Do you merge sooner, or later?

[bcp]

Do you merge when you see the first sign? That's how I learned, but now we are told it is wrong.

What do you do?

Bruce

 

[MossRoad]

The first sign is a warning of what's up ahead.
The second sign says to use BOTH lanes and don't merge until the merge point.
Pretty clear.

 

[bcp]

The second sign appeared in my area about a year ago when a freeway was widened to 3 lanes in one section.

Previously most drivers merged early, while a few waited to the merge point, and many drivers considered that as "cutting in line" and would block their merge.

Bruce

 

[KennyG]

Using both lanes to the merge point is more efficient but it feels rude.

 

[JJT]

The zipper merge seems to be a lost art.

 

[mrmikey]

The zipper merge seems to be a lost art.

I was never a fan of the zipper merge, I still can't see the advantage of it, maybe I'm being dense .
If a choke point, i.e. at the beginning of a lane drop so there's only one lane from two, you can pass thru say....60± cars a minute thru. Why does two lanes of cars right up to the drop make a difference when it's still one lane thru the construction zone and the amount of cars that can go thru technically remains the same.
There's a thing around here also that before a lane drop we have signs that drop the speed to 85KPH (on a 110KPH highway) and then signs say both verbally and graphically "No Passing" so how would you do a zipper merge when you legally aren't supposed to pass?

 

[Cycledude]

Sometimes it’s the right lane that ends and sometimes it’s the left lane that ends

 

[4570Man]

I know what the zipper merge theory is but it’s flat wrong. It always gets stopped at the end doing it that way. I’ll merge a few hundred yards ahead at minimum.

 

[rgr33]

As I have gotten older, I have mellowed a bit on merging.
Still bugs me a bit when some driver passes 25 cars that have already moved to the through lane and wants to cut in front of me. I swear, they never seem to want to merge right behind me.
But…..not worth ruining our day, so go ahead I guess

 

[KennyG]

The zipper works because it minimizes the length of the slowdown. It blocks less intersections and reduces the gaps due to stop and go. If everyone would do it potential road rage would be reduced.

 

[Thomas]

First sign start looing for safe merge,second sign merge completed.

 

[JasperFrank]

I get to the left as soon as I see the sign. Don't care what DOT advises.
I really don't like the decision point one has to make with the other driver. Do they slow, do I slow? Do I speed up, open the gap in back , or do they speed up for gap in front of me? 90% of the time both drivers have it worked out. But its that 10% of time drivers don't have it figured out, that makes me just get in the non merge lane as soon as possible. It always been my understanding that the merging vehicle is the burdened vehicle.

 

[Gator6x4]

Theoretically lane merge ahead are designed to achieve a smooth traffic flow is maintained. Then you factor in rubber necker’s, people who cannot read, people that ignore all signage, people that think other people will stop in the open traffic lane an allow them to move into the lane and last idiots drivers and you have humongous traffic jams.

I have seen traffic backed up in both lanes on a Interstate Highway for miles by rubber necker’s stopping and looking at a person changing a flat tire in the emergency pull over lane on the side of the Interstate.

 

[George2615]

As I have gotten older, I have mellowed a bit on merging.
Still bugs me a bit when some driver passes 25 cars that have already moved to the through lane and wants to cut in front of me. I swear, they never seem to want to merge right behind me.
But…..not worth ruining our day, so go ahead I guess

I agree with rgr and I move to the through lane at the first lane closed ahead sign. If everyone did that there would be no bottleneck waiting at the last minute to cut in front. I bugs me a lot too when the ones in a hurry pass all those who have already merged then want to cut in front.

 

[Jstpssng]

I bugs me a lot too when the ones in a hurry pass all those who have already merged then want to cut in front

I have come to believe that they have reading comprehension problems. The only other reason would be that they are more important than the rest of us.

I have never seen the second sign which the OP showed. What I do is dependent on the vehicles around me. If they slow a mile before the speed limit reduces I go past them. If everybody is paying attention to the signs I match my speed so that we can merge as planned.

It still can turn into a cluster.

 

[mrmikey]

The zipper works because it minimizes the length of the slowdown.

Yes but (there's always a but LOL) you still would have the same amount of backed up cars just divided by two lanes, right? The cars would not get thru the neck any faster.

It blocks less intersections and reduces the gaps due to stop and go

In an urban setting maybe, not on a 100 series (or interstate if you're US) You could have a gap 100ft long, if there's no gap directly at the neck, then the gaps aren't making any difference at all to traffic flow.
I like a good, civil disagreement

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

The people who pull up so close to the car ahead and won’t let you merge into the open lane, in traffic that is just about standing still, are the worse.

People get into their vehicles and behave in ways that they never would if they were face to face, like in a grocery car traffic jam inside the store.

 

[George2615]

If people merged into the thru lane when they saw the first merge single lane ahead sign then slowed down to 55 (its the law here) then everybody could go thru the construction zone at 55. There would be no waiting to merge at the last minute, no cutting in line, less stress and less horn honking and road rage. The first merge sign is usually 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the single lane which would allow easy lane change and reduce the bottleneck but too many won't do that because they are in a hurry and would rather pass the smart ones who merged and are doing 55 already.

 

[RandyT]

If everybody merged at the first sign and went through single file everything would work smoothly. Of if everybody understood and followed the zipper merge everything would go smoothly. Where the issue is some people like to move over early to be in the continuing lane whereas others try to do the zipper merge. And then you throw in the fact that not only the zipper merge in construction zones being recommended by the state it could be like IL that is requires the use of the zipper merge in construction zones by law. So the people that move over early are actually in violation of the law.

 

[DJ54]

The zipper merge works theoretically on paper, if everyone is travelling the same speed but as we all know that doesn't happen. On an Interstate, where the speed limit is 70, you'll have people driving 65, 75, 80, 90, and the Ohio State Patrol posts pictures on average of 3 times a week of a few cars they caught running over 100 mph. Tuesday, they posted a picture of one the caught running 107 mph on I-71.

Here in Ohio, there is no law on zipper merges, only recommendations, can't speak for other states. Those recommendations are from engineer's setting behind a desk looking at computer generated examples, not in the real world. I know, I worked for ODOT for 32 years. Get those same engineer's out on the job in a real world situation and they are lost.

Let me enter different vehicles running various speeds in that program, to merge in, here a mandated 2 mile transition area. Bet it won't look the same. I've seen enough rolling road blocks by semi's to keep the one clown passing everyone right up to the lane closure, then a trucker beside him will slow a bit and let that truck in. I've seen people driving down the paved shoulder to pass slowed traffic in the same situation. There's a 99% chance they are not in any bigger hurry than everyone else travelling.