Ring Road To Nowhere

[calgarygringo]

I see it is now showing and working for routes in Google Maps now so you can time your trips on the new road.

[burn_this_city]

You can do 22X bridge to COP in <25 mins at 120, don't ask me how I know.

[Acey]

Again, the full ring in 45 min would require an average of 135 kph... tricky with the Bow bridge not done yet but otherwise feasible?

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Acey

Again, the full ring in 45 min would require an average of 135 kph... tricky with the Bow bridge not done yet but otherwise feasible?

This needs to be a thing, but you have to average both directions to be fair.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Acey

Again, the full ring in 45 min would require an average of 135 kph... tricky with the Bow bridge not done yet but otherwise feasible?

Certainly possible in the middle of the night I imagine.

[Weitz]

Glenmore west to Stoney south is already broken. Sure didn’t take long.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Glenmore west to Stoney south is already broken. Sure didn’t take long.

I was going to wait for the "Ongoing Calgarians Complaining about Ring Roads" thread to bring that one up.

Only one lane and a tight loop. They could have expropriated some of the City of Calgary works yard to at least make the loop bigger to support a higher exit speed?

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Nancy

I was going to wait for the "Ongoing Calgarians Complaining about Ring Roads" thread to bring that one up.

Only one lane and a tight loop. They could have expropriated some of the City of Calgary works yard to at least make the loop bigger to support a higher exit speed?

I've only done that route a couple of times (off peak), but can't figure out what the problem is at rush hour beyond the compounding idiocy of a bunch of strugglers.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by you&me

I've only done that route a couple of times (off peak), but can't figure out what the problem is at rush hour beyond the compounding idiocy of a bunch of strugglers.

I drove it around 4:30 earlier this week and it was beginning to get backed up along Glenmore so I can see the issue if it gets worse. It is the middle lane of five lanes, people who, deliberately or not, miss the lineup for the exit will be vying from both adjacent lanes to merge into it further on. Whilst the adjacent lanes are all moving at 80+km/h.

ETA: I didn't expect there to be a lineup for the exit so I was taken completely by surprise that the line was that far back along Glenmore. Fortunately, I've driven that route many times so I get myself in that lane quite well in advance. Newcomers to that intersection may find it somewhat difficult to determine the correct lane as a lot of information is coming at you quickly.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I drove it around 4:30 earlier this week and it was beginning to get backed up along Glenmore so I can see the issue if it gets worse. It is the middle lane of five lanes, people who, deliberately or not, miss the lineup for the exit will be vying from both adjacent lanes to merge into it further on. Whilst the adjacent lanes are all moving at 80+km/h.

ETA: I didn't expect there to be a lineup for the exit so I was taken completely by surprise that the line was that far back along Glenmore. Fortunately, I've driven that route many times so I get myself in that lane quite well in advance. Newcomers to that intersection may find it somewhat difficult to determine the correct lane as a lot of information is coming at you quickly.

It's actually a bit dodgy if you are trying to enter from 37 and merge across so that you can continue straight on Stoney, as you are having to deal with people trying to cut into the same opening from the other side at the same time.

[powderjunkie]

The 'lineup' being in the middle could be really messy...but its also unnecessary if people could use a little common sense and anticipate things. Get off the gas and coast in from the 3-way split and you'll hit the loop at about the right speed. But everyone needs to rush into the back of the line and slam on their brakes.

Originally Posted by Nancy

I was going to wait for the "Ongoing Calgarians Complaining about Ring Roads" thread to bring that one up.

Only one lane and a tight loop. They could have expropriated some of the City of Calgary works yard to at least make the loop bigger to support a higher exit speed?

It wouldn't be cheap or easy to relocate the substation. What would be a reasonable cost to save 10 seconds per trip?

1. EB-NB loop is about 900 meters long. About 46 seconds at 70 kph.

2. WB-SB is about 500 meters. About 45 seconds at 40 kph.

So the only difference is the time it takes to slow down and speed back up again.


Interestingly, the long one is rated at 40kph and the shorter one is 30 kph. I've only driven each a couple times, but the IRL speed delta may be even less than above. Even keeping the 30 kph delta at a higher overall average speed:

1. Enter at 90, apex(es) 70, exit at 90; say average 80 kph = 40.5 seconds
2. Enter at 60, apex(es) 40, exit at 60; say average 50 kph = 36 seconds

Seems like a classic perception =/= reality situation.

[rohara66]

Sorry but are you thinking it’s a 10 second delay at glenmore west to Stoney south? More like 10 minutes lol

Need to explore that surrounding area. Any shortcuts by the casino?

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

You can do 22X bridge to COP in <25 mins at 120, don't ask me how I know.

Driving 22X bridge to COP at 120?

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Glenmore west to Stoney south is already broken. Sure didn’t take long.

That sounds like a southies problem. The ring was designed for northies, don't you know?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

You can do 22X bridge to COP in <25 mins at 120, don't ask me how I know.

That has an asterisk for a plus or minus 10 minutes depending on which side of the 22X bridge you start at.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

The 'lineup' being in the middle could be really messy...but its also unnecessary if people could use a little common sense and anticipate things. Get off the gas and coast in from the 3-way split and you'll hit the loop at about the right speed. But everyone needs to rush into the back of the line and slam on their brakes.



It wouldn't be cheap or easy to relocate the substation. What would be a reasonable cost to save 10 seconds per trip?

1. EB-NB loop is about 900 meters long. About 46 seconds at 70 kph.

2. WB-SB is about 500 meters. About 45 seconds at 40 kph.

So the only difference is the time it takes to slow down and speed back up again.


Interestingly, the long one is rated at 40kph and the shorter one is 30 kph. I've only driven each a couple times, but the IRL speed delta may be even less than above. Even keeping the 30 kph delta at a higher overall average speed:

1. Enter at 90, apex(es) 70, exit at 90; say average 80 kph = 40.5 seconds
2. Enter at 60, apex(es) 40, exit at 60; say average 50 kph = 36 seconds

Seems like a classic perception =/= reality situation.

It's not how fast a single car can traverse the loop, it's how many cars per minute can traverse the exit, the capacity of the exit. The instant the number of arriving vehicles exceeds this rate of arrival, a backup will start to form. So, an additional 10 seconds could easily be the "switch" that triggers the backup.

[timun]

Is WB Glenmore to SB Stoney really that ####ed in the afternoons?

I freely admit I've only ever driven it outside of rush hour, and it's always been a breeze and seldom busy.

[Old Yeller]

Yeah it can really back up during rush hour, to the point where it's almost at a stand still.

I don't really get it, it's a tight loop but every one is slowing down well in advance of the loop to the point of almost being stopped before even entering the loop.

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by timun

Is WB Glenmore to SB Stoney really that ####ed in the afternoons?

I freely admit I've only ever driven it outside of rush hour, and it's always been a breeze and seldom busy.

It backs up past the casino in rush hour. It’s bad.

[getbak]

So they basically recreated the same problem as eastbound Memorial to northbound Deerfoot? Sounds fun.