06-20-2015, 04:45 PM
(06-20-2015, 03:38 PM)Canard Wrote: As much as I like the Lancaster exit (especially when heading from Laurier, where I take Bridgeport almost the whole way, then pop up the on-ramp and then stay in that lane to exit at Lancaster)... I have to agree, it could/should be removed and traffic could take the Bridgeport exit. As soon as you exit off the highway on the current ramp into Lancaster, you have to get 2 lanes to the left right away - and I've seen so many near misses here I can't tell you. There's a huge speed disparity too, since traffic on Lancaster is generally going 50-60 km/h, and people coming off the highway tend to still have "highway speed brain" mode on, so they're going 80-90 mm/h, trying to shoot across 2 lanes which also may or may not have cyclists there trying to go straight through. Then the light goes red and some dickhead tries to stay in the right lane to cut in as soon as it goes green.
The bad thing about removing this exit is that it's really the best exit for downtown Kitchener from southbound 85. Neither Wellington or Victoria are as convenient, and Bridgeport would be worse. Rather than removing it, they might consider reworking it.
I have been taking this exit near-daily for about the last five years, driving between 7:30 and 9 AM. Yes, there is sometimes a bit of confusion if the left lane is backed up (the right lane allows going straight as well) but I have yet to see any kind of an incident there. People usually merge around 60-70 km/h (I look at my speedometer often ...) Very few cyclists at peak hours, maybe at other times?
What they should do, though, is add a lane designation, either make the right lane right-turn only, or make the left lane left-turn only. The second option would actually work the best for the traffic entering from 85, making the merge much easier.