I hate the M50 [Warning post #222]

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

Something like this perhaps, which is broadcast from time to time:

Never saw that before. It should be on several times a day.

magicbastarder

dfeo wrote: »

People will dip into the outside lanes momentarily if 100 meters will only cost 5 cent. We're running out of ideas to curb lane hogging.

to what benefit will jumping just 100m or 200m be if the lane is not moving at all?
and all that re-merging as people try to squeeze back into the left lane would cause utter chaos, especially since the traffic would be moving so slowly it'd be bumper to bumper.
this is the worst idea i've ever heard which has been proposed to improve the M50.

magicbastarder

Deleted User wrote: »

yes, but only for the dopes who are not paying attention, it WILL stop the chancers who fly up the outside lane jumping the queue, if they are aware of the hard barrier, they'll move over a lot earlier.

or else for people who travel the M50 daily, or regularly enough to familiarise themselves with the layout - which is most of the traffic at rush hour, i'd bet, it'd be the exact same scenario.

especially since you'd need to signpost the last available exit opportunity, as that now becomes the exit. the notion of closing the ability to exit 500m before the signalled exit is farcical.

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

or else for people who travel the M50 daily, or regularly enough to familiarise themselves with the layout - which is most of the traffic at rush hour, i'd bet, it'd be the exact same scenario.

especially since you'd need to signpost the last available exit opportunity, as that now becomes the exit. the notion of closing the ability to exit 500m before the signalled exit is farcical.

The idea of the barriers (if I understand them correctly) is to stop someone going from lane 3 to aux lane for a few hundred metres before the junction as they should already be in the left lane ready to go into the aux lane already.
The barriers are between lane one and two, it's also good for stopping those who join a motorway and go directly to the middle lane.

magicbastarder

any photos of them implemented anywhere else?

Seth Brundle

Given the close proximity of many of the junctions, I'm curious as to how this would work in reality as you would have traffic trying to merge on at the same limited gap as traffic trying to get off.

I think that the idea is for motorists who want to remain on the motorway for a long distance use lanes 2 and 3, those who are close to the junction they've just arrived on or are going to leave at use lane 1 and the aux lane.
Drivers will only switching between the "long haul" and "short hop" lanes between junctions that are spaced apart.
It would go against the keep left except overtaking rule as the idea is really intended for US style motorways where the lane rules are different.

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

any photos of them implemented anywhere else?

A quick google produces these





http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop14022/chapter2.htm

In reality they're turning the motorway into two roads that you can switch between depending on whether you need to remain on the motorway for a distance or need to get off at the next junction.

Idbatterim

I was in LA a few weeks ago and saw exactly this set up. I think they would bend down if you drove over them and then spring back up. I am not sure though and I didnt see anyone doing it or attempt to do it...

Sam Russell

That is a six lane highway - we do not have any of them here.

How does the extra lane work out between the N7 and the N4?

magicbastarder

and the top picture looks like an eight lane highway.

_Kaiser_

First Up wrote: »

Never saw that before. It should be on several times a day.

Let's see them do all that in "normal" M50 traffic though.. not on a Sunday morning or with the section of road closed to make that film.

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

Never saw that before. It should be on several times a day.

So you'd like them to spend most of their budget on educated people out of a minor annoyance, and not focus on the issues that are killing people every week on the roads (speeding, phoning/texting, drinking)?

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Let's see them do all that in "normal" M50 traffic though.. not on a Sunday morning or with the section of road closed to make that film.

Are most drivers really unable to understand the general principle and apply it when driving? With normal M50 traffic, there is really no overtaking lane, so it doesn't matter.

_Kaiser_

RainyDay wrote: »

Are most drivers really unable to understand the general principle and apply it when driving? With normal M50 traffic, there is really no overtaking lane, so it doesn't matter.

To be fair on most of the motorways (once you get out of Dublin), there isn't a problem and everyone generally DOES stay left - and I say that as someone who does a lot of motorway miles every week.

The "issue" is the M50 and N7 to Naas.. but these are so busy most of the time, with exits that are very close together at some points, that in reality (as you say) all lanes become driving lanes and the "normal" motorway rule of keep left becomes impractical.

There's far bigger issues with the idiots lane-weaving aggressively to get a whole car length ahead, people dawdling at significantly less than the limit/flow of traffic for no good reason and in turn causing unnecessary congestion all round them - especially when they potter onto a mainline at 60 km/h, and of course the oblivious eejits driving around in poor conditions/darkness with no or minimal lights on.

