Flow of traffic

#1
barknoxbrawler

barknoxbrawler

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#1
I was driving into Nashville this morning and it got me thinking. Why do some people drive fast and then slow? I had a lady behind me in the slow lane for 8 miles while I was doing 73 mph. I got over into the fast lane, to give proper clearance of a vehicle with issues on the shoulder , and then she sped up to at least 80 mph and continued on. My question is- why do people not pass ? I have seen this multiple times and I'm sure there is a research firm that has researched this phenomenon, but I have not looked for it.

Also, traffic lights. All traffic lights should be sequenced properly to allow the larger road ( 4 lane vs. 2 lane) to flow better. More vehicles on said road, would make better light sequencing extremely valuable to traffic problems. Or am I the only one that notices these things?
 
#2
#2
I drive 35,000+ miles a year. People in general are clueless behind the wheel. I just always assume they'll do the most illogical thing and about half the time I'm right.
 
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#3
#3
GAVol said:
I drive 35,000+ miles a year. People in general are clueless behind the wheel. I just always assume they'll do the most illogical thing and about half the time I'm right.
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Agreed. But why? Does flow of traffic and travel make a person fall in (get in order) or is everything just random when driving? I need to research traffic patterns as this has got me thinking for some darn reason.
 
#4
#4
GAVol said:
I drive 35,000+ miles a year. People in general are clueless behind the wheel. I just always assume they'll do the most illogical thing and about half the time I'm right.
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That's a lot of driving. You are driving more than 1.4 times the circumference of the planet every year!
 
#7
#7
I know Murfreesboro hired a firm a few years ago to come in and sync up the traffic lights along Old Fort. I think they're just as screwed up as before now. Murfreesboro traffic is horrible. Its easier to get around down town Nashville.
 
#8
#8
My biggest pet peeve is those setting the cruise control to the speed limit or below the speed limit in the fast lane.
 
#10
#10
A lot of traffic issues could be solved if people would just stay out of the left lane except to pass. I don't care if they're doing 70 or 90.
 
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#11
#11
GAVol said:
A lot of traffic issues could be solved if people would just stay out of the left lane except to pass. I don't care if they're doing 70 or 90.
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This. It's amazing how well traffic flows in a county like Germany where everyone follows that rule.
 
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#12
#12
Some people lack focus, others are just bad drivers. A lot of people don't understand the anticipation aspect of driving. Some just can't see what's about to happen and are clueless about everything going on around them.
 
#14
#14
With no disrespect to anyone, you have to remember traffic planning is controlled by a combination of low paid government employees and crappy government contractors. Once they screw up and a bad design becomes a problem years later there it is very expensive to alter.
 
#15
#15
barknoxbrawler said:
Also, traffic lights. All traffic lights should be sequenced properly to allow the larger road ( 4 lane vs. 2 lane) to flow better. More vehicles on said road, would make better light sequencing extremely valuable to traffic problems. Or am I the only one that notices these things?
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I think most lights are programmed to take this into account. On the flip side, it's obnoxious sitting at a light to take a left on to the state road at 5:30 am for 3 minutes, nary a car in sight, knowing damn well that Barney Fife is waiting for me to lose patience and just go.
 
#16
#16
Toujours Pret said:
I think most lights are programmed to take this into account. On the flip side, it's obnoxious sitting at a light to take a left on to the state road at 5:30 am for 3 minutes, nary a car in sight, knowing damn well that Barney Fife is waiting for me to lose patience and just go.
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Programming is not the issue at this time of day. All lights should by equipped to stay on green for the main or larger highway. Then, when a car does come down a smaller road and intersects it, the stop lights sense the oncoming headlights and change accordingly.
 
#17
#17
ATC_VOL said:
This. It's amazing how well traffic flows in a county like Germany where everyone follows that rule.
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There are just a handful of rules and laws that if everybody would follow accidents and road rage would go way down.

Get out of the left lane if you aren't passing slower traffic, don't pass on the right, don't tailgate. Germany enforces the no passing on the right law.
 
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#18
#18
Lots of factors have to be accounted for. For example, on my daily commute there are a couple of speed traps that about half the people know about. Consequently as you approach these areas, there is always a sort of mass slow down and bunch up, combined with the unknowing half that try to speed up and pass.
 
#19
#19
barknoxbrawler said:
All lights should by equipped to stay on green for the main or larger highway. Then, when a car does come down a smaller road and intersects it, the stop lights sense the oncoming headlights and change accordingly.
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They are. If you've seen differently, you either don't know what you saw or there is some other factor that you aren't accounting for.

Also, a corridor of signals can only be coordinated for one direction unless the spacing is perfect. So if you're going in the opposite direction of the heaviest movement, then the coordination is gonna seem slightly off.


Also, if there are a bunch of signalized intersections with lots of driveways or unsignalized intersections in between, then sometimes the signals will be programmed to cycle even if no traffic approaches on the side streets. This creates an effect called "platooning" and can allow side street traffic and cars pulling out of driveways to enter the highway more safely during high volume. Or it could be required just to keep all the signals coordinated on the same cycle length.
 
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#20
#20
Thrasher865 said:
They are. If you've seen differently, you either don't know what you saw or there is some other factor that you aren't accounting for.

Also, a corridor of signals can only be coordinated for one direction unless the spacing is perfect. So if you're going in the opposite direction of the heaviest movement, then the coordination is gonna seem slightly off.
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Not every light is. That is my point. Nashville has some pretty congested areas that have not changed their lights over.
 
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#22
#22
Thrasher865 said:
I don't know what you mean by changed their lights over. I'm sure they are set up to favor the major roadway.
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I've noticed the lights in my town have been set up to stop traffic on the main roads. I think it was done to disrupt street racing a while back. On the edges of town, in the more residential areas, the lights default to green for the side streets and only turn green for the main street when someone approaches.
 
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#23
#23
YorkVol said:
I've noticed the lights in my town have been set up to stop traffic on the main roads. I think it was done to disrupt street racing a while back. On the edges of town, in the more residential areas, the lights default to green for the side streets and only turn green for the main street when someone approaches.
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Then your city's engineering department needs to be disbanded. But I can't believe that's actually the case.
 
#25
#25
Hopvol said:
I know Murfreesboro hired a firm a few years ago to come in and sync up the traffic lights along Old Fort. I think they're just as screwed up as before now. Murfreesboro traffic is horrible. Its easier to get around down town Nashville.
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Murfreesboro Traffic: A 10 minute drive turns into a 30 minute drive.
 
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