Can Minnesotans Merge?

[Workdawg]

In situations where one lane ends, you ARE supposed to use the open lane until it ends, not just get over where ever you can, especially not as soon as you see the signs.

I'm almost positive this has been discussed in the chatbox, and everyone thought I was wrong... so I present evidence that I am correct.

http://wcco.com/topstories/Good.Question.merging.2.370216.html

 

[Z-licious]

Sorry but this statement was written by a retarded man:

That's because merging early makes the backup longer. When we use both lanes until the actual merge point and then take turns, the backups are shortened by as much as 35 percent.


Anyone who understands basic flow rates knows that your bottleneck will be where the restrictiveness, or resistance is highest. If you have a mile long section of 2 lanes, it doesn't matter if you have a third lane that ends right where it starts, or if that third lane ends a 1/2 mile earlier, given no more entrances or exits during that length. The bottleneck is your mile long section of 2 lanes.

 

[Workdawg]

True, but the real problem lies in that people can't just merge in the "zipper method". I think the point he meant to make was that if everyone properly used the "zipper" traffic would flow 35% faster.

This system of merging at the actual merge point is called the zipper: a way of intertwining traffic at one designated point. It only works if the drivers in the open lane allow cars from the closed lane to merge.

I guess it really doesn't matter WHERE you do it, but the idea is that traffic all flows along in two lanes, and at the same point, it all merges together. If that is when you first see the sign, or when the lane ends, it doesn't really matter. Since it doesn't really matter, the guys who close the lanes most likely put up the signs where the lane needs to close, no sooner or later. The key to making it work correctly is to have there be one point in the lane where everyone merges in "the zipper." The only logical place for that to happen is at the very end. Merging earlier just wastes road space, and you can't merge later.

The problem is that currently you have some people moving over as soon as they see the sign, then getting pissed at the people who use the whole lane and merge in at the end. The people who merge early wait in line unnecessarily and are all bitter about being so stupid, and then try not to let others merge. This breaks the zipper pattern.

The other problem is people stopping, or slowing down, in the open lane and waiting for a spot to merge. This is essentially caused by the people who merged earlier not letting them in. But it slows down the whole process, both lanes should be traveling the same speed to "zipper" properly.

Regardless, I will still be "that guy" and laugh at all the suckers waiting in the big line.

 

[DrWebster]

There's actually an entire book devoted to traffic sociology called "Traffic" by Tom Vanberbilt, and the first chapter is all about this. It's true; if you wait until the last minute to merge it's a better use of the road. The fastest merging is by "zippering" at the same point, and some states have even tried putting up signs to instruct drivers where exactly to merge. I'm now a "late merger" too.

Ultimately, Minnesotans can't drive worth a shit anyway, so I could care less what they think about me merging late.

 

[cosmicspd3]

yeah but the problem is at that merge spot all the dumb people in the non ending lane slow down....they screw up the flow like a tampon.

 

[Schmitty]

they screw up the flow like a tampon.

I am so stealing that line.

 

[LASERBLUE135]

I really don't mind that OTHER drivers merge too early. What pisses me off is when I correctly go to the end of the lane and try to merge and people are pissed off and honk/yell/drive like total nutjobs to block my merge.

 

[dmention7]

You could do a million stories like this and it's not going to change people's driving nature. If you think it makes someone a sucker or a dumbass for merging early when it's most convenient, go ahead and feel smug in the knowledge that you're going to get home 2 minutes earlier than someone else... congrats.

And I say there's no cause to bitch about people not letting you merge when the lane engs. You cruised past the line of cars in full knowledge that going against the majority was going to result in some ill-will when you get to the end of the lane and force your way in.

 

[Schmitty]

I really don't mind that OTHER drivers merge too early. What pisses me off is when I correctly go to the end of the lane and try to merge and people are pissed off and honk/yell/drive like total nutjobs to block my merge.

+1

 

[ZoomZoom Diva]

I find that very difficult to believe, because if you merge when there is an opening, you are not impeding the flow of traffic at all. Traffic must slow down a great deal for the "zipper" to operate.

 

[Slim]

Dan's right. I've heard a MNDOT official on a talk radio show state that you are supposed to use both/all lanes until the merge point. In fact, I've seen signs on I35 heading to Duluth when some lane closures were going on the stated "Use Both Lane Until the Merge Point"

And Jay I'll have to disagree that it's okay to block people out and give them "ill will" for using both lanes properly.

I even had one dumbass swerve over and force me onto the shoulder on I94 heading to Madison when there was a lane closure. In that instance they had signs stating "Lane Closure Ahead in X Miles" counting down once every mile from as far out as 10 miles.

You know where the backup of people in one lane started? 8 miles out from the merge point. Sorry, but moving over into one lane 8 miles out is just moronic. Not to mention as previously stated wholly inefficient for traffic flow.

 

[dmention7]

I didn't say it was okay, but it's a fact of life. If using the lanes in what is technically a more correct manner is worth the aggravation you encounter for going against the behavior of the majority, then go for it. But I don't think there's cause for complaining about it said aggravation either. I mean, if you don't want people acting all aloof because they are merging the "nice" way, then it's hypocritical to act all aloof about merging the "right" way. Anyways, that's just the $0.02 from someone who thinks that people merging early or late is low on the list of traffic woes that are worth my energy to get worked up about... lol

 

[YSOSLO]

I can deal with the merge issues when a lane is ending, but how about all the dumbasses that putt along in the right lane when they aren't even exiting?!....it's like they're just sitting in that lane to cause interference with those vehicles trying to enter and exit the roadway. If you're not going to exit then GTFOver a lane, so the rest of us can go about our business and then slide over to the right lane before your actual exit. And for those people on the roadway...don't hit the friggin' brakes just because somebody's coming down the on-ramp...half the time the car hitting their brakes would be clear of the merging-point if they hadn't hit the brakes prematurely. MN drivers as a whole cannot merge for shit, but I think most of the time it's because they're trying to be "MN nice" while inadvertently screwing everything up. That's my 2 cents.