Calgary Roads

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by mwalker_mw

Are trucks really a problem on deerfoot?

Trucks aren't, people who get ansty driving around them are.

Volume is the real, and since volume is only during rush hour the theoretical ban would be during those high volume times.

[Ferreth]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Is there any consideration being given to limiting truck traffic on Deerfoot once Stony Trail is in service?

I'd like to see trucks banned from the left hand lane, should Deerfoot ever get 3 lanes done everywhere.

[Wentworth]

Speaking of annoying vehicles, is it legal to drive a backhoe on a public roadway? I see at least one a month on Glenmore Trail. Recently, it's been more like one a week. They don't have any plates or registration as far as I have seen. They create backups almost as bad as disabled vehicles.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by Ferreth

I'd like to see trucks banned from the left hand lane, should Deerfoot ever get 3 lanes done everywhere.

Trucks aren't the problem it's tailgating / cutting off car drivers ask any trucker

Originally Posted by Wentworth

Speaking of annoying vehicles, is it legal to drive a backhoe on a public roadway? I see at least one a month on Glenmore Trail. Recently, it's been more like one a week. They don't have any plates or registration as far as I have seen. They create backups almost as bad as disabled vehicles.

Nope not illegal at all

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

Trucks aren't the problem it's tailgating / cutting off car drivers ask any trucker

Trucks are a huge problem when they linger in the passing lane barely doing the speed limit. Not so much long haul transports, but construction and delivery trucks of all kinds do it on Deerfoot with regularity. This directly causes a lot of the tailgating/cutting off that we see.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Trucks are a huge problem when they linger in the passing lane barely doing the speed limit. Not so much long haul transports, but construction and delivery trucks of all kinds do it on Deerfoot with regularity. This directly causes a lot of the tailgating/cutting off that we see.

I know in Rotterdam (and probably all of the Netherlands), trucks are not allowed to pass each other during rush hour (and probably the whole day in fact), and must keep to the right hand lane at all times.

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Trucks are a huge problem when they linger in the passing lane barely doing the speed limit. Not so much long haul transports, but construction and delivery trucks of all kinds do it on Deerfoot with regularity. This directly causes a lot of the tailgating/cutting off that we see.

From my experience cutting off and tailgatting occur whether a person is in the right or passing lane, whether there is a truck within sight or not, it's a driver attitude thing, the police need to start ticketing it rather than focusing on speed, since unsafe following distances are more likely to cause a crash than speed (speaking from experience - low speed deerfoot crash from following to close)

[You Need A Thneed]

Originally Posted by fusili

I know in Rotterdam (and probably all of the Netherlands), trucks are not allowed to pass each other during rush hour (and probably the whole day in fact), and must keep to the right hand lane at all times.

Would be a good policy once Deerfoot doesn't have it's 2 lane bottlenecks. Until then, when you are driving a truck, you get into the second lane from the left when you can, before the bottleneck. It's what I do when I'm driving a long trailer or our 5 ton around.

Anyway, Stoney Trail will take enough of the truck traffic off of Deerfoot, that it shouldn't be an issue, really.

[DoubleK]

Sorry for the hugeness of the picture.

I have seen these signs in my travels. Why don't the use them in Canada/Calgary etc?

[bookermorgan]

That would only make sense, but instead most drivers hang out in the middle lane where they got rear-ended

[AB Born]

That sign is a great idea.

[DoubleK]

Can someone please explain to me the bottleneck at Southland Drive on southbound Deerfoot during the afternoon/evening rush? Is it too many cars getting on from Deerfoot Meadows?

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Can someone please explain to me the bottleneck at Southland Drive on southbound Deerfoot during the afternoon/evening rush? Is it too many cars getting on from Deerfoot Meadows?

It's the Iver Strong bridge over the Bow, people can't figure out how to merge at speed and then you get people coming on to Deerfoot from Anderson making the situation worse by merging to soon

[mwalker_mw]

I've been trying to figure this out. Maybe there is someone with a traffic engineering background that can comment:

Is Deerfoot actually over capacity (i.e. the slowdowns without and accident or interference across all 3 lanes at nearly every interchange during rush hour)? Or is it simply that Calgarians can't drive (i.e. the same road layout and the same volume in another city would actually work)?

