Southern Maryland Drivers, making crap up

[Grumpy]

Just like the vehicles who don't even slow down making a right from rodes like RT4, Chancellors Run. The problem there is the market right on the corner and people, particularly at AM rush, that want to turn in to WaWa or Sheetz. (not to mention some of those drivers take the turn so fast they can't stay in the right turn lane, the cross into the main right lane.

Should be a Stop sign at both of them instead of a Yield sign.

 

[GWguy]

becaue while one vehicle is accelerating, their focus is on the lane to their left and behind - not, they are accelerating to (hopefully) match the speed of the traffic. The vehicle that's turning is slowing down, which places that vehicle in the ripe position to get rear ended

This is exactly why there are so many fender benders on SB235 coming out of Colony Way. Folks leaving Colony Way and turning onto 235SB just start accelerating with no regard for the current traffic or the fact that people on SB235 are trying to decelerate and get over to turn right at the next 2 exits. boom.

 

[Toxick]

I hate driving in Calvert County.


For a road as unbusy as 2&4 is for the most part, it seems to be completely filled with rock-headed imbeciles who shouldn't have access to a big-wheels let alone a 2000 pound piece of metal to hurl through world space at 60+ MPH

 

[BernieP]

Should be a Stop sign at both of them instead of a Yield sign.

nobody would stop, people seem to forget, Right on Red means you have to come to a complete stop.
It does not mean, Right of Way on red.

What we have here is a failure of common sense.
I refuse to try to "merge" if there is no clear way I'm going to be able to. I'm not going to drive a quarter mile or more in the turn lane at 45 MPH
Yet I had one rock head get out of his vehicle and tell me to move one morning - he gave him the salute he deserved.

 

[MiddleGround]

Then there are the vehicles that come flying around the corner or out of a driveway without stopping. Then pace the traffic and expect the vehicles trying to get into the right lane to slow down, or even stop, on 235 inorder to let the "accelerating / merging" traffic to clear out. Again, not only is that vehicle at risk, but you are defeating the purpose of the lane by forcing traffic on 235 to slow or stop.

If vehicles can't safely move into the turn lane, and turn, without slowing traffic on 235, then you've defeated the purpose

The turn/merge lane works perfectly everywhere else in the country I have ever driven! The biggest problems around here are

#1 People who get into the merge/turn lane 1/2 mile before their intended turn and use it as a travel lane. This causes those people who actually use it the way it was intended to have to fight to get into the lane properly.
#2 People who NEVER get out of the merge/turn lane and drive it for a mile! Yes, it may seem stupid to get out of that lane leaving Walmart and turning at Chancellors BUT, that is what you are SUPPOSED to do. It is NOT a travel lane and causes those of us that know this to have to fight for position when making our turns properly!
#3 People who simply use that lane to pass people. Accidents waiting to happen!
#4 People who speed through intersections in the turn Only lane because they think they are more important than everyone and don't have to follow the law.
#5 POOR TRAFFIC PLANNING! Worst I have ever seen anywhere!

 

[BernieP]

Well it's the traffic planning you get when you stitch together your development planning and zoning.
Actually it's not a plan, it's simply the cheapest means to an end, a reaction to a crisis.

They won the bidding war for consolidation during the big BRAC.
But a lot of people didn't really want to "win", they felt the jobs should come here, but not the people.
That locals should be hired for all the "new" positions that would come from the consolidation of NAWC/NAVAIR and other commands.
Didn't matter, because it was still gong to put more traffic on 235, which even with warning, they were not prepared to handle.
Work started well after the people / jobs arrived. They widened the road, added the turn lane, but also added more driveways because it was both State and County policy under (not so) Smart Growth to put every business on 235. So you have hunderds of different property owners with both residential and commercial properties that needed and entrance and exit on the busiest stretch of road in the county - with no other alternate path.
The composition of the traffic isn't just primarily commuters to the base (and surrounding offices), it's diverse. You have school buses making stops.
Cut throughs that don't aling with anything
Lights with bizarre traffic patterns

Then yuo have the drivers. I swear, if a line forms, people will get in it. But merge they will not allow. Which leads to the one mile speed way from Rolling Rd (or Town Creek Drive on some days) to Rt 4. There is nothing to physically block the intersection. I've seen vehicles make a left out of First Colony and get into the far right lane on 235NB. They can't get into the right hand turn lane because that line runs back to Cracker Barrel.
So when do they merge over? Maybe at Rt 4 or in some cases they make a right on the outside of the island because they couldn't merge over.

