Comments on: Feeder Roads http://drivingwhiletexan.com/2008/11/10/feeder-roads/ All the fun, hilarious, and beautiful aspects of driving in Texas Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:05:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ward http://drivingwhiletexan.com/2008/11/10/feeder-roads/comment-page-1/#comment-103 Ward Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:31:48 +0000 http://drivingwhiletexan.com/?p=268#comment-103 Ramps and cloverleafs work well for major streets but for access roads but don't allow for exits for as many streets. And they can make it difficult for one exit to serve multiple streets. None of which is inherently bad, of course. Certainly traffic backing up onto ramps is bad. Multiple turn lanes help somewhat, but you still have people from the exit ramp trying to change lanes and interfere with traffic on the access road. All of this is less likely to interfere with the highway, however. The access road system works wonderfully in smaller towns, although at that point you can argue that the expenditure isn't necessary. The biggest advantage to the access road system that I've noticed is consistency, vs. cloverleafs and ramps, where, if there are multiple streets served by that exit, it's not always clear how you get to the one you're interested in. Perhaps this is just a function of my familiarity with the access road system, though. Ramps and cloverleafs work well for major streets but for access roads but don’t allow for exits for as many streets. And they can make it difficult for one exit to serve multiple streets. None of which is inherently bad, of course.

Certainly traffic backing up onto ramps is bad. Multiple turn lanes help somewhat, but you still have people from the exit ramp trying to change lanes and interfere with traffic on the access road. All of this is less likely to interfere with the highway, however.

The access road system works wonderfully in smaller towns, although at that point you can argue that the expenditure isn’t necessary.

The biggest advantage to the access road system that I’ve noticed is consistency, vs. cloverleafs and ramps, where, if there are multiple streets served by that exit, it’s not always clear how you get to the one you’re interested in. Perhaps this is just a function of my familiarity with the access road system, though.

]]> By: Graham http://drivingwhiletexan.com/2008/11/10/feeder-roads/comment-page-1/#comment-102 Graham Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:45:02 +0000 http://drivingwhiletexan.com/?p=268#comment-102 There are other ways of getting on and off a freeway besides allowing cross traffic and traffic signals. Plain old ramps and cloverleafs, for instance, are in widespread use across the country. The Southbound West Loop exit at Woodway is prime example (and what prompted this post). If you get off there, it's practically impossible to head westbound on Woodway at certain times of the day. The traffic backs up from the intersection to past the exit ramp, so you can't get over to make the turn. You're forced to cross Woodway and either circle around at Post Oak, or head west on San Felipe. Either way, it's a pretty good distance out of your way. It drives me nuts! There are other ways of getting on and off a freeway besides allowing cross traffic and traffic signals. Plain old ramps and cloverleafs, for instance, are in widespread use across the country.

The Southbound West Loop exit at Woodway is prime example (and what prompted this post). If you get off there, it’s practically impossible to head westbound on Woodway at certain times of the day. The traffic backs up from the intersection to past the exit ramp, so you can’t get over to make the turn. You’re forced to cross Woodway and either circle around at Post Oak, or head west on San Felipe. Either way, it’s a pretty good distance out of your way. It drives me nuts!

]]> By: Ward http://drivingwhiletexan.com/2008/11/10/feeder-roads/comment-page-1/#comment-101 Ward Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:23:45 +0000 http://drivingwhiletexan.com/?p=268#comment-101 As a native Texan, I'm completely comfortable with access roads and I think they make sense in towns. You keep traffic that's turning off the highway, and thus you keep traffic lights off the highway. In part, of course, the applicability of this solution is due only to the vast amounts of space we have in Texas. The U-turn lane is then a fairly natural consequence of having one-way access roads, allowing drivers to reverse direction without having to interfere with cross traffic. I don't have any data to support this. But I think they are a logical way to separate cross traffic from highway traffic. Having grown up with them, they feel completely natural. As a native Texan, I’m completely comfortable with access roads and I think they make sense in towns. You keep traffic that’s turning off the highway, and thus you keep traffic lights off the highway. In part, of course, the applicability of this solution is due only to the vast amounts of space we have in Texas.

The U-turn lane is then a fairly natural consequence of having one-way access roads, allowing drivers to reverse direction without having to interfere with cross traffic.

I don’t have any data to support this. But I think they are a logical way to separate cross traffic from highway traffic. Having grown up with them, they feel completely natural.

]]>