 Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325
Adjunct
|
OP
Adjunct
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325 |
http://consumerist.com/2011/01/making-left-turns-illegal-would-save-lives-and-fuel.htmlQuote:
When you think about it, left turns across two lanes of traffic going in opposite directions are kind of crazy. Only an admixture of luck, skill, and a collective social agreement to, as a general rule, avoid crashing into each other keeps you alive. In fact, left turns increase the potential for an accident and also waste fuel. So traffic engineers have come up with a new street design, called "superstreets" that get rid of left turns from side streets onto major roads. And a new study says they are both faster, and safer.
The design uses dividers to force most turns to be right hand turns. Want to go in the opposite direction? Use the U-turns located just down the road from the intersection. You can also make lefts from a limited turn lane, but it only goes over one lane of traffic.
Superstreets have been around since the 60's, first pionereered in Michigan, where they are called "The Michigan Left."
more at the link
I'm sure someone will still find a way to say they "didn't see" a Motorcycle when they were making one of those u-turns.
Last edited by EDG1911; 01/19/2011 9:00 PM.
|
|
|
 Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325
Adjunct
|
|
OP
Adjunct
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325 |
the new script seems to cut the post title a little shorter than before...here's how it reads at the above link:
Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left Turns
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
|
|
"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
I think UPS saved a small fortune by planning left turns out of their delivery routes where ever possible. Even when technically longer, they save money.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
|
|
"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
Maybe the only left turns allowed should be in roundabouts.  
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,393 Likes: 1
Second Wind
|
|
Second Wind
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,393 Likes: 1 |
It seems like a good idea and will probably help alot but some silly fool will find a way to mess things up, and have a wreck.
I have no faith in human perfectability. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago.
Edgar Allan Poe
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325
Adjunct
|
|
OP
Adjunct
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325 |
Quote:
Maybe the only left turns allowed should be in roundabouts.
maybe but some people go nuts in roundabouts...I've never used one more than a handful of times and hated it.
video at liveleak of cars going everywhichway across a roundabout:
Erfurt (Germany) modified a once fully functioning intersection into a confusing roundabout
hey FJ everything looks good so far...can we embed video with the new script??
Last edited by EDG1911; 01/19/2011 9:23 PM.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
|
|
"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
I don't think UBB Threads has a video or media tag. I'd have to enable HTML.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,268 Likes: 16
Saddle Sore
|
|
Saddle Sore
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,268 Likes: 16 |
Quote:
Quote:
Maybe the only left turns allowed should be in roundabouts.
maybe but some people go nuts in roundabouts...I've never used one more than a handful of times and hated it.
video at liveleak of cars going everywhichway across a roundabout:
Erfurt (Germany) modified a once fully functioning intersection into a confusing roundabout
Ding,ding,ding,ding,ding...we have a winner 
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325
Adjunct
|
|
OP
Adjunct
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 325 |
Quote:
I don't think UBB Threads has a video or media tag. I'd have to enable HTML.
ok. 
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964
Stickman Yogi
|
|
Stickman Yogi
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964 |
Quote:
video at liveleak of cars going everywhichway across a roundabout:
Erfurt (Germany) modified a once fully functioning intersection into a confusing roundabout
Loved the music in that video!
Thought about the intersection... if they made the middle an island drivers would be forced to use the circle.
Live to love, love to live.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 457
Adjunct
|
|
Adjunct
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 457 |
i think this is a capital idea. also, the ups/left turn thing was confirmed by the mythbusters.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,580
Loquacious
|
|
Loquacious
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,580 |
It looked to me that quite a few of the problems on that roundabout were caused by peoples impatience.
So, if the junction was controled by lights, a few would have run a red light IMO
Too old to die young, too ugly to leave a good looking corpse
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,354
Learned Hand
|
|
Learned Hand
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,354 |
They do something like this in Thailand. Many of the roads are divided so you have to drive a ways, looking for the U-turn (it's never consistent, sometimes inside, sometimes outside) and then head back the way you came. I hate them. Sometimes you have to drive several kilometers looking for the dang U-turn. No wonder why Thais will often just drive over the divide (if possible) and then go left (saving time and fuel).
Blue/White 2007 TBA, Thruxton needles, Unifilter, AI removed, Polaris Bellmouth, Bubs, Nology Coils/wires, Lightbar, Ricor Intiminators, Hagon Nitros, Tall Sissy Bar w/luggage rack, Dart flyscreen & Lowers. 130 Mains, TrueGel Battery MG12-BS.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 973
3/4 Throttle
|
|
3/4 Throttle
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 973 |
I must admit I quite like roundabouts rather than being stuck at lights all the time. There are a couple of places called the magic roundabout in UK One is in Swindon which some of us are familiar with and the other is in Hemel Hempstead which I drive over on a daily basis. To be honest they are a good idea in theory but in practice they are a complete nightmare for people who have never driven on them before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0yxJsW0wX8The superstreet thing looks good though but no doubt someone will find a way to screw it up.