All of the above are a lot more significant TBH.

magicbastarder

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

All of the above are a lot more significant TBH.

the be all and end all of the issues on the M50 is the fact that it is carrying nearly twice as much traffic than it is nominally designed to carry; not to denigrate issues such as bad lane discipline etc., but they're marginal effects to the fact that the M50 is simply overloaded.

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

So you'd like them to spend most of their budget on educated people out of a minor annoyance, and not focus on the issues that are killing people every week on the roads (speeding, phoning/texting, drinking)?

How would running an already made film piece eat up most of their budget?

Its an annoyance for sure but more importantly it stops the M50 from functioning as intended and its a major contributor to the daily spate of accidents and tailbacks.

First Up

magicbastarder wrote:

the be all and end all of the issues on the M50 is the fact that it is carrying nearly twice as much traffic than it is nominally designed to carry; not to denigrate issues such as bad lane discipline etc., but they're marginal effects to the fact that the M50 is simply overloaded.

All the more reason that it be used properly.

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

How would running an already made film piece eat up most of their budget?

Its an annoyance for sure but more importantly it stops the M50 from functioning as intended and its a major contributor to the daily spate of accidents and tailbacks.

Because they have to pay for advertising time on RTE. Big money. Huge.

First Up

RainyDay wrote: »

Because they have to pay for advertising time on RTE. Big money. Huge.

How much?

RainyDay

RainyDay wrote: »

Because they have to pay for advertising time on RTE. Big money. Huge.

Is that you President-elect Trump?

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

How much?

€4k to €10k every time they show the ad, depending on the what show is on at the time.

https://tvmediasales.rte.ie/planning-kit/planning-essentials/costs/published-spot-prices/

So if they run this ad just once every day, it would cost them somewhere betwen €150k to €300k of their budget. That's a big chunk of budget. Huge.

Is this how you really want them to spend money?

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

Is this how you really want them to spend money?

They already spend a fair bit of money on ads. Putting some of it into telling people how to use a motorway would be a help, especially if traffic cops issued a few tickets too.

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

They already spend a fair bit of money on ads. Putting some of it into telling people how to use a motorway would be a help,

Yes, they do, and they tend to focus on the issues that kill people - speeding, phoning/texting and drink driving. That's a fair approach to prioritisation in my book.

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

Yes, they do, and they tend to focus on the issues that kill people - speeding, phoning/texting and drink driving. That's a fair approach to prioritisation in my book.

It shouldn't have to be a choice. The M50 is a vital artery for Dublin and it is a disgrace how often it is brought to a standstill by brainless, selfish driving

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

Yes, they do, and they tend to focus on the issues that kill people - speeding, phoning/texting and drink driving. That's a fair approach to prioritisation in my book.

It shouldn't have to be a choice. The M50 is a vital artery for Dublin and it is a disgrace how often it is brought to a standstill by brainless, selfish driving

RainyDay

First Up wrote: »

It shouldn't have to be a choice. The M50 is a vital artery for Dublin and it is a disgrace how often it is brought to a standstill by brainless, selfish driving

Of course they have to prioritise. They have a limited budget, so they have to prioritise. That's the reality of public services.

I'm really not sure at all that videos about overtaking etiquette are going to stop the incidents that block the M50.

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

I'm really not sure at all that videos about overtaking etiquette are going to stop the incidents that block the M50.

It would be nice to find out but as almost all accidents involve someone changing lanes and as middle lane hoggers force people to change lanes more often, it is a fairly safe bet that they make a big contribution

First Up

RainyDay wrote:

I'm really not sure at all that videos about overtaking etiquette are going to stop the incidents that block the M50.

It would be nice to find out but as almost all accidents involve someone changing lanes and as middle lane hoggers force people to change lanes more often, it is a fairly safe bet that they make a big contribution

ohnonotgmail

First Up wrote: »

It would be nice to find out but as almost all accidents involve someone changing lanes and as middle lane hoggers force people to change lanes more often, it is a fairly safe bet that they make a big contribution

Most of the incidents i see on my twice daily journey of sorrows on the M50 are caused by one car rear ending another. well that and breakdowns. Accidents while changing lanes have the potential to end up as bigger incidents that take longer to clear up but i dont think think they are the majority of incidents.

First Up

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Most of the incidents i see on my twice daily journey of sorrows on the M50 are caused by one car rear ending another. well that and breakdowns. Accidents while changing lanes have the potential to end up as bigger incidents that take longer to clear up but i dont think think they are the majority of incidents.

Why do you think the rear endings happen?