The Zipper Merge

[Slava]

There is perhaps nothing we seem to enjoy more on CP than complaining about traffic and other drivers! So here we go...a column on the zipper merge and why we should all be doing it.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/ca...f-our-highways

[FlamesAddiction]

Agreed when it is a bottleneck situation. But some people seem to think it means racing up in the dead lane and cutting off the person nearest to the front, causing a chain reaction of braking (which causes "stop-and-go" traffic).

If it is not a bottleneck situation, then you should merge earlier if you have the room to do it without making anything brake for you.

[PepsiFree]

No, you should go up the empty lane and merge at the end of it. That is the correct way to merge.

Your solution is essentially "If others were smart enough to zipper merge, you can too, if not then you better follow the strugglers and leave a lane empty."

Zipper merge. Always. There is never a merge situation not improved by the zipper.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Agreed when it is a bottleneck situation. But some people seem to think it means racing up in the dead lane and cutting off the person nearest to the front, causing a chain reaction of braking (which causes "stop-and-go" traffic).

If it is not a bottleneck situation, then you should merge earlier if you have the room to do it without making anything brake for you.

Don't think I agree. In any situation, the best thing for traffic flow is to use the full merge lane, then merge appropriately (meaning a combination of both the merger and those accepting the merger into the lane finding and creating an opening through either slowing down or speeding up to make a gap). That's how it's supposed to work.

The issue becomes is if a car in front of you didn't use the full merge lane and then you do, everyone made accommodations for that vehicle earlier in the traffic line, and then they become butt hurt about having to make accommodations again for you and it's precieved as you trying to "jump the queue". When all along the issue is the vehicle that didn't fully use the merge lane.

[DuffMan]

I'm all for the zipper merge and like I said in the gg thread, I'll do it every time and if my wife is with me, she'll tell me to quit being a dick.
But, here's something I've seen a couple of times, not sure anyone else has, but a person in the congested lane, will basically drive in the middle of both lanes preventing any of us dicks getting up to the front to zipper merge properly.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

I'm all for the zipper merge and like I said in the gg thread, I'll do it every time and if my wife is with me, she'll tell me to quit being a dick.
But, here's something I've seen a couple of times, not sure anyone else has, but a person in the congested lane, will basically drive in the middle of both lanes preventing any of us dicks getting up to the front to zipper merge properly.

I haven't seen that, but not shocking, especially in rush hour, people get so butt hurt about their "spot in line" to the point that regardless of zipper merge or not, it seems as though everyone is actually mad at any merging traffic, like as though the people in the merge lane were behind them in the same traffic line before and simply sped into the merge lane to jump a head of them.

What I have seen a lot of, and I commute in the inner city on a lot less of the major roads (so not much Deerfoot or Crowchild for example) is cars doing what you said "blocking" the right hand lane as you approach traffic lights. For example, there will be a big traffic line on what is essentially a single lane road (but it's actually a 2 lane road, only most of the right hand lane is usually taken up by parked cars, so one lane). That last block before the traffic lights, usually cars can't park on it, and the right hand lane opens up so cars turning right at the lights can turn right. What also happens, is if a car wants to turn left at the lights, it causes traffic to stop and wait until there is a break in on coming traffic so the person can turn (usually there is no advance turn arrow at these intersections).

Anyway, almost exclusively when traffic is backed up, there is always one idiot that pulls his car from the left lane halfway into the right, blocking any cars from coming up right hand side. What I'm sure these drivers are doing is they are getting butt hurt because they think cars are going to come up the right hand lane to get to the front of the queue in hopes that someone in front is turning left and they will go around faster, or they will simply peel out at the start of the light and get ahead (which absolutely does happen), but what they end up doing is blocking all the legitimate traffic that wants to turn right, and can legally turn right on a RED from getting to the lights and just makes the traffic worse.

Peoples ego's in traffic are hysterical.

[Regorium]

What if the merge situation is actually an exit lane or a through lane?

For example, on eastbound memorial drive, there is only one lane that exits on to deerfoot northbound. However, many people will use the through lane next to it, and merge after the traffic light.

https://goo.gl/maps/QxJPEqv1d6w


I think this is a dick move, but it is likely the most efficient way to get throughput on to deerfoot.

Other similar situations I can think of are crowchild southbound before the river, where an exit lane to memorial westbound is used as a merge lane.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Regorium

What if the merge situation is actually an exit lane or a through lane?

For example, on eastbound memorial drive, there is only one lane that exits on to deerfoot northbound. However, many people will use the through lane next to it, and merge after the traffic light.

https://goo.gl/maps/QxJPEqv1d6w


I think this is a dick move, but it is likely the most efficient way to get throughput on to deerfoot.

Other similar situations I can think of are crowchild southbound before the river, where an exit lane to memorial westbound is used as a merge lane.

Its also a solid line there, so you are not allowed to change lanes.