We all have our personal opinions on this. But I'd be interested in some commentary or analysis based on facts, studies and a professional knowledge of the subject.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by mwalker_mw

I've been trying to figure this out. Maybe there is someone with a traffic engineering background that can comment:

Is Deerfoot actually over capacity (i.e. the slowdowns without and accident or interference across all 3 lanes at nearly every interchange during rush hour)? Or is it simply that Calgarians can't drive (i.e. the same road layout and the same volume in another city would actually work)?

We all have our personal opinions on this. But I'd be interested in some commentary or analysis based on facts, studies and a professional knowledge of the subject.

I highly, highly doubt that we live in a city that uniquely has bad drivers.

First, every single city has complaints of this. Second, accident rates in Calgary are not significantly higher than anywhere else (to my knowledge anyway). Third - we're all from other cities anyway. What possible thing could there be to encourage bad drivers to move to Calgary? It certainly isn't the cheaper insurance rates compared to MB, SK, or BC (if you're a bad driver).

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by mwalker_mw

I've been trying to figure this out. Maybe there is someone with a traffic engineering background that can comment:

Is Deerfoot actually over capacity (i.e. the slowdowns without and accident or interference across all 3 lanes at nearly every interchange during rush hour)? Or is it simply that Calgarians can't drive (i.e. the same road layout and the same volume in another city would actually work)?

We all have our personal opinions on this. But I'd be interested in some commentary or analysis based on facts, studies and a professional knowledge of the subject.

Originally Posted by freeweed

I highly, highly doubt that we live in a city that uniquely has bad drivers.

First, every single city has complaints of this. Second, accident rates in Calgary are not significantly higher than anywhere else (to my knowledge anyway). Third - we're all from other cities anyway. What possible thing could there be to encourage bad drivers to move to Calgary? It certainly isn't the cheaper insurance rates compared to MB, SK, or BC (if you're a bad driver).

The problem with Deerfoot is the volume exceeds the capacity of the road by a significant margin, not to mention it was originally designed as a 80km/h road but has only had minor fixes done to accommodate the new 100km/h speed limit. Freeweed is right the drivers aren't any worse here than they are anywhere else. The choke points at the Glenmore and Southland/Anderson/Bow Bottom interchanges both need significant upgrading, I believe the is a plan for Glenmore but I haven't seen anything for Bow Bottom/Anderson, and unfortunately the cost will determine the timeline rather than the need.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

The problem with Deerfoot is the volume exceeds the capacity of the road by a significant margin, not to mention it was originally designed as a 80km/h road but has only had minor fixes done to accommodate the new 100km/h speed limit.

Definitely a huge factor. Plus Calgary is just growing constantly, and it takes time for road networks to respond. Upgrades aplenty are needed on Deerfoot, I think everyone knows this. At least assuming cars are still the way to go.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Full Mountain

I believe the is a plan for Glenmore but I haven't seen anything for Bow Bottom/Anderson, and unfortunately the cost will determine the timeline rather than the need.

I thought I saw a media release about construction at Glenmore/Deerfoot taking place in 2013?

[Full Mountain]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Definitely a huge factor. Plus Calgary is just growing constantly, and it takes time for road networks to respond. Upgrades aplenty are needed on Deerfoot, I think everyone knows this. At least assuming cars are still the way to go.

I think between the ring road and the SE LRT (to Seton) the volume on Deerfoot will decrease, not enough to make the upgrades unnecessary, but it will make the situation a lot better

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I thought I saw a media release about construction at Glenmore/Deerfoot taking place in 2013?

I hadn't heard this, though according Alberta Transportation it's still waiting on funding

[mwalker_mw]

Interesting discussion, but I'm still curious about the supporting numbers. I should also add that the interchanges that brought about this question for me are all in the North where there is a consistent 3 lanes + merge lanes and no strange configurations or surprises. It just seems that somehow the merge lanes at 16th, 32nd, Mcknight etc. all seem to ripple across all 3 lanes of traffic resulting in all 3 lanes at 30km/h or less. To me it really stinks of poor driver planning (when exiting) and timidness (when entering) rather than a specific undercapacity of the road.

Now, if the numbers support the general sentiment, my next question would then be: Why has such a critical artery been left to get to this state? Especially in a city that generally is not shy about spending on roads upgrades. It seems this kind of situation generally stirs up quite a bit of public discussion yet, in general, I hear very little about this. I do agree that the complete ring road will likley provide some relief but I just don't see it reducing volume to the point where another entire lane is not needed (or, better yet, 401 style dedicated merge lanes with barrier separations). So why not start building now?