Why do I do this Talking Traffic website, with its podcast and tidbits?
Because of this:
From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Ramp meters are traffic lights that are intended to control the number of vehicles entering and exiting the highway. They are to reduce traffic congestion on the ramps. [emphasis mine]
Argh! This is one hundred percent wrong! Ramp meters in no way are designed to reduce congestion on the ramps, they’re designed to reduce congestion on the highway by “metering” the input of vehicles from the ramps. Instead of a flood of vehicles entering the highway all at once, a steady one…two…three…four addition of vehicles allows the highway to avoid congestive backups. Unfortunately, this causes delays on the ramps and possibly the roadways leading to the ramps.
While your wait to get on the highway will lengthen, the time you spend on the highway itself will decrease. That is why Ramp Meters are being installed in multiple locations throughout the country.
Sounds like a podcast topic to me.
Pingback: Ramp Meters : Talking Traffic