Service/access roads and Feeders (Houston: apartments, townhouses, shopping centers)

[Marvel_Jones]

I've done more travel in major cities in the past year than I've done in most of my life and one thing I've noticed is the lack of feeders. Do you think they are beneficial?

Two bonus questions:

Are the Texas stacks (freeway exchanges) better than cloverleafs etc?

I saw a documentary on urban planning and it mentioned that building more lanes on a freeway creates more traffic. Agree?

[TexasTallest]

Originally Posted by Marvel_Jones

I've done more travel in major cities in the past year than I've done in most of my life and one thing I've noticed is the lack of feeders. Do you think they are beneficial?

Two bonus questions:

Are the Texas stacks (freeway exchanges) better than cloverleafs etc?

I saw a documentary on urban planning and it mentioned that building more lanes on a freeway creates more traffic. Agree?

I believe feeder roads are beneficial for managing traffic in major cities, but when I see them in the middle of no where i just think what a waste of concrete/land.

The Texas stack interchanges are definitely better than cloverleafs. You dont have to worry about the merges you have on cloverleafs and you dont need to slow down nearly as much on the flyover ramps.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Marvel_Jones

I saw a documentary on urban planning and it mentioned that building more lanes on a freeway creates more traffic. Agree?

Depends on the agenda. First, define the word "traffic."

[desertsun41]

I drove quite a bit throughout this country and never even seen a feeder road till I got to Texas. That don't mean there are no others, I just never seen one.

Feeder roads are a great idea but the amateur traffic planners here give more green light to the cross traffic then that on the feeder causing them to back up badly.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

I drove quite a bit throughout this country and never even seen a feeder road till I got to Texas. That don't mean there are no others, I just never seen one.

Feeder roads are a great idea but the amateur traffic planners here give more green light to the cross traffic then that on the feeder causing them to back up badly.

I've noticed this too, I assume what they're trying to do is force you back onto the freeway. I'm positive they even exend the red lights when traffic on the freeway is heavier to discourage people getting off.

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

I've noticed this too, I assume what they're trying to do is force you back onto the freeway.

Even more so when the "freeway" is a tollway.

[SteelBubble]

I love the service roads and being able to make a quick u-turn when I miss my exit.

[majicdonjuan]

There's advantages and disadvantages to the feeders. I think they bring more traffic to the freeway area, as there are lots of businesses and residences either directly connected to feeder roads or much closer to the freeway then they otherwise would be due to the presence of the feeder roads for routing local traffic. Otherwise, those businesses/residences would generally be pushed to major arterials/other roads respectively.

Personally, I see that as a disadvantage. I think that the freeway works better overall when it is dedicated to through traffic only and local traffic is diverted away from it. In other words, my opinion is that there would be less overall freeway traffic without them, so the city wouldn't have to build quite as wide if they didn't exist.

The greatest advantage in my opinion? U-turn lanes! Gotta love em.

[crone]

The planners and developers in Houston used OPM to build the roads for commercial. Retail and office space was to be on the feeder, then apartments, then townhouses, then single family homes.

I just drove to NYC and back using different routes. There are times when feeders were lacking. They are great in some instances. I liked the very long entrance ramps supplied by most other states.

I like the freeways better where they are not used for local traffic.

There was one local state highway in NJ like 1960, two curb cuts into each retail establishment, the speed limit was 55. It had major shopping centers, stores like Best Buys and Ikea with the traffic going 55. The difference was that the parking lots were all connected. Thank goodness for GPS and back roads.

[Marvel_Jones]

Very interesting takes on feeders. I guess being from Texas I'm used to highways being used for local traffic as well as passing through. I've more so seen it as a way to connect other districts to another on a more local scene. The feeders have always done me right especially on the Beltway.

I still prefer the feeders after traveling in different cities because I tend to like to venture off into different areas of town and I have to be able to find the freeway easily. I had a bit of a hard time doing that on the east coast last summer. And how can you go wrong with the u-Turn? Lol

To the question about more lanes on a freeway, when I say create more traffic I mean that the agenda is to eliminate heavy traffic but it actually increases traffic problems (if it took you 30 mins to get from point A to point B on three lanes with traffic then it will take you longer with 4 lanes)