That would be a dick move yes, not considered a zipper merge.

[Fuzz]

^The Memorial situation has a solid white line, so no one should be crossing it. The Crowchild one does not, so it is fair game. I do it some times because it gets more vehicles through the intersection than if only 2 lanes are used.

[Regorium]

https://goo.gl/maps/8A5b3UtaVQp

This situation isn't a solid line, but the right lane is used a LOT by people as a merge lane.

Because I guess if we're not talking about situations like these, what the heck are we talking about? Zipper merging on a normal merge is the only way to merge...

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Regorium

https://goo.gl/maps/8A5b3UtaVQp

This situation isn't a solid line, but the right lane is used a LOT by people as a merge lane.

Because I guess if we're not talking about situations like these, what the heck are we talking about? Zipper merging on a normal merge is the only way to merge...

By using the right lane and merging over in that situation, more cars get through the lights and keeps people moving.

More efficient traffic.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Weitz

By using the right lane and merging over in that situation, more cars get through the lights and keeps people moving.

More efficient traffic.

You're not wrong until you block anyone from exiting onto memorial because crow child is so backed up that you can't get in right away.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Regorium

You're not wrong until you block anyone from exiting onto memorial because crow child is so backed up that you can't get in right away.

All negatives from a zipper merge situation are always a result of people not appropriately letting others in. The zipper merge is correct, as is yielding to traffic merging into your lane.

If you block someone from lane changing, you're a bad person, but that isn't a situation exclusive to zipper merging.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

I'm all for the zipper merge and like I said in the gg thread, I'll do it every time and if my wife is with me, she'll tell me to quit being a dick.
But, here's something I've seen a couple of times, not sure anyone else has, but a person in the congested lane, will basically drive in the middle of both lanes preventing any of us dicks getting up to the front to zipper merge properly.

I've been seeing that a few times lately on the merge when Glenmore goes from 2 lanes to 1 lane west of Sarcee.

If the "receiving" lane is moving at a decent pace I try to match speeds with that lane so I can merge at the end without being a dick. If that lane is near stationary and the merge lane is empty though, I just figure the other drivers should've made better decisions about when to merge.

[troutman]

The government should run TV spots every six months reminding drivers this is the preferred approach, until it becomes ingrained.

[Robbob]

I get the zippers and I am a pretty apathetic with it all as I tend to plan ahead and just roll with it. I do shake my head though at zippers who drive in the shoulder to get farther (the merge going south on to the Deerfoot from Deerfoot meadows or Macleod south and Anderson can be bad for that. Just seems when ever there are multiple merge lanes it multiplies the stupid. The other one is Crowchild north onto 9th Ave (just past 17th Ave, just a brutal area sometimes). The right is a through lane that goes on to 9th. The people that stop in the middle lane trying to get into the right lane is just stupid. I get it people that merged from 17th need to get out of that lane to continue on Corwchild and it can be done seamlessly, but everyone once and a while someone screws it up fro everyone because they don't plan ahead.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

All negatives from a zipper merge situation are always a result of people not appropriately letting others in. The zipper merge is correct, as is yielding to traffic merging into your lane.

If you block someone from lane changing, you're a bad person, but that isn't a situation exclusive to zipper merging.

I'm saying someone is driving up the right side lane which is intended to be an exit on to Memorial.

Crowchild southbound is bumper to bumper and is not moving. I'm not talking about letting people in or not, it's that you've got a car that's driven up to the end of the exit lane, and then is "zipper merging" back onto the southbound flow (thus blocking all traffic that's trying to exit to memorial).

[ken0042]

There are really two "issues" with the zipper merge. I hesitate to use the word "issues", as they are a fault of people, not the process.

- Everybody needs to be doing the same merge. Doesn't matter if it's zipper or the "get over as time permits", the problem is if not everybody is on the same page. The zipper is the better of the two as far as that is concerned.

- If you are already in the lane that continues, you should not change lanes into the lane that ends. Sometimes this is marked with lane markings, however that isn't always possible if the lane exits as well as ends.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

^The Memorial situation has a solid white line, so no one should be crossing it. The Crowchild one does not, so it is fair game. I do it some times because it gets more vehicles through the intersection than if only 2 lanes are used.

Also, just to respond to the memorial situation, before the traffic light, it's not a solid line.

It is okay then, to go up to the traffic light, turn on your right turn signal light, and stop there until you can merge (assuming again, bumper to bumper on deerfoot which is why the exit lane is backed up), even though you're on a through lane?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Regorium

Also, just to respond to the memorial situation, before the traffic light, it's not a solid line.

It is okay then, to go up to the traffic light, turn on your right turn signal light, and stop there until you can merge (assuming again, bumper to bumper on deerfoot which is why the exit lane is backed up), even though you're on a through lane?

Its never ok to stop in traffic. If you can't get over you drive past your turn and loop around.