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Let's talk merging

ericram

ericram

Ultimate Seminole Insider
Gold Member
Nov 5, 2002
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Inlet Beach, FL
I have always been a proponent of the "Zipper" merge technique, much to the chagrin of my fellow motorists. They cannot seem to understand that this is the most effecient way of merging traffic. You do not waste a whole extra lane because you have merged early.

Research does agree with me. What say you LR?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...merging-blocked-lanes-traffic-jams/763080002/

Oh and don't get me started on roundabouts!!
 
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ericram said:
I have always been a proponent of the "Zipper" merge technique, much to the chagrin of my fellow motorists. They cannot seem to understand that this is the most effecient way of merging traffic. You do not waste a whole extra lane because you have merged early.

Research does agree with me. What say you LR?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...merging-blocked-lanes-traffic-jams/763080002/

Oh and don't get me started on roundabouts!!
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I just look around and make sure Jeep and Ranger are not present and then go.
 
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Imtotallynottribe said:
I just look around and make sure Jeep and Ranger are not present and then go.
Click to expand...
So many people have road rage these days. My son and I were coming back on I10 from Tampa on Sunday. I am in the left lane going 75 and fairly close to the car ahead because numbnuts are always jumping in front of me from the right lane trying to cut ahead. So a guy in a huge ass pick-em-up truck in the right lane sees a semi ahead and floors it then without notice (signal) just starts coming into my lane inches off my right bumper. I hate driving on highways!!
 
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ericram said:
I have always been a proponent of the "Zipper" merge technique, much to the chagrin of my fellow motorists. They cannot seem to understand that this is the most effecient way of merging traffic. You do not waste a whole extra lane because you have merged early.

Research does agree with me. What say you LR?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...merging-blocked-lanes-traffic-jams/763080002/

Oh and don't get me started on roundabouts!!
Click to expand...
Agreed, and even in a worst case scenario usually distracted drivers create enough of a gap to merge!
 
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Yes, every traffic planner I know says that when lanes are closing, stay in the closing lane until the end and then merge. People get pissed because they think you're skipping, but you're just making the best use of the road.

As for any other place such as leaving parking lots, etc... I agree as well.
 
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ericram said:
So many people have road rage these days. My son and I were coming back on I10 from Tampa on Sunday. I am in the left lane going 75 and fairly close to the car ahead because numbnuts are always jumping in front of me from the right lane trying to cut ahead. So a guy in a huge ass pick-em-up truck in the right lane sees a semi ahead and floors it then without notice (signal) just starts coming into my lane inches off my right bumper. I hate driving on highways!!
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75 in the left lane? Move over, merkin.
 
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landscape-1481823203-something-about-mary.jpg
 
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kc78 said:
Yes, every traffic planner I know says that when lanes are closing, stay in the closing lane until the end and then merge. People get pissed because they think you're skipping, but you're just making the best use of the road.

As for any other place such as leaving parking lots, etc... I agree as well.
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And those who go to the end of the closed lane get pissed when no one will let them merge. Just because you have your turn signal on doesn't mean that I have to let you in.
 
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ericram said:
So many people have road rage these days. My son and I were coming back on I10 from Tampa on Sunday. I am in the left lane going 75 and fairly close to the car ahead because numbnuts are always jumping in front of me from the right lane trying to cut ahead. So a guy in a huge ass pick-em-up truck in the right lane sees a semi ahead and floors it then without notice (signal) just starts coming into my lane inches off my right bumper. I hate driving on highways!!
Click to expand...
If you're not doing 80+ in the left lane, gt_o...
Amirite?
 
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ericram said:
I have always been a proponent of the "Zipper" merge technique, much to the chagrin of my fellow motorists. They cannot seem to understand that this is the most effecient way of merging traffic. You do not waste a whole extra lane because you have merged early.

Research does agree with me. What say you LR?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...merging-blocked-lanes-traffic-jams/763080002/

Oh and don't get me started on roundabouts!!
Click to expand...
There's an entire book on the idea. Research is inclusive but suggests that if traffic is heavy the zipper is best. In lighter traffic the merge early is better. Kinda makes sense.

Coming from New England I agree with you, I never understood why people got so worked up over late lane changes.
 
Just drove to the keys via 95 and the turnpike. There was NOBODY dilly dallying around in the left two or three lanes...
 
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ericram said:
As do I, but the rest of the motorists seem to have no earthly idea how they work or how to navigate them.
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As they become more commonplace people get more familiar with them. There are a lot of them in the Tahoe area and they work fine up there.
 
DFSNOLE said:
And those who go to the end of the closed lane get pissed when no one will let them merge. Just because you have your turn signal on doesn't mean that I have to let you in.
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I think both the merge and zipper techniques work well when EVERYONE cooperates, but they don't. The people in the through lane think the people in the merging(closing) lane are trying to skirt the system and get ahead of everyone and get pissed and try not to let them in. Then everyone has to apply the brakes and then the back up starts. This happens when cloverleaf traffic merges and when lanes narrow....always during heavier traffic volumes.

