I did find one video of what appeared to be a successful zipper merge, but it was still very slow and awkward, and only a small handful of cars did it. The signage for this began in Arizona, and Im guessing that the proximity to the state line forced them to do things somewhat normally. Do you use the #ZipperMerge? Imagine driving down the highway and seeing that. The zipper merge is when lanes are reduced, a driver merges at the ending lane reduction point, even in heavy traffic (see image above). Just watch this zipper merge video if you need more proof! afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss en fonction de vos profils de centres dintrt; mesurer lefficacit des publicits et contenus personnaliss; et. Benefits. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Wa It's the "taking turns" part that seems to hang up drivers. Fanciful thoughts of a pie-in-the-sky dream world of traffic perfection, I know. https://nationalpost.com/esbbSubscribe http://www.youtube.com/user/nationalpCanada's stubborn refusal to merge late is dangerous, anarchic and amazingly slower. If a merging system is designed to work on a road with real drivers, and too few of the drivers participate to make it work, then thats not an argument in favor of zipper mergings success. Its more evidence that it doesnt work in a particular place. 00:03 04:40. Why "Zipper Merges" Are a Bad Idea - Gainsberg Law P.C. The road space in. That means more cars can pass through a bottle neck faster than if every merging driver picked a different spot to try to make that merge. N.B. Studies have consistently proven that merging . The "Zipper Merge" is among the most misunderstood and polarizing techniques on the road. I drove across four states that take different approaches to merging, and learned that the zipper merge doesnt really work in the real world. Within a few car lengths of a lane ending, both lanes' cars should take turns filling in the open lane and resuming full speed. The state's congestion reduction is easily measurable, and while crash reports can't be easily pinned to zipper-merging zones, Johnson is confident that "when both lanes travel at the same speed, we have fewer crashes across the board.". It was smooth sailing. Even if zipper mergers are technically correct, when the whole rest of the highway is operating under the belief that merging as soon as possible is the correct and polite way to go about dealing with a lane closure, that one guy merging at the last moment just looks like a jerk. It's like they point their car in a direction and just hope for the best, oblivious to their surroundings or the basic tenets of driving among other cars. In Germany or Austria, refusing entry to a late merger can get you a ticket. Most driving schools and transportation departments in the United States don't instruct drivers on how to handle this situation or whether they must merge within a certain mileage, leaving this kind of merge up to the grace of your fellow, angry commuters. But in North America, it is known simply as the zipper merge. It only leaves traffic stranded and idling on the interstate, creating a waste of time and increased pollution in its wake. According to the world of zipper merging, just because you see this sign doesn't mean you should change lanes at that exact moment. Zipper merging is the law. There were several construction zones in the panhandle, none of which clogged up, despite very similar traffic levels to what Id seen in New Mexico the day before. New Mexico's Zipper Merge Experiment Is Failing, Producing Pollution The only traffic jam I encountered at any point along I-40 in Arkansas was when we got to the state line with Tennessee. Instead of bunching up to prevent the jerk in the other lane from cutting in, you leave space so he can glide in. "When the queue backup is reduced, the access points behind a work zone, like signals or ways to get onandoff the freeway, those arent blocked," Johnson pointed out. While we may resent those drivers, according to HowStuffWorks, this aggressive style of merging is actually the most efficient way to keep traffic moving. Why Zipper Merging Is Faster : r/waterloo Unfortunately, its very hard to convince a whole society of drivers to suddenly change their behavior. Traffic studies prove that the zipper merge is the most efficient way to keep a road moving. I was hopeful, but this was when all hell broke loose. Reduces differences in speeds between two . North Carolina tested it with these dumb signs that just show a zipper. I want to have omnipotent power and be able to make everyone behave in ways that result in a better world for all of us. No plan survives contact with the enemy, though. ago Have you never driven in Illinois? Its going to be one of THOSE commutes. The idea behind the Zipper Merge is that drivers use the full length of all lanes during congested periods to improve efficiency. So how good are we at it? A zipper merge supposedly creates a sense of fairness in that both lanes move at the same speed, but that's only true if everyone maintains the same consistent slow speed and doesn't freakout. It may be the bane of the driving experience, merging. It works as follows: in the event of an impending lane closure, drivers should fill inboth lanes in equal measure. Zipper Merge - Transportation - City of Winnipeg Merging early causes the lane staying open to slow down even more than the posted speed limit. In our latest blog post we discuss the zipper merge and share a National Post article and video on this heated subject! So, feel free to remain in the lane that is closing until you get close to the point where your lane is actually disappearing. At that point, I-40 is closed entirely, and vehicles have to go on I-55 to get across the river due to an aging bridge that suffered a structural failure. If you want to get home faster and curb your road rage; Use the zipper technique when merging to use all of the lane space; Don't get mad at the person who waits until the end to merge, they're actually speeding things up; Only use the zipper . The zipper merge involves driving all the way to the end or merge point of a closed lane, before moving over in alternating fashion with cars in the nearest lane. Of course, the zipper merge relies on a key ingredient: reciprocating grace and cooperation. 