Back to the discussion on Parkway East............ (Pittsburgh, Erie: home, moving)

[TechieTransplant]

So when we left off, the topic of the "terrain" from Monroeville to the tunnel came up. I think this is silly. There's a long downhill section from the Route 8 Wilkinsburg exit where everyone starts riding there brakes downhill. And as I said earlier, people won't move over and allow others to merge from Braddock. And then there is the fear of driving through the tunnel. And then there are the people who have been getting on at Braddock for years and don't care about sitting in that mess. The terrain and infrastructure points are ridiculous. I drive a six speed manual transmission, and as long as there are no brake riders in front of me, I can come down that long downhill section from Wilkinsburg without tapping my brakes.

I went home to Erie one day last week, and went to merge on to I-90. I accelerated gradually on an uphill on ramp with no one stopped at the end of it, and other motorists automatically knew to move over to the other lane to let someone on. No brake lights, no coming to a stop.

[BrianTH]

We really need something like automated driving on highways, but fully-implemented technology like that is probably a long ways off. In the meantime, transportation design has to factor in the stupidity and selfishness of human drivers.

[ditchdigger]

One late night, a very long time ago, I hit the top of the hill out there east of Wikinsburg at about 70, put it in neutral, and coasted all the way to Oakland. It got pretty slow going throgh the tunnel, but picked up again once I hit the downhill on the downtown side. I was still going about 40 when I got to the exit at Bates St.

And as I said earlier, people won't move over and allow others to merge from Braddock.

But wouldn't that expedite Parkway traffic, and only leave the on ramp backed up? The logic seems faulty.

I don't drive it often, and never during morning rush hour, but I really don't understand why the pace doesn't pick up any between Braddock Ave. and the tunnel. It's not like the Parkway West where you have one giant merge zone right at the mouth of the tunnel. I thinki it is "tunnel fear"...

[Mugatu]

Pittsburghers create their own traffic jams. Stopping on on-ramps, driving well below the speed limit, braking to enter tunnels, coming to a complete stop to let someone turn left in front of them... Pittsburghers drive like they DON'T want to get to their destination. There are bad drivers in every city, but Pittsburghers have their own brand of timidness behind the wheel that I've never seen anywhere else. Most other cities have problems with overly agressive drivers, but here people just won't go! But I'm sure natives don't notice this.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

Pittsburghers create their own traffic jams. Stopping on on-ramps, driving well below the speed limit, braking to enter tunnels, coming to a complete stop to let someone turn left in front of them... Pittsburghers drive like they DON'T want to get to their destination. There are bad drivers in every city, but Pittsburghers have their own brand of timidness behind the wheel that I've never seen anywhere else. Most other cities have problems with overly agressive drivers, but here people just won't go! But I'm sure natives don't notice this.

LOL That made me chuckle, so true. Not everyone, obviously, but it really only takes a few people like this to slow the system. Hey, if you're the one turning left you go "Oh, the people are so nice!" And the 10 people behind them are going "Why the heck aren't they moving?!!"

[captainmidnight]

I think the main problems at both ends of each tunnel are the interchanges right before the entrances to the tunnels.

Poorly designed and outdated interchanges combine with poor driving skills to create that mess.

There might still be some slowdowns if you got rid of those interchanges, but I don't know if there would still be the same backups. The problem is that you can't do too much to remedy the problem. The interchanges will never go away and we are landlocked to prevent expansion.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

Pittsburghers create their own traffic jams.

You just said it all right there!

I get so tired of the comparisons with bigger cities and more traffic. We drove in the Boston and Hartford areas during our honeymoon, and those moments I won't forget, but I will say, people kept moving.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

I don't drive it often, and never during morning rush hour, but I really don't understand why the pace doesn't pick up any between Braddock Ave. and the tunnel. It's not like the Parkway West where you have one giant merge zone right at the mouth of the tunnel. I thinki it is "tunnel fear"...

Sometimes it does pick up just a bit past the Braddock entrance, but then it slows right back down, around when you are getting to the bridge. Which I turn think confirms your tunnel fear hypothesis, particularly since on the other end of the tunnel it picks up again.

[greg42]

Yeah, the jam before the Ft Pitt at least sort of made sense; on either end there's a big merge right before the tunnel. And of course the outbound Sq Hill has that nasty merge. But on the inbound Sq Hill there's nothing that close (the Braddock merge is not close like, say, the outbound Ft Pitt), so why does the traffic stay slow and get faster on the other side? Can only be tunnel fear, hehe.

They should ticket everyone for disobeying the "Maintain Speed Through Tunnel" signs.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by greg42

They should ticket everyone for disobeying the "Maintain Speed Through Tunnel" signs.

I would gladly lead the charge to put cameras in the tunnel, sending tickets to anyone who hits their brakes unless the car in front of them hit their brakes first.