Why expand I-75 in Broward? (Miami, Hollywood: vs, airport, safety)

[Nolefan34]

FL law states you should pass on the left. Yet people still pass on the right. I find it extremely hard to believe that putting up a sign that says "No passing on right" would prevent people from doing so. Everyone has turn signals in their cars, yet few people use them. Should the car manufacturers put signs on the windshields of the cars instructing drivers to use their turn signals when changing lanes? At a certain point, you can only dummy proof things so much.

I understand what you're saying, it just sounds unrealistic that its gonna help anything. In NYC, they may have the best laws in the U.S., but their traffic is the worst and is an unmitigated disaster. NYC invests almost no money into their roads. This is the one thing FL does better than NYC. We actually invest in improving our roads. NYC doesn't. I spend a few weeks in NYC several years ago and drove around the city and Long Island. The traffic was horrible at all times of the day. Not just rush hour. There were potholes in the roads everywhere.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by compelled to reply

It is a pipe dream in the big picture, but better enforcement of traffic law beyond speed limits certainly wouldn't hurt. To use rickt's example of NYC, the electronic signs on the expressways/parkways in NYC often remind drivers that it is the law to signal when changing lanes, to use proper care when merging, etc, and these rules are enforced by local police. Almost everyone in/around NYC (Manhattan notwithstanding), even the most aggressive drivers who cut in and out of traffic, usually signal anything that will affect another driver and it does make for a safer roadway. There are also strictly enforced bans against distracted driving and while you will never entirely stop New Yorkers from multitasking, it's not quite as bad as our situation. Despite poor road design and a generally impatient driving culture, there are far less congestion-causing accidents in and around NYC then there are here.

In New Jersey, there are permanent signs everywhere indicating to keep right, and it is a rule that is often enforced by state police. Similar distracted driving laws to NY also exist and yes, most drivers look and indicate when changing lanes, and keep right except to pass. You can get out of the Holland Tunnel at 5 in the afternoon and do 70+ MPH on the turnpike all the way down into central NJ without even hitting your brakes. A highway with that much traffic and similar design in South Florida would probably slow to a halt every afternoon.

I used to commute from NYC to Livingston, NJ and it wasn't THAT easy. I used my brakes quite often.

[Jerseys Rants]

Originally Posted by ruski

I used to commute from NYC to Livingston, NJ and it wasn't THAT easy. I used my brakes quite often.

I gotta admit I was back in Jersey in September the section of 280 from West Orange to Newark or Kearny was a bear in the after noon from lunchtime till 7 pm...

Here everybody is in a race even when I'm doing 70 people pass me like I'm standing still on I-95 and some are even BSO

[rickt86]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

So you really think teaching people how to drive is the answer? You think the state is going to invest money into this? And you actually think people are willing to be taught? Sounds like a pipe dream to me.

I think the problems are bigger than just people not knowing how to merge. I think we have too many people driving at different speeds. Lots of very fast, aggressive people weaving in and out of lanes. Also lots of slower driving people who ride in the left lane forcing everyone to pass them on the right. Just a lot of different problems.

Yet you have roads like the Palmetto with 4-5 lanes, yet its ALWAYS screwed up. Its like the Van Wick of S FL. Its because you have a general flow of traffic going 65, then random people ALL OVER the road in all lanes randomly going 40, and then a handful going 85, also in all lanes. Its not like this in the North East. In the North East people punish you for going slow in the left lane. HARD brake checks, flying trash, full water bottles etc. It just is not put up with. I was just up there for 5 days, and spent most my life up there, its a much better flow. Its more cars on less lanes with less traffic. I think education plays a large part. Also S FL has this I have to be first bull crap macho driving style. Everyone is intentionally aggressive, and yerns to be first. I drive at 70 with my cruise control on when I goto work. People love to pass me, then dont want to go over 70 and I catch back up, then they see me and have to speed up. I am always catching up to someone, then they pin me in their blind spot till I get stuck behind a slow car. In the NE people just want to get to their destination, and not have someone in the way, they dont give a crap about what other people are doing as long as it does not have any effect on them. Down here people just care about the cars around them.

[rickt86]

Originally Posted by Nolefan34

FL law states you should pass on the left. Yet people still pass on the right. I find it extremely hard to believe that putting up a sign that says "No passing on right" would prevent people from doing so. Everyone has turn signals in their cars, yet few people use them. Should the car manufacturers put signs on the windshields of the cars instructing drivers to use their turn signals when changing lanes? At a certain point, you can only dummy proof things so much.

