OFFICIAL I70 BITCH THREAD....

[FatChance]

Loser.

I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that I upset you. Really, I can't.

[The SnowShow]

Why is there skier traffic Saturdays at 11-12 between Evergreen and US 40? Like slow, stopped or 5mph traffic. Not just heavy volume. Shouldn't people already be up?

[smmokan]

I drove back from Steamboat this afternoon around 1:30-2:00, and the skier traffic returning was fairly light.... but I can say with all honesty, part of the issue on I-70 is that people drive like complete assholes. Holy shit. People driving 90 mph, others cutting people off left and right, and then you have the idiots in the right lane going 50 in a 65. I don't think anything is ever going to fix that.

[summit]

Anyone know what the deal is with the scheduled Loveland Pass closures?

[Name Redacted]

Anyone know what the deal is with the scheduled Loveland Pass closures?

Closing so that traffic doesn't get backed up to the point where cars are sitting under the 7-sisters. That's how it was described to me. And honestly, if you think that they could slide, then why is the highway open? Regardless of you sitting under a slid path or driving through one. If the road is open, it should be safe right?

[summit]

Closing so that traffic doesn't get backed up to the point where cars are sitting under the 7-sisters. That's how it was described to me. And honestly, if you think that they could slide, then why is the highway open? Regardless of you sitting under a slid path or driving through one. If the road is open, it should be safe right?

I think the usual rule of avalanche risk management applies:

"No picknicking, even on a good day"

[skipowpow]

Today - let's close one of the 3 lanes (the left) that we just built at Idaho Springs on a holiday return day. Genius!!

[admx]

They want you to know what it will be like if you don't want to pay the toll. As for the LL Pass closures; not only did I hear the 7 sisters slide excuse I also heard that it was to ensure everyone was on the West side of the tunnel so they could manipulate the traffic flow. When people get frustrated and go over the pass it apparently messes up the system.

[Garth Bimble]

I know people want to get where they're going, but can someone please explain to me why drivers, who know well in advance that there is a lane closure ahead will stay in the soon to be closed lane until they reach the closure point, forcing all the drivers in the open lane to stop and let them in? Or the ones who are in the open lane and jump out at the last minute so they can get around 1 or 2 fucking cars only to have to force their way back in and create the same stoppage?

I'm sure there's been a taxpayer funded study on this behavior at some point but I'm too fucking tired to look it up.

[summit]

I know people want to get where they're going, but can someone please explain to me why drivers, who know well in advance that there is a lane closure ahead will stay in the soon to be closed lane until they reach the closure point, forcing all the drivers in the open lane to stop and let them in?

Because that is what you are supposed to do, then alternate at the merge point. That minimizes the effective lane closure effect. If everyone merged 2 miles before a 100ft closure, you'd have a 2+ mile closure instead of a 100 foot closure.

But idiots can't figure this merging out and they won't let people merge at the merge point because FUCK YOU THIS IS MY ROAD AND YOU SHOULD HAVE MERGED 2 MILES AGO BECAUSE I'M AN IGNORANT ASS SO EAT A DICK WHILE I TAILGATE THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME INSTEAD OF ALTERNATING THE MERGE!!!!! .... thereby snarling traffic.

Ever seen the signs that say "use both lanes until the merge point"?

Even the downtown Denverites have this figured out for WB 6th Avenue where it goes from 3 to 1 lane. Of course it took months of traffic backing up onto 8th Ave before they figured it out.

[Garth Bimble]

I actually think this has been covered before, thanks for reminding me. Now if I can only figure out where that damn merge point is...

[Soups]

Because that is what you are supposed to do, then alternate at the merge point. That minimizes the effective lane closure effect. If everyone merged 2 miles before a 100ft closure, you'd have a 2+ mile closure instead of a 100 foot closure.

But idiots can't figure this merging out and they won't let people merge at the merge point because FUCK YOU THIS IS MY ROAD AND YOU SHOULD HAVE MERGED 2 MILES AGO BECAUSE I'M AN IGNORANT ASS SO EAT A DICK WHILE I TAILGATE THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME INSTEAD OF ALTERNATING THE MERGE!!!!! .... thereby snarling traffic.

Ever seen the signs that say "use both lanes until the merge point"?

Even the downtown Denverites have this figured out for WB 6th Avenue where it goes from 3 to 1 lane. Of course it took months of traffic backing up onto 8th Ave before they figured it out.

I will say that 6th ave merge point is a little different as the lane that ends actually doesnt end and continues as the southbound I25 ramp. So on that one its pretty shitty when the fucks blow by then at the last minute try to get in and block progress to I25 south. But in reality who gives a fuck because why go south on I25 at 6th ave...amirite.

[Flyoverland Captive]

I'm sure there's been a taxpayer funded study on this behavior at some point but I'm too fucking tired to look it up.

There's a book called "Traffic" from a few years back that goes into this in detail. Worth a read.

