Zipper Merges

[jerryeastman]

Why can't you show it actually working in the real world, with real traffic?

[KyleT]

This only works if people actually leave space between them and the car infront. But when everyone rides each others bumpers, you cannot merge with completely stopping the flow of traffic for everyone.

[wilmarsh]

I love how the traffic conveniently stretched out to allow cars to get in between. Problem with simulations is they don’t take into account things like… reality

[johnwick-iiil]

Usually the obstruction to traffic flow comes well after the merge point. And since only a certain number of cars can pass the obstruction at any given time. It makes no difference how they merge before they get there. The only benefit to the zipper merge is it makes two shorter lines out of one long one that can block other traffic flow. But you still have the same number of cars trying to pass the obstruction. Driver who believe they are owed a zipper will bounce from lane to lane just trying to get ahead of others. this causes accidents and road rage from drivers who get passed up by cars that were well behind them in line.

[YorickKnowledge]

your representation is literally the same as just merging at earliest convenience except you have a magical scenario where the earliest convenience is at the last second and no one has to slow down (and i want to stress this part) again magically

[tozag]

This is only effective in an existing high traffic clog. If there is light traffic or an opportunity to merge without slowing down traffic behind you, that you should do at any point.

[funnyful]

This assumes people know how to merge, and at a higher speed somehow. If everybody is in a line, how can that be slower? They will only be as slow as the slowest driver. In a zipper merge, everyone slows down to avoid crashing because it is unnecessarily complicated to require the merge point to be at a road block. The merge point should be the whole of the merge lane, not just limited to a certain point. Using that merge lane to make the traffic jam appear smaller does nothing but soothe smooth brained individuals.

[johnnygacoustic]

wow, this looks great on a computer animatioin.

[himynameiswaylon]

How did they get Joe Pesci to make a cameo at the end!?

[alexanderthedrake]

This is only helpful if it gets literally everyone on the planet on board. Which of course there is no way. Perhaps in a different world we could enjoy the roads working like this.

[kasey]

Lol! If only real life didn't exist! Zipper merge is safer because you are going 2 MPH. If you merge when you get the chance early, and everyone else does this as well, traffic moves through the pinched zone at a higher rate., unless of course you get a zipper merger hanging out in the closing lane and trying to cut into the higher speed traffic. Zipper merge creates an accordion effect for everyone behind you when traffic is heavy. Pennsylvania has zipper merge as law and consistently has the worst backups at lane closings, which was a severe pain in the butt as a truck driver with over a million miles. Real world calls for varied solutions, when traffic is light or there aren't many cars then zipper will work if it is followed by EVERYONE, but it fails the moment you put it on a busy interstate in US because people aren't as programmable as these computer mockups, we have wetware that is guided by something other than logic.

[MarkFredrickGravesJr]

This doesn't work. When there's a slow down, cars don't leave enough space to zipper merge. The blocked lane gets backed up and the other lane gets congested from slowing down to let in people that didn't merge earlier when there was a chance without slowing down. EARLY zipper merge WOULD work if everyone did it.

[williamfriar]

I love the zipper merge. I can get ahead of many cars, all of them just sitting there as if they’re in no hurry at all.
I zip by them and then come to a stop at the barrels, put on my signal, and force my way back into the open lane.
So long, suckers. I’ve got places to be.

[Drewheeler]

Explain it logically drop this nice bullshit. Explain why it’s faster! You cut the waiting time down by 40% for everybody because you’re using two lanes instead of one.

[pb]

That's just not true. Should I try that at the store when I'm in line at the checkout? I'm sure everyone will understand when I explain to them its called a zipper murge.