Traffic Rants

Under Transportation

The Mercer Street off-ramp is a test of human patience and sanity

Whoever designed the grid around Mercer Street needs their civil engineering license revoked. It takes 35 minutes to travel four blocks. You sit through three green lights without moving an inch because four cars blocked the box, and then someone in a luxury SUV cuts across three lanes of traffic at the last second.

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Why is merging onto I-5 during morning commute a survival sport?

Seriously, what is the psychology behind speeding up to close a gap the second someone turns on their blinker? A turn signal is a request to merge, not a personal insult! Every morning on I-5 northbound, people would rather risk a multi-car pileup than let one sedan slip in ahead of them. Learn how zipper merging works, folks!

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Escalator out of service at the light rail station... AGAIN?

Is there a single light rail station in the city where every escalator functions at the same time? Coming up 90 feet from deep underground with luggage or groceries because the main escalator has been under 'scheduled maintenance' for three months is absurd. Who manages these service contracts?!

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No Turn on Red Signs - Bleah

Why on earth do we need No Turn on Red Signs? If I'm at a stop light and want to turn right, pedestrians and bikes also have a red light if they want to cross. So what does it matter if I turn before they get the green to cross?

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