[smmokan]

I'm somewhat serious when I say this... But if the merge signs would depict both lanes as merging into one instead of one lane merging into the other, I don't think people would be such righteous assholes about not letting anyone in front of them.

[Soups]

I'm somewhat serious when I say this... But if the merge signs would depict both lanes as merging into one instead of one lane merging into the other, I don't think people would be such righteous assholes about not letting anyone in front of them.

Thats a great point

[galibier_numero_un]

There's a book called "Traffic" from a few years back that goes into this in detail. Worth a read.

This is a fascinating conversation, and I just found a link to discussions on "zipper merging" (alternate merging at the latest possible point) http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2...nt-a-snap.html.

As far as this author is concerned, the jury is out. Here's the executive summary on the two positions, in case you don't have time to read this:

Studies from TX, MN & the FHA show that zipper merging can reduce backups by as much as 50% in a best-case scenario.

A contrasting opinion is held by CalTrans, due to real-world driver behavior:

Mark Dinger, spokesman for the California Department of Transportation, says the Golden State encourages early merging by posting signs at a half-mile, 1,500 feet, 1,000 feet and at the merge point letting the driver know a construction zone is ahead and which lane is ending. Citing Federal Highway Administration data, Dinger said sudden braking caused by late mergers results in rear-end collisions — the most common type of work-zone accident.


"Drivers who cut in at the last minute cause sudden stopping and lane changes, which cause direct collisions as well as delayed-reaction collisions by drivers further back in the queue who may not be paying attention or expecting traffic speed to suddenly change," Dinger said.

I'm surprised, and while I accept the theoretical benefits of zipper merging, my real-world acceptance of idiotic and inattentive driver behavior leads me to endorsing CalTrans' position on this.

BTW, did I mention that driving on I-70 sucks?

Cheers,
Thom

[bean]

In heavy congestion, the zipper merge is absolutely more efficient. In free flow, it isn't necessarily better. As always, the real world complicates theory.

Lovely jam on 70 this morning.

[summit]

This would force CSP to be a little more aggressive with ticketing slow drivers who don't move over.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...s-stuck-behind

And strangely, CSP doesn't want to do it. CSP is a huge reason our roads are a cluster.

[The SnowShow]

This would force CSP to be a little more aggressive with ticketing slow drivers who don't move over.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...s-stuck-behind

And strangely, CSP doesn't want to do it. CSP is a huge reason our roads are a cluster.

Not sure how CSP could enforce this since there's an idiot parked in the left lane going 55 about every mile.

[summit]

Not sure how CSP could enforce this since there's an idiot parked in the left lane going 55 about every mile.

Sounds like revenue city... write a few hundred tickets... the news picks it up... word gets around.

[simple]

That is how the bald tire enforcement was supposed to go down. Dunno if it worked

[The SnowShow]

Sounds like revenue city... write a few hundred tickets... the news picks it up... word gets around.

I'm all for it especially if word gets around and people actually get their heads out of their asses.

[fastfred]

came to a conclusion last night

after a long day of shopping at park medows and costco I headed up i70 on a friday evening, I knew better but just wanted to be home, traffic was heavy but not mind numbing sat morning traffic, it was snowing very very lightly above empire to the tunnel, but traffic was just fucked as if it was dumping

why because people in colorado drive like fucking idiots, we can spend hours trying to figure out what is wrong with 70 and what can and should be done, but the botom line is the drivers are fucking idiots, just like anything else someone goes up in altitude and the stupid factor goes up too you cannot stop stupid thats for sure

you think people had never driven west from denver before, left lane packed, I'd see an opening on the right for a half mile hit the gas pass 6-8 people get back over in the left lane and repeat I did this the whole way up, came out of the tunnel got in the far right lane, felt like a bad driver so I got back over into the far left lane like I should and saw break lights, was like wtf, got back over in the far right lane

[PaDuKa]

I am heading down to Denver this weekend from Eagle County and I want to ski ABasin for a few hours on the way down. Is CDOT still closing Loveland pass access from the Abasin side, and what time are they doing it? What time has traffic been starting to build up on a Saturday afternoon in general?

[galibier_numero_un]

I am heading down to Denver this weekend from Eagle County and I want to ski ABasin for a few hours on the way down. Is CDOT still closing Loveland pass access from the Abasin side, and what time are they doing it? What time has traffic been starting to build up on a Saturday afternoon in general?

Haven't seen any updates on this in a couple of days. Subsribe to cdot e-mail updates for I-70 & US 6. Last time I used the mobile app, it sucked eggs.

Maybe the app is better now, but the e-mail updates work pretty well - especially for planned closures. As far as traffic updates are concerned, on one drive back three weeks ago, they were really behind the curve by 45 minutes in notifying of HEAVY traffic (as in put it in "park") between Georgetown & Floyd Hill.

Cheers,
Thom