If people planned ahead earlier, even during heavy traffic volume then it would run smoother, but invariably you have the asshats in both lanes who think their time is more important then their counter parts and that's when the back ups happen. I have come to the conclusion that the turn signal is no longer "hey I would like to get over could you please let me in" to a last minute, "watchout I am coming over!!!!" and then they do.

We have a two lane road on my way home that merges to one lane eastbound and it has gotten better with more signage, but invariably there is always that one guy that will be way behind me and speed up on my rear tire/passenger door expecting me to slow down and let him go ahead. I never do and he either goes into the ditch/woods or he slows down, then I get the one finger salute.

My view is simple, if I am ahead of you I will zipper into the one lane then we move along, if you try and run up and expect me to slow down so you can pass me, your either going to slow down and get pissed, go in the ditch or have a collision with my F250 and then your going to have to explain to the LEO why your an idiot/aggressive driver. I have plenty of money and insurance so I don't care which you choose.

Carry on....
 
Generally speaking, roundabout are safer and more efficient at processing lower-speed traffic. Think about it: it's not possible to have a head-on or t-bone collision in a roundabout; only sideswipes.

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ericram said:
Obviously you have more faith in your fellow drivers than I have ever witnessed or experienced. People are idiots and have no idea what they are doing most of the time.
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Kidding, I was just being facetious

I agree with you that there are many people who do what I described and gum up the works at roundabouts. They simply can’t grasp the concept.
 
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I've see some drivers ride half way in the merge lane to stop zippers. I just laugh when ppl do that.
 
Lane zippers aren’t the issue - the problem is the people who zoom up an exit lane to skip the thru traffic and then merge back into the thru lane.
 
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Definitely zipper merge for sure. Also fill that right lane up instead of waiting like a dunce in the left lane to merge if it’s backed up.
The Germans know this already.
 
One of the biggest issues I see with roundabouts here in North Georgia is they are too small. Everyone needs to slow down so much, even when there are hardly any cars around, that they automatically cause traffic.

Where I grew up in South Jersey we had "circles" (same thing as a roundabout) and they were rather large. If there was little traffic you could easily merge in at 35-40mph and not cause any issues. I have driven through during high volume times and hardly ever had traffic because they can handle the volume of vehicles entering/exiting.
 
FSUdawg said:
One of the biggest issues I see with roundabouts here in North Georgia is they are too small. Everyone needs to slow down so much, even when there are hardly any cars around, that they automatically cause traffic.

Where I grew up in South Jersey we had "circles" (same thing as a roundabout) and they were rather large. If there was little traffic you could easily merge in at 35-40mph and not cause any issues. I have driven through during high volume times and hardly ever had traffic because they can handle the volume of vehicles entering/exiting.
Click to expand...

I have seen some tiny ones installed in a neighborhood (single lane) and people just go left the short way vs going the long way around the intersection.
 
FSUdawg said:
One of the biggest issues I see with roundabouts here in North Georgia is they are too small. Everyone needs to slow down so much, even when there are hardly any cars around, that they automatically cause traffic.

Where I grew up in South Jersey we had "circles" (same thing as a roundabout) and they were rather large. If there was little traffic you could easily merge in at 35-40mph and not cause any issues. I have driven through during high volume times and hardly ever had traffic because they can handle the volume of vehicles entering/exiting.
Click to expand...
Agreed about size issues, although one component of a roundabout is too cause traffic to slow down going through an intersection for safety reasons. It is still typically faster than waiting for a light to change.
Sometimes the small size is due to refitting existing intersections and it is kinda understandable. The new ones built too small are head scratchers.
 
FSUdawg said:
One of the biggest issues I see with roundabouts here in North Georgia is they are too small. Everyone needs to slow down so much, even when there are hardly any cars around, that they automatically cause traffic.

Where I grew up in South Jersey we had "circles" (same thing as a roundabout) and they were rather large. If there was little traffic you could easily merge in at 35-40mph and not cause any issues. I have driven through during high volume times and hardly ever had traffic because they can handle the volume of vehicles entering/exiting.
Click to expand...
Yea but you also have those dumb left turn jug handles. :D
 
billanole said:
Agreed about size issues, although one component of a roundabout is too cause traffic to slow down going through an intersection for safety reasons. It is still typically faster than waiting for a light to change.
Sometimes the small size is due to refitting existing intersections and it is kinda understandable. The new ones built too small are head scratchers.
Click to expand...
This. Roundabouts are sometimes used as a less intrusive (compared to a stop sign or speed bumps) traffic calming tool.

Another reason that roundabouts might appear to be underdesigned is right-of-way limitation. When retrofitting an existing four-way intersection, the ideal roundabout diameter might require taking someone's lawn or a parking lot or building.
 
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