281K views, 696 likes, 34 loves, 140 comments, 1.7K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from National Post: All hail the zipper merge: How Canadian politeness is killing the efficiency of our highways. nationalpost.com/news/canada/all-hail-the-zipper-merge-how-canadian-politeness-is-killing-the-efficiency-of-our-highways, 6 Winter Driving Tips that will help get you from A to B. It's actually faster and safer. Heres a metaphor to help you understand why the zipper traffic merge technique is actually more effective. For example, if two lanes narrow into one, you merge when . And if I had that power I would have everyone use this merging technique because it is arguable more efficient (California believes it is less safe and the feds are neutral). Then you let another driver cut in. Weekend Zen: A Ride-Along Through New York's Battery Tunnel, one report states as many as 6.4 percent of your bridges. Then, at the precise point of the bottleneck, drivers from each lane take turns entering the gap, like a zipper. This causes aggravation to all the drivers in the slower lane. The Story of John Peake Knight, The Correlation Between Emergency Response Times & Your Homeowner's Insurance - LYT, Zipper merge techniques can relieve traffic backup lengths by up to 40%, Promotes less congestion on freeways, exit ramps, and on-ramps, Contrary to what we think, creates a sense of fairness because all lanes move at the same rate (not one fast, the other at a standstill), It is actually illegal in most cases to prevent someone from merging late, More states are requiring the use of the zipper merge, Use the zipper technique when merging to use all of the lane space, Dont get mad at the person who waits until the end to merge, theyre actually speeding things up, Only use the zipper merge when traffic is heavy. Thats the way its supposed to work. It's not cheating to drive all the way the merge point. Kal Tire - Do you use the #ZipperMerge? Why use the Zipper - Facebook Take turns. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has been fielding questions about the "zipper merge" for decades. What that merge looks like from above is exactly what it's called: a zipper merge. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But that assumes that every driver adopts the zipper merge. Jurisdictions have tried with varying success to convert their citizens to the gospel of the zipper merge. You just coast ahead and take turns at the merge point.". What are you supposed to think? Instead of one lane of traffic whizzing by while the other lane slows down considerably, both lanes. Which lane should a driver pick in this scenario? The last-minute system, dubbed the zipper merge, suggests that all drivers wait until theyre almost at the fork in the road or start of the closed lane to merge over. find her on Twitter here, All rights reserved. Approaching a Lane Closed Two Miles Ahead warning sign is the last thing anyone wants to see on their way home from work. Leveraging the zipper merge to increase transit efficiency is a positive step in the right direction, but much of its effectiveness will come down to individual driver understanding. In theory, the zipper merge is a great idea. When I crossed into New Mexico from Arizona on I-40, we were already encountering our first construction zone. Featured image: Screenshot from NMDOTs Zipper Merge campaign website. You are not cool or tough if you try to block someone from merging, youre just a different kind of asshole. In the video it says "when you force a bunch of cars to basically come to a stop in one lane, it gets everybody through the bottleneck slower." The zipper merge works best in traditional congestion situations like construction zones. Starting in the early 2000s, the state of Minnesota has been the U.S. standard for the zipper merge, rolling out pro-zipper merge signage and public relations campaigns. Of all of the reasons for traffic snarls, impending lane . This early on, at least, the results are clear enough for other states to take notice. Step 1. It also makes the road safer. 43 Reply totallyjaded 8 mo. The system is dangerous, anarchic, slow and in some of the better-driving parts of the world, its illegal. It gives more advanced warning of the upcoming closed lane, and as the end approached, there was a Do Not Pass sign. By Tim Harlow Star Tribune March 30, 2019 4:52pm Aaron Lavinsky - Star Tribune MNDOT was the first in the. This continued over the course of the next 100 miles or so, as there were several other construction zones with signage encouraging the zipper merge technique, along with at least one billboard. So why is the zipper merge faster? Instead of creating a long line of cars at a standstill in the right lane, waiting until the last second maximizes road capacity, since cars are moving in both lanes. ELI5: Why is the zipper merge faster? : r/explainlikeimfive and our The next morning in Texas, I saw that it wasnt trying what New Mexico was trying. And so on. Keep pace so the merging vehicle can roll right in. You have now effectively wasted 16 ounces of space 12 in one bottle and four in the other. 11 "If done, right, most cars ended up going the same speed. Most drivers know the pain of approaching two lanes in this situation; the left one is backed up much further because the right one will close in less thana mile thanks to, say, construction. But in North America, it is known simply as the zipper merge. Id love to hear about it in the comments so I can learn more. All I could find were various computer simulations, animations, and even video of people wearing weird car costumes doing a zipper merge. The state of Minnesota began openly advertising the zipper merge in the early 2000s, even including its description in the state's driver's manual, but the measure didn't begin to widely catch on until a few years ago, thanks to a state-wide advertising campaign in both traditional and online platforms. Washington State Department of Transportation representative Travis Phelps said to public radio station KUOW on Tuesday. But at least now you can feel justified being that one last-minute merger. Post your videos and pictures on myFacebookpage. "We all learned in. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Superior Auto Body Saskatoonhas been in business since 1961, and we have been anSGI ELITE Autobody shop and have been SGI accredited since1982. Many participants opted to pick up a bucket closer to them, even when it meant they would have to carry the bucket farther, rather than waiting to pick up a bucket closer to their end goal. Take, for example, LYT.transit, a cloud-based Transit Signal Priority solution, which has the ability to move transit vehicles through congested intersections faster, safer, and more intelligently using machine learning principles and Artificial Intelligence technologies. The zipper method offers a solution that keeps cars moving, which is the ultimate method of preventing traffic jams.