I'm glad to see that HRM will be weighing in the feasibility of an HOV lane in the reversible lane scenario for Bedford Highway. Bedford Highway is already well known for "sh*tting the bed" in rush hour.
Recently, I proposed an idea to HRM about looking into the feasibility of a ramp metering signal system for the weave zones that straddle the Fairview Overpass, whilst using such a system to provide HOV queue jumping. I would be willing to bet that such a system would likely eliminate the vast amount of weave-related fighting that currently goes on west of the Windsor Street Exchange signals.
In the meantime, aside from implementing the austere ramp metering measure that I proposed, HRM and NSTIR should look at a long-term option of extending Highway 111 to Highway 102 via a viaduct along Joseph Howe Drive and plan the new freeway and the twinned Mackay Bridge to have up to 2 HOV lanes in each direction, with a minimum of 1 HOV lane in each direction. If the Highway 111 ring road that I have proposed a while back in the Halifax Metro Ring Road System thread is ever built, I say that it should ideally have 2 HOV lanes in each direction, 2 or 3 general lanes in each direction, and ramp meters on all on-ramps that lead in from service interchanges, with no ramp meters on systems interchanges (systems interchange means a junction that ties two or more freeways together via high-speed ramps, while service interchange means connecting a freeway with a lesser road). The ring road's ramps can also have HOV lanes fitted on them or some ramps can even be totally HOV/Heavy Truck/Service-Vehicle-only.
Halifax Metro Ring Road System
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=184298
Queue jumping in my
austere scenario would be from the westbound merge zone that egresses from the Windsor Street Exchange signals and from the Main Avenue bus-only lane, which I suggested be changed from a bus-only lane to an HOV-2 lane. HRM can make the right-hand northbound left turn lane and right-hand westbound through lane at the Windsor Street Exchange signals into HOV queue jump lanes. (The Lady Hammond approach can be easily re-striped to allow for this on the existing road infrastructure, where the westbound approach would consist of single left turn lanes at Kempt Road and at Windsor Street with a single general lane to the right of the left turn lanes with the HOV queue jump lane being a new lane that forms on the right edge between Kempt Road and Windsor Street.)
Ramp Meter Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramp_meter
HRM should look at a similar reversing lane scheme for Quinpool Road (HOV lane plus two general lanes in the peak direction and one general lane in the off-peak direction; one general lane and one HOV lane each way during the day-time interlude in between the morning and afternoon peaks; with roadside parking only allowed between 12AM and 6AM; with this all subject to adjustment for major events). Special lane markings will be required to accommodate the left turn lanes at Vernon/Quingate, with the emphasis on through traffic to deflect to the right to go around the shifting left turn lane. The left turn lane signals would be a white LED left curved arrow (same as a left turn lane control sign), with a red X facing traffic in the wrong direction to the left turn lane (unless it's a two-way left turn lane, which would be represented by a white LED representation of two interlocking curved left arrows (think of it as an LED version of the existing two-way left turn lane control sign that you would see hung overhead, i.e. what you see over Main Street in Dartmouth).
I have also suggested that HRM look into metering signals for the Armdale Roundabout too, given that it is one of the busiest roundabouts in North America. It currently carries about 57, 000 vehicles per day.
Roundabout metering signals:
capacity, performance and timing
http://www.sidrasolutions.com/Cms_Da...thISHC2011.pdf
Ultimately, for the entire HRM road system, I believe that HOV lanes will be needed within the ultimate widths of all roads of class Arterial and above (at least one HOV lane in each direction), with HOV lanes also provided on major collectors when it is possible to do so. The road classes stated here are based on the proposed HRM Regional Plan that is scheduled to be passed this fall. To all other cities: In regards to this specific comment on universal HOV lane implementation on all major roads, regardless if higher orders of transit already exist,
start taking notes.
I will say, as an aside,
that I think the internet here is experiencing gridlock similar to the gridlock that is plaguing the Canadian road system, given that I have seen a spike in loading failures on many websites even when I access the internet from different locations. They need to severely clamp down on spam
and excessive advertising because it's getting close to seizing up the entire internet (at least from what I'm seeing), where telecommunications infrastructure upgrades are currently unable to keep up.
Cheers,
Richard Kannegiesser