Drastic plan to improve N1

[Paul_S]

> All that does is it stops cities from growing and forces urbanisation to spread out over larger areas. <

Errr, stop contradicting yourself, it hurts me brain!

Low volume transportation spreads the urban development out over larger areas instead of allowing high density urban areas to grow (sky scrapers, office blocks, 20 story residential buildings, etc.)
In essense the bottle neck limits the ability to have high density housing, commercial and industrial areas. If you can't get in or out due to constant traffic jams the area can't carry on developing.
You end up with low density areas like Midrand, Four Ways, etc.

I was pleased to hear on the news that they only plan to do this as an experiment - if it causes chaos they'll drop it within a few days.

 

[diabolus]

Few obvious issues:

1. The "reserved" lane will now be "populated" by busses and taxis , both of which drive either slow or NOT in their designated lane.
2. All the onramps will now flow into this reserved lane, regardless of whether they are allowed in the lane or not....AGAIN slowing the entire lane down + congestion. -> Taxis+Bussess will most probaby avoid this by moving over to the next lane.

Result?
Taxis will not drive in that lane.
It will remain the "slow lane" which no one wants to use anyway --> everyone will move over to the righter lanes.
BMW type of carpoolers most certianly will NOT be driving behind busses and taxis in the "slow lane" , come on we know this.
Trucks will be driving in whatever lane they please ANYWAY, most probably the middle lane.

So either nothing is going to change, or the right lane will be more congested than ever whilst the left lane is filled with slow moving busses with no other cars in it [because they are now in the right lane trying to move faster].


While it is a good idea in theory, people arent going to start a carpool to drive in the left lane , especially if the lane remains the SLOW lane . Where's the incentive? If traffic is standing still at Allandale, trust me the left lane WILL be standing still as well .....

 

[nocilah]

> All that does is it stops cities from growing and forces urbanisation to spread out over larger areas. <

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

riiiight.

 

[xtermin8or]

It's amazing how people moan about the congestion on roads, people not following the rules, etc. then when the admin tries to do something about it, they doom it to failure before even trying it out

The carpool lane is still experimental

for those concerned about allandale - here is a proposed solution

The South African National Roads Agency says a new lane will be added to the N1 highway between the Allandale and Buccleuch interchanges between Midrand and Johannesburg to alleviate congestion.

It says the full additional lane will be open to all road users in congested periods from the 2nd of October. A high-tech vehicle monitoring system to improve the flow of traffic on the road will also be introduced.

The Automobile Association's Gary Ronald says a new lane will go some way to easing congestion on South Africa's busiest highway.

In conjunction with this, a three-day pilot project will determine the feasibility of a high-occupancy lane on the N1. That project will also be implemented some time next month. - Highveld Stereo

 

[Paul_S]

The South African National Roads Agency says a new lane will be added to the N1 highway between the Allandale and Buccleuch interchanges between Midrand and Johannesburg to alleviate congestion.

It says the full additional lane will be open to all road users in congested periods from the 2nd of October. A high-tech vehicle monitoring system to improve the flow of traffic on the road will also be introduced.

Oh come on! A single lane here and there? What good is that going to do when traffic is increasing by 7% every year?
The N1 should be widened to 6 lanes in each direction and there after go double decker but that just isn't going to happen with the idiots who "govern" this country.

Remember a few years back when the N1 was widened from 2 lanes to 3 lanes?
That's an increased capacity of 50% and look at it now.

Solution 1 : Add a little bit of road here and there and change rules and hope for the best (African way of dealing with problems - stick a band aid on the problem)
Solution 2 : Chuck many billions into doing a major capacity upgrade. I'm sure R100 billion could get us a decent high way.
Solution 3 : Just leave it as it is and people will be forced to spread out and start business' elsewhere. When you spend 4 hours in a car per day people will start looking at alternatives.

I think we'll see a combination of solution 1 and 3 because let's face it, there is no ways our government are going to sacrifice lots of gravy in order to upgrade roads.

As with everything else from telecoms to HIV/AIDs to road infrastructure to crime :
Too Little Too Late