I understand what you're saying, it just sounds unrealistic that its gonna help anything. In NYC, they may have the best laws in the U.S., but their traffic is the worst and is an unmitigated disaster. NYC invests almost no money into their roads. This is the one thing FL does better than NYC. We actually invest in improving our roads. NYC doesn't. I spend a few weeks in NYC several years ago and drove around the city and Long Island. The traffic was horrible at all times of the day. Not just rush hour. There were potholes in the roads everywhere.

FL does not salt their roads, so dont bring up the pot holes. Its not passing on the right that is the problem, its people BLOCKING the left. People in NJ tend to get RIGHT. For three reasons, A because people will screw with you if your slowing traffic, B you could get a ticket for blocking the left lane, and most importantly C, cops are almost always in the middle mediums, so being right lets you lay low.

In FL cops are shooting their wife who is a cop or visa versa, or driving around at 100mph in their cop car and getting mad when a cop pulls them over. This place is so ass backwards its sad. You can add lanes all day long, its just more places for idiots to drive like idiots. If you have 10 lanes, guess what, 10 people will figure out how to drive 10 cars wide, and all go the same speed, which is 60 in a 65. Thats south FL. For some reason we seem to make 3 lanes work in NJ and people pass.

You are correct that lane merge problems do slow things down big time in rush hour in NYC, but its also the biggest city in the USA, built on an ISLAND, full of bridges, and few roads. Its the economic mega hub of the USA. It has hills, lakes, rivers, ditches, palisades, and mountains. You have to take a tunnel or bridge to get from the burbs to the city. Yet somehow it transports many many many more people than MIAMI across many many less roads, with not THAT MUCH worst traffic.

For example, at least once a month I see a car flipped over on the 95 express lanes. Its almost WEEKLY. How the F do you flip your car??? Its a flat friggin road. Aside from a wheel falling off, you have to just be a flat out idiot driving like an aggressive assbag.

[Jerseys Rants]

Originally Posted by rickt86

Also S FL has this I have to be first bull crap macho driving style. Everyone is intentionally aggressive, and yerns to be first.

That's what I was trying to say I guess I typed the words out wrong...

I never fails here in Hollywood, no matter what they drive I'll be doing 45 in a 35 or whatever and they still ride my ass.. I make them pass me an stare them down as they pass an they talk smack to me as they pass.. But its pretty comical they will blow the light so they don't see me face to face at it

[ruski]

Originally Posted by Jerseys Rants

I gotta admit I was back in Jersey in September the section of 280 from West Orange to Newark or Kearny was a bear in the after noon from lunchtime till 7 pm...

Here everybody is in a race even when I'm doing 70 people pass me like I'm standing still on I-95 and some are even BSO

70? That's just the speed limit.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by rickt86

Yet you have roads like the Palmetto with 4-5 lanes, yet its ALWAYS screwed up. Its like the Van Wick of S FL. Its because you have a general flow of traffic going 65, then random people ALL OVER the road in all lanes randomly going 40, and then a handful going 85, also in all lanes. Its not like this in the North East. In the North East people punish you for going slow in the left lane. HARD brake checks, flying trash, full water bottles etc. It just is not put up with. I was just up there for 5 days, and spent most my life up there, its a much better flow. Its more cars on less lanes with less traffic. I think education plays a large part. Also S FL has this I have to be first bull crap macho driving style. Everyone is intentionally aggressive, and yerns to be first. I drive at 70 with my cruise control on when I goto work. People love to pass me, then dont want to go over 70 and I catch back up, then they see me and have to speed up. I am always catching up to someone, then they pin me in their blind spot till I get stuck behind a slow car. In the NE people just want to get to their destination, and not have someone in the way, they dont give a crap about what other people are doing as long as it does not have any effect on them. Down here people just care about the cars around them.

So in NY people will throw crap at you, but in South Florida everyone is intentionally aggressive?

[ruski]

Also as I said before we have a good share of NY and NJ drivers down here in South Florida. I see plenty of them driving like clowns - no blinkers, hogging left lane, etc. Do they check their good driving skills at the border? "I'm on vacation, I don't need any blinkers in this unimportant land called Florida"?

[Jerseys Rants]

Originally Posted by ruski

70? That's just the speed limit.

Its 65 on 595 in Broward and 65 on I-95 in the Hollywood Ft Lauderdale area between Pembroke Rd and Broward Blvd.. So 70 in a car with a 411 gears and a 6spd was a bit much for it..

I put the car back to stock and still maybe do 75 depending on traffic and they still whip past me