It depends upon how many cars are merging does it not? Let me stress once more that I agree that zip merging at the obstruction is best - but it just doesn't happen. What does happen is that a long queue develops in lane 1. When that queue becomes long enough then the cars at the tail end can literally end up stationary because the number of cars merging from lane 2, up ahead of them, is sufficient to completely balk the flow of traffic in lane 1!
I will use the open
You may not have to slow - but depending upon how many cars back you are, and how many cars merge into the queue ahead of you, you will quite obviously be delayed for longer than if all cars in lane 1 prevented cars from merging from lane 2! Again - this is not the right thing to do - but it is clearly obvious that this is what occurs.
merge in turn 1548Uno Hoo! Your logic is faulty. If only a set number of vehicles can pbutt 'point A' in a set period of time, then every car...
But, again, they are only causing delay for traffic in lane 2. The cars already in lane 1 will continue to flow - and at a faster rate, than if they allowed vehicles to merge ahead of them from lane 2.
Your logic is faulty. If only a set number of vehicles can pbutt 'point A' in a set period of time, then every car that merges into the queue ahead of you, will delay your arrival at point A. To make it simple: ten cars can pbutt point A every 20 seconds. You are 30 cars back in the queue and therefore it will take you 60 seconds to reach point A. If, however, ten cars merge into your queue ahead of you, it will take you not 60 seconds to reach point A - but 80 seconds. You cannot alter the laws of mathematics! The further back you are in the queue, and the more cars that merge ahead of you, the longer it will take you to reach point A.
merge in turn 1544You appear to understand the effects of queues, but not the cause. buttuming a constant rush-hour flow of 2-lane traffic into a 1-lane section, there will always be a...
See above, it's not daft - it's mathematics! Again, I stress that I agree that zip merging at 'Point A' is by far the best method - but in practice it just doesn't happen. Drivers *know* that if they drive past vehicles in a long queue in lane 1, then they will have difficulty in merging because drivers who have been waiting for a long time will be reluctant to let them in. For that reason, rather than risk aggro, they join the end of the queue.
That's ridiculous in the extreme. The only drivers delayed are those further back in lane 2. How on earth can preventing someone from merging in ahead of you, cause you delay?
Kev