 

[GWguy]

I've seen vehicles make a left out of First Colony and get into the far right lane on 235NB. They can't get into the right hand turn lane because that line runs back to Cracker Barrel.
So when do they merge over?

I've long since taken the approach that the shortest distance (ie time) between two points in NOT a straight line. In many cases, it's far better to go in the opposite direction to a much better turn-around point.

Case in point: if it's rush hour, and you know the turn lane heading towards Rt 4 is full back to Old Rolling Road, don't try to make a left out of First Colony. Head to FDR Blvd and make an easy right turn with a traffic light onto 4 north. Might take a light change or two, but it's far better than fighting the traffic and getting stuck hanging in the middle of the lane hoping someone will let you in.

 

[MiddleGround]

They widened the road, added the turn lane, but also added more driveways because it was both State and County policy under (not so) Smart Growth to put every business on 235. So you have hunderds of different property owners with both residential and commercial properties that needed and entrance and exit on the busiest stretch of road in the county - with no other alternate path.

It took them 8 YEARS to expand 5 miles of road!!! 8... YEARS!! From start to finish! That is horrible. Coupled with the fact that the planning and end result were absolutely ridiculous it makes me wonder who OK'd it.

Then yuo have the drivers. I swear, if a line forms, people will get in it. But merge they will not allow. Which leads to the one mile speed way from Rolling Rd (or Town Creek Drive on some days) to Rt 4. There is nothing to physically block the intersection. I've seen vehicles make a left out of First Colony and get into the far right lane on 235NB. They can't get into the right hand turn lane because that line runs back to Cracker Barrel. So when do they merge over? Maybe at Rt 4 or in some cases they make a right on the outside of the island because they couldn't merge over.

Merging is not the issue. I see plenty of people with their signal lights on getting let in. The problem is that people want to go to the very head of the line and try to cut in. Knowing full well they could have gotten in quite easily when they initially had a chance.

As for the "no physical barrier" that isn't entirely true. There is one at the Wawa and at Chipotle. Its just that people either skirt it by illegally using the service drives to bypass the light OR the extreme lazt azzholes just make a quick right at the light, pull a U-turn around the cement median, and continue on in the turn/merge lane.

Happens....every.... single... day!

 

[PeoplesElbow]

becaue while one vehicle is accelerating, their focus is on the lane to their left and behind - not, they are accelerating to (hopefully) match the speed of the traffic. The vehicle that's turning is slowing down, which places that vehicle in the ripe position to get rear ended. Trust me, the people accelerating aren't too happy to have to slow down or stop because the other driver is making a hard right.

Then there are the vehicles that come flying around the corner or out of a driveway without stopping. Then pace the traffic and expect the vehicles trying to get into the right lane to slow down, or even stop, on 235 inorder to let the "accelerating / merging" traffic to clear out. Again, not only is that vehicle at risk, but you are defeating the purpose of the lane by forcing traffic on 235 to slow or stop.

If vehicles can't safely move into the turn lane, and turn, without slowing traffic on 235, then you've defeated the purpose

You are talking about basic lane changing skills, especially on a road like 235 that has so many lights.

So it is your opinion that anyone coming out of one of those places should immediately go to the 2nd lane over?

 

[BernieP]

You are talking about basic lane changing skills, especially on a road like 235 that has so many lights.

So it is your opinion that anyone coming out of one of those places should immediately go to the 2nd lane over?

some do. All I can say is the sign says "RIGHT TURN" and I believe the intent was to give the traffic on 235 a lane to slow down and turn from.
The idea was to keep the traffic moving on 235. Instead you see vehicles braking on 235 because the turn lane is blocked with other traffic.
Also, a lot of the entry/exit points are nothing more than a driveway requiring a hard right (without hitting the curb). It makes me nervous when I see people pulling out of those with traffic because they often don't realize the front of their vehicle has crossed from the turn lane into traffic before they complete their turn. Plus they are now blocking anyone trying to exit 235 because they haven't gotten up to speed.
I watched someone last night exiting by MOD pizza, they blocked the right turn lane completely, then slowly moved out across all three lanes, and into the left turn lanes. Not sure if they wanted to make a U-turn or go north on 4. But the smart move would have been to exit out of FDR.
They just took it as their right to do whatever suited their needs because there wasn't a sign there that said not to do it.
Well even if there is a sign that says NO, they'll do it, because their special.

