re: Interstate lane for 18 Wheelers

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Where I live, if an interstate is three or more lanes there *are* semi restrictions.

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As there should be.

But it's hard to do that if it's just 2 travel lanes in each direction. We have to widen our highways and invest in our infrastructure. There is clearly more traffic on those routes since our country has doubled in population since most of it has been built.

In some locations - like when there are steep grades or frequent unsafe/foggy conditions like some of the causeways - yeah we should put them all in the right lane. One of those trucks screw up and the network is broken for hours since they don't usually just block one lane when they crash.

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But how will they pass another semi by going 0.000001MPH faster?

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Eliminate any and all ‘governed’ speed regulations and prohibit companies from installing restrictions would stop 90pct of traffic buildups on highways.

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Semis are about 5% of all registered vehicles in the US

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They also take up about 4-5x the amount of space as a normal car. They consume far more capacity in medium/high congestion scenarios since they don't accelerate as quickly as the other traffic and has to have a lot more space to execute a lane change. Traffic will move a lot more freely if we limit the lange changes - and less volatility in traffic will make things a lot easier for trucks. But our infrastructure isn't set up for that in a lot of areas since we are investing our weath in Ukraine and China instead of ourselves.

What they found with these new bridge studies in Louisiana is that only about 20% of the vehicles on I-10 in Baton Rouge are trucks. But they are definitely responsible for far more traffic problems just by the size and nature of their movement. Trucks have a higher capacity factor especially in heavy traffic. 20% of the traffic could easily cosume 50% or more of the available capacity.

IMO the biggest, most glaring problem in Louisiana and Baton Rouge especially is that our highway network is so neglected and obsolete that we can't really impose lane restrictions now.....but it is absolutely something that should be considered once they are done widening I-10 (which should take about 140 years) and there is potentially more space for all of those vehicles. Commuter lanes are another potential option that should be considered too but I don't think they are outside of I-12.

An 8 -10 lane highway with trucks limited to the outside 2 lanes is a lot easier than limiting trucks to the right lane on a broken, neglected, poorly lit and narrow elevated freeway with right and left exits and weird grade changes that exist because the origional designers (all long dead) were trying to thread the highway around neighborhoods. We have to fix our shite and beef up our alternative routes before we start limiting trucks to lanes in Baton Rouge.

It's inexcusible how little Louisiana's government actually works for the people. Nowhere is that more evident than with our highway network. LADOTD is every bit as functionally obsolete as the highways they are expected to maintain but don't.

Read what I posted dipshit. Trucker was in right lane and decided to come into my lane at the same place the left lane was ending.

Could have resulted in a multicar pile up.

Yes it says trucks use left lane but it doesn't give trucks the right to change lanes in an unsafe manner. He forced his way in and almost took the front and side of my vehicle. He didn't have to change lanes at that exact moment.

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if we cut out 2/3s of the day for shipping

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Nobody suggested that. There are alternate roads they can drive on and plan their day around only being on the interstate at night.

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Read the road signs through that area dipshit. Tractor trailers are instructed to be in left lane.

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I don't think they are instructed to crash into whatever car is already in that lane though. That's what I think the poster was saying.

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Right now they are widening I-4 to handle the traffic load from 2010. Millions of extra people have moved to red states, to leave their oppressive governments behind.

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Louisiana is just now starting to widen parts of I-12 and I-10 that should have been widened 25 years ago. The decking is starting to sag on I-110 but ther are no plans to improve or update that. If they start building the new bridge crossing at Plaquemine right now, they'll only be about 30 years late.

It's particularly bad in Louisiana, but it's absoutely a nationwide problem.

It's not just the interstates around here either. US61, US190, LA1.....all not only obsolete but are also lacking reflectors, visible stripes, and any real maintenance in most sections.

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Major interstates should be 6 lanes wide (3 in either direction) at a minimum, with big rigs, RV's, and anything with a trailer strictly limited to the right two lanes unless there is an approaching left hand exit.

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The highway between Columbus and Cleveland (I-71, 2 hour drive) is absolutely amazing because it's three lanes in each direction the entire way.

It's also been proven it drastically saves lives because accidents happen when people are going significantly different speeds, passing on the right, etc.

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Why hasn't this happened yet?

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the cost to add an extra lane to all interstates.


The problem isn't a truck lane, the problem is that a lot of truck drivers would rather play leap frog than tap the break and drive in line until they can easily pass.

Money and right away battles which were part of why the Trans-Texas Corridor never happened.