey (and it wasn't the Princeton one). I didn't have the heart to show them more examples.

[roadman65]

Bayway Circle in Elizabeth.

There is a smaller no named one in Watchung along US 22 at Mountain Avenue.