Raleigh mulls making I-540 A Toll Road (versus, wealthy)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Either way, people tend to lose patience when traffic builds up. That is a shame, as just a bit of patience would lead to a much better flow of traffic and far fewer accidents.
A lot of important services these days depend on text alerts, messaging isn't just for teenagers. We'd need a way to block outbound (typed) messages from moving cars, involving GPS detection to know if the car is moving, etc. and event that doesn't identify the driver vs. passenger.
Anyway, if we don't get things back on the topic of 540 toll options we run the risk of the thread being locked, and I think that would be a shame as there have been some interesting ideas discussed here and there could be more.
Since people cannot safely use texting, why not have the FCC ban providers from supporting text messages.
If you can't safely use it, you need to lose it.
We lived many years without the cell phone and just might want to roll things back.
How about this? Since there are already laws against reckless driving, distracted driving, whatever, we can just use those laws when something comes up and bam we are done. If you cause a wreck and its due to your inattentiveness you get a ticket. There is really no need for a special case. People caused wrecks fiddling with the radio, looking for tapes or Cds, talking to other people, eating, etc etc well before cell phones existed. Even now, I have seen a guy shaving, a woman putting on makeup and a person reading papers they held with their hands on the wheel all in the last month or so on highways in the area so there are plenty of other things besides texting that is a the problem.
If lanes are added, they should definitely be toll lanes and should be studied as to whether the lanes should be separated (2 reversible lanes) or not (1 in each direction with no barrier). The cost of separated lanes and dedicated exits at strategic points in my opinion would be worth the extra investment and (as someone mentioned earlier in the thread) should tie in to HOV/HOT lanes on I-40 or directly into RTP perhaps via the newest section of NC 147 / Triangle Expressway. Appropriate tie ins should be made for transit as well. Express buses shouldn't have to cross several lanes of traffic to get to the HOV/HOT lane.
Good article thanks for sharing- but I hate it!!! I always joked with my friends and neighbors that we are becoming the next Jersey and that 540 Toll road proved my point.
Lots of pressure on Congress to assent to Obama's proposal. Every state DOT is probably lobbying for it, although the decision to apply tolls on a local basis will not be popular. Would certainly facilitate NCDOT improvements to I-95, a topic that's been kicked around for almost 15 years now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inters...North_Carolina has a good description of what NCDOT would do, if the money becomes available.
As for tolls on I-540, I believe it will happen whether Obama's proposal is adopted or not. The Feds will almost certainly approve it on an exceptional basis if tied to additional lanes.
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