Before the war on terror, if I saw an unattended package I used to think "I'll be having that!"
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
|
|
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
The rednecks have one. Used to be you could go to Tingley's Marina (now defunct) by driving across SR3 from Searay Dr. This used to be exciting.  When the DOT reworked the intersection they forced a right turn only off of Searay drive. Now you have to drive North across the barge canal about 0.3 mile then make a U-turn in order to 'turn left' . Heck the speed limit is 45mph. Here is the U-Turn , North of the forced right turn off of Searay Drive.
Blowing gravel off rural roads
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,971
Loquacious
|
|
Loquacious
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,971 |
Jersey eliminated many left turns with "jug handles." 17 up through Mahwah is a good example. (Used to be a big ol' Campmor store up there, but anyway) I recall the first time someone said to me "go a mile down the road and take the jug handle." Do.... what? 
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
|
|
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
jug handling maybe. 
Blowing gravel off rural roads
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964
Stickman Yogi
|
|
Stickman Yogi
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964 |
Quote:
jug handling maybe.
Jug handler?
Live to love, love to live.
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,971
Loquacious
|
|
Loquacious
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,971 |
Come to think of it, I never met a jug I didn't like Norf Joisey on the other hand... (Disclaimer, so Kenny doesn't beat me up - Souf Joisy is indeed, Beautiful, especially around Brick & like that there) (In fact, it's so pretty there, if you fell asleep at The Meadowlands, then woke up at the Souf Joisey Shore after a long car ride,
you might just wonder how you got there without a passport, and why aren't these people speaking a foreign language? ) 
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2
Fe Butt
|
|
Fe Butt
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,096 Likes: 2 |
Quote:
Come to think of it, I never met a jug I didn't like
Norf Joisey on the other hand...
(Disclaimer, so Kenny doesn't beat me up - Souf Joisy is indeed, Beautiful, especially around Brick & like that there)
(In fact, it's so pretty there, if you fell asleep at The Meadowlands, then woke up at the Souf Joisey Shore after a long car ride,
you might just wonder how you got there without a passport, and why aren't these people speaking a foreign language? )
Now hold on one second there, Martin! I always thought "Snooki" and "The Situation" WERE speaking a foreign language!!!!!
Yep! Just like a good Single Malt Scotch, you might call me "an acquired taste" TOO.(among the many OTHER things you may care to call me, of course)
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,210
Loquacious
|
|
Loquacious
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,210 |
South Jersey Foreign speaker eer!
I like my jugs with handles, left turns at EVERY intersection, and I take two "circles" (not roundadoubts) home from work everyday.
Worst time I had was just outside Boston looking for somewhere to eat.
Driving along looking at whats available on the right, seeing a place, passing it,
drive 2 miles to turn around,
Driving along looking at whats available on the left,
seeing a place, passing it,
drive 2 miles to turn around,
Driving along looking at whats available on the right, seeing a place, passing it,
drive 2 miles to turn around,
Driving along looking at whats available on the left,
seeing a place, passing it,
drive 2 miles to turn around
Alright lets just settle for the left side cause I'm tired of saving so much gas.
drive 2 miles to turn around...
(not to mention all the Massholes on the road)
|
|
|
Re: Superstreets Save Lives And Fuel By Ditching Left
|
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 208
Adjunct
|
|
Adjunct
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 208 |
Here in Vegas we have about 5 traffic circles in Summerlin. They work if everybody follows the rules. However I was waiting to safely enter the circle one morning at about 0600 hrs when a pick up truck driven by a drunk slammed into the circle at about 60 MPH. I could see by his speed that he was not going to make it. I threw my car into reverse and backed up about 50 feet and observed him never waver from his straight course into the enter of the circle and hit the concrete fountain in the direct center. He had good aim. However the damage to his truck was significant. I called 911 and stopped to render aid to him. His airbag had deployed and he suffed only shin bruises and was still holding his can of beer when the police arrived. They had his truck towed and took him off in smith and wesson wrist jewelry. I continued on my way.
07 Speedmstr, Long Tors, bags, sissy bar and rack, windshield, engine bars, 2 ww lights, 2 fast eddy stickers and a .45 ACP.
|
|
|
|
|