 

[1stGenSMIB]

I was not impressed with MOD pizza...just sayin'. Not much going on in that shopping center that makes me want to visit it. Harriett's Titties (ha, stole that from someone else on the forum) is a nice place, but the prices are outrageous..no thanks.

 

[jazz lady]

I watched someone last night exiting by MOD pizza, they blocked the right turn lane completely, then slowly moved out across all three lanes, and into the left turn lanes. Not sure if they wanted to make a U-turn or go north on 4. But the smart move would have been to exit out of FDR.

I see this almost every night on my commute home. Drives me bananas and I immediately tense up coming through there as I expect there to be a collision. Obviously 'smart' is not in their vocabulary and taking a few extra seconds to go to the light and exited safely there would be counter-intuitive to them.

 

[MiddleGround]

I see this almost every night on my commute home. Drives me bananas and I immediately tense up coming through there as I expect there to be a collision.

Although I do not agree with people using this route, my question to what you said is "Why??"

Why do expect there to be a collision? When exiting at that very point anyone with good eyesight and who is paying attention can see the SB235 traffic for at least a quarter mile. If someone cannot interpret traffic and know when to safely merge into it without causing an accident then they either need to get their eyes checked, get off the drugs, or have their license revoked!

Plenty of viewing area at that spot to make an informed decision.

 

[BernieP]

Although I do not agree with people using this route, my question to what you said is "Why??"

Why do expect there to be a collision? When exiting at that very point anyone with good eyesight and who is paying attention can see the SB235 traffic for at least a quarter mile. If someone cannot interpret traffic and know when to safely merge into it without causing an accident then they either need to get their eyes checked, get off the drugs, or have their license revoked!

Plenty of viewing area at that spot to make an informed decision.

The problem is the people pulling out expect that the traffic on the road will be the ones with their eyes open and will make accommodation for them. It wasn't 235, but it was a road with two lanes in either direction. Car wants to make a left, so they pulled out and blocked the two lanes, while they waited for the traffic going the other way to let them in. Same thing on 235, what I saw was someone who decided to creep out, block lanes with the intent to get all the way to the far left turn lane. The seemed to figure that the SB traffic had enough time to react to them blocking the lane so any accident wouldn't be their fault.
Just like if the light turns green and you go straight and there is a collision with a vehicle making a left, if they were in the intersection you are at fault.
Even if they had technically run the red light, you are expected to wait until they clear the intersection. Samething here, just because they are obstruction traffic doesn't make it ok to hit them, they know it, they sasume you will stop.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

The problem is the people pulling out expect that the traffic on the road will be the ones with their eyes open and will make accommodation for them. It wasn't 235, but it was a road with two lanes in either direction. Car wants to make a left, so they pulled out and blocked the two lanes, while they waited for the traffic going the other way to let them in. Same thing on 235, what I saw was someone who decided to creep out, block lanes with the intent to get all the way to the far left turn lane. The seemed to figure that the SB traffic had enough time to react to them blocking the lane so any accident wouldn't be their fault.
Just like if the light turns green and you go straight and there is a collision with a vehicle making a left, if they were in the intersection you are at fault.
Even if they had technically run the red light, you are expected to wait until they clear the intersection. Samething here, just because they are obstruction traffic doesn't make it ok to hit them, they know it, they sasume you will stop.

This here tells me that the right lane on RT235 is an acceleration lane:

Commercial Entrance Stop-Controlled Right Turn onto Highway

Full acceleration lane is required if necessary for safe and acceptable traffic operations, as determined by SHA. Partial acceleration lane is required if 30 or more peak-hour right turns are expected. Otherwise, a shoulder improvement is required in lieu of an acceleration lane. Refer to 13.6 Shoulder Improvement.