11-10-2018, 08:44 AM
I notice that the interchange with Wellington is going to have a giant, high-speed slip ramp onto Wellington heading west. Why in the world do traffic engineers insist on these lanes, often even for regular intersections? They make it very difficult to assess oncoming traffic since they end up positioned in the merging driver's blind spot. At the same time they encourage people to drive faster than is suitable by giving a generous turn radius. The victim of the design (the acceptable cost to avoid the inconvenience of stopping, I guess, according to our Region's Transportation Commissioner) is naturally going to be cyclists.
As a rule, I think slip lanes should only be used where there are few cyclists on the road (due to a MUT or something that crosses the lane at a more oblique angle that allows greater visibility) and where a suitably long ramp that allows merging to occur at speed is possible. It should almost never be used in an urban context. It's not the end of the world to stop and turn when safe!
As a rule, I think slip lanes should only be used where there are few cyclists on the road (due to a MUT or something that crosses the lane at a more oblique angle that allows greater visibility) and where a suitably long ramp that allows merging to occur at speed is possible. It should almost never be used in an urban context. It's not the end of the world to stop and turn when safe!