re: A reminder that zipper merging is how your supposed to handle merging

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WG_Dawg

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I agree with this assessment

I will further add that I have observed folks hop into the outer merge lane (at merges that also have an onramp associated with it) to bypass everyone (often to get 5 or 6 car lengths ahead) only to try to cut back in.

Like many things in life, it boils down to intention (being kind vs an inpatient dick)

Now you really want to get me going, talk about folks trying to take lefts without an arrow while tough guying folks at the opposite end of the intersection (by plowing into the middle of the intersection) in front of those taking a right on green…

I just get dat backcut and go about my day

You prolly melting in your car

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That's what causes slow downs in traffic. It's not the "early mergers" that are the problem.

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It’s 100% of the fault of early mergers who then won’t open space to let others merge ahead. Which is basically every early merger proponent in this thread.

Again, selfish and narcissistic.

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What about the arse holes that ride the exit only lane until the end?? We are supposed to just let them over?

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If you like standstill traffic and everyone being in gridlock, you should definitely not casually open space to let them over.

If you like less traffic and everyone getting to their destination sooner, you could be a rational human being and open space to allow cars to merge.

Nope. You’re wrong. Adjust to the flow of traffic. Don’t expect traffic to adjust to you.

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Nope. You’re wrong. Adjust to the flow of traffic. Don’t expect traffic to adjust to you.

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This rational is applicable for both lanes.



Again, the traffic at merges is caused by cars having to come to a complete or nearly a complete stop to merge. This is caused solely by people who refuse to open space and allow cars to merge. If cars and the open lane simply take their foot off the gas for two seconds and open space, traffic reduces tremendously.

But because we have foolish yahoos who think once they’ve merged the entire process is over, we will continue to have backups.

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Again, the traffic at merges is caused by cars having to come to a complete or nearly a complete stop to merge. This is caused solely by people who refuse to open space and allow cars to merge.

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Nope, this is caused by the people who *need* to merge.

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If cars and the open lane simply take their foot off the gas for two seconds and open space, traffic reduces tremendously.

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Your argument hinges on the absurd idea that cars slowing down reduces traffic. That's wrong.

The open lane needs to keep moving. More cars per second through the choke point equals less traffic. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. If you got all the way to the front of the blocked lane, sorry you fricked yourself. You need to take one for the team and let the moving traffic keep moving. You're at a dead stop, if you try to merge you will cause a domino effect and slow down ALL the cars that are doing their part to reduce traffic. And the absolute dumbest thing to do is to keep doing that over and over one after the other. That's the slowest possible way to clear the traffic.

The open lane needs to keep moving, and the blocked lane needs to merge whenever they have an opportunity to do so without slowing down the moving vehicles.

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Compared to coming to nearly complete stops, it absolutely reduces traffic. It’s not even debatable.

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Lucky for me we're not comparing to coming to nearly complete stops. My way keeps the average vehicle speed as high as possible.

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The fact the people are even arguing this is disturbing.

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What's disturbing is people can't understand that cars can go faster when there are no merges going on.

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Which can’t happen when people who have already merged insist on riding the bumper of the car in front of them.

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Exactly, and the merges shouldn't happen. They damn sure shouldn't be done after each and every car. Each merge requires coordination which requires slower speeds. Why the frick would you want to do that as many times as possible?

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There is going to be a reduction in speed at merge no matter what.

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Yeah that's what I'm telling you. I'm trying to eliminate those speed reductions, while you're trying to do it as much as possible. It's just plain stupid.

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The zipper method reduces it from 70 mph to 45 mph.

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More like 70 to 20.

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The selfish “I’ve already merged so frick you” method reduces it from 70 mph to 5 mph.

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The "selfish" method slows 70 down to 60 in the open lane and the dumbasses in the blocked lane down to 0. Average vehicle speed is higher and car throughput is higher thus traffic is reduced.

Do stop lights move more vehicles by giving each direction just enough time for 1 vehicle to go, or by giving each direction enough time for 10 or 20 vehicles to go before switching? The answer is obvious, allowing more cars at a time increases vehicle throughput drastically. Same goes for merging.

I understand why people fight so hard for the zipper merge, it's because it seems the most "fair". First come, first go. And studies and models are designed with this bias in mind. But it is absolutely *not* the fastest way to clear traffic. Not by a long shot.

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The "selfish" method slows 70 down to 60 in the open lane and the dumbasses in the blocked lane down to 0.

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Until the first car in the closed lane forces themself over and then your entire line of reasoning breaks down.

Again, anyone who argues this is a fool.

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Until the first car in the closed lane forces themself over and then your entire line of reasoning breaks down.

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Ah yes, you are correct, the efficient method of moving traffic *does* go to shite the instant a merge happens. And in the case of a zipper it's just shite the whole time.

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Again, anyone who argues this is a fool.

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I think we can agree that a merge of any type can only slow traffic. My way reduces the total number of merge attempts, your way tries to get 10,000 people to do merges perfectly one after the other.

Which of us is the fool?