If the on-ramp stop lights are on and no one is there can you go through? (Milwaukee: moving, design)

[pete6032]

If you're getting onto the freeway and the rush-hour on-ramp stoplights are on but no one is lined up can you just drive through them or do you need to stop?

I've seen places where its OK for the 1st person to go through if no one is waiting and if there's someone right behind person 1 then person 2 would stop and wait at the light.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by pete6032

If you're getting onto the freeway and the rush-hour on-ramp stoplights are on but no one is lined up can you just drive through them or do you need to stop?

I've seen places where its OK for the 1st person to go through if no one is waiting and if there's someone right behind person 1 then person 2 would stop and wait at the light.

Technically no. however people go through them like crazy but don't get caught because it's a huge ticket. I know what you mean though it makes no sense to stop if nobody is there.

[43north87west]

^^ Ramp metering signals are regular traffic signals like anything else. You do have to stop, although not everyone does.

You may have seen places where people go through, but I question whether it's "OK" to do so, or whether you just see people doing it and assume that it is OK. Anyway, everyone is the first person once the person in front of them clears the signal, which would make the signals useless because it would be a steady stream of "First people in line" blowing through the lights.

[just1paul]

The lights are timed based on freeway overall traffic. So if you go because no one is there, you most likely will catch up.

[Milwaukee City]

Keep in mind there are some lights that turn green as you come up to them so a slow roll or just going 30pmh the light will turn green just as you pull up to it avoiding the going through the red light scenario. The on ramp in my hood at S.6th & Mineral getting on I-94/43 northbound turns green just as you pull up to it and you can continue to drive and the light will turn green as you approach it. Other lights have more of a delay and you have to make a full stop where you feel your car nudge stop.

BTW, I'm trying to find the news report that debunks the idea that these lights actually save time. I think it was 20/20 that did a report some years ago on these and they found it actually saves no time and to remove the lights was nearly impossible due to many states level of bureaucracy which is very believable.

[JC Follower]

It dont save time. And this also why i hate people drive slow up the onramps. The whole idea of the onramp is to get up to speed by the time you hit the freeway so that you dont interfere with the flow of traffic.

[Milwaukee City]

Originally Posted by JC Follower

It dont save time. And this also why i hate people drive slow up the onramps. The whole idea of the onramp is to get up to speed by the time you hit the freeway so that you dont interfere with the flow of traffic.

You have just hit my #1 pet peeve when driving on the freeway! I rant and rave about this everyday and if you are not merging fast enough on the freeway you will hear my SAAB horn until you reach "the speed of traffic" which is not 55 but normally ten over on MKE area freeways. Oh PS, put your blinker on after you have checked to see if someone is in the other lane then move over. It makes no sense to put your blinker on as you are moving over for then it's too late for anyone to make an adjustment and while we are on it, just because you have your blinker on does not mean you have the right to merge ASAP, wait until it's clear! That's it I'm done!!!!

[JC Follower]

I beep too. And im a man of God but slow drivers make me crazy. And im not even much of a speeder......i do 5 over in the slow lane and 10 over in the fast lane. Thats just road ettiqite. If you cant do at leaat that you got no business on the road.

[just1paul]

Originally Posted by JC Follower

It dont save time. And this also why i hate people drive slow up the onramps. The whole idea of the onramp is to get up to speed by the time you hit the freeway so that you dont interfere with the flow of traffic.

You are absolutely right about the ramps. Actually when freeways or express highways as they were called were being designed, the ON ramps were/are labeled ACCELERATION lane and OFF ramps labeled DECELERATION lanes.

Hence the problem, people do not get up to speed to "JOIN THE FLOW"

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by just1paul

You are absolutely right about the ramps. Actually when freeways or express highways as they were called were being designed, the ON ramps were/are labeled ACCELERATION lane and OFF ramps labeled DECELERATION lanes.

Hence the problem, people do not get up to speed to "JOIN THE FLOW"

The other problem is asshats who use the right lane as a passing lane and refuse to allow traffic the space to merge. I-43 is a perfect example, between downtown and Silver Spring Dr. The on ramps are totally insufficient for a loaded car with blazing A/C in the middle of summer, or a big truck or bus, without some local underinsured celebrity in a $800 car, hauling ass in the right lane and then doing everything in his or her power to force merging traffic into the emergency lane. Horn blaring, of course, to show what an inconvenience the person attempting to merge has caused.

There are some people who don't try, but Milwaukee drivers seem to have an inability to "allow" merging traffic to merge, even when the merging traffic is going exactly the same speed. I guess it's a privilege to be "allowed" in to traffic around here, as opposed to having to slam on the brakes while 6 people in the right lane of traffic blast the horn and tighten up their precious following distance so as not to lose their space to some lowly entering car.