Chicagoist: Tiered Tolls Coming Soon

jeff303

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:55:31 -0600

They'll never be able to stop cheaters if they can't even enforce current rules. A perfect example is the I-90/I-294 intersection, just east of O'Hare. Among the many, many problems with this interchange is the fact that many drivers use the exit lanes along the Kennedy solely as a means of cutting to the front of a line of traffic. From my observations over a period of several months, approximately 80% of the people who use the Cumberland Ave exits on southbound I-90 are actually just using them to get to the front of the lane and cut over to the left at the last moment. Of course if they can't find an opening they have to stop suddenly (in the exit lane) so if the poor sap behind him is legitimately trying to exit, he ends up having to slam on his brakes to avoid rear-ending the cheater. This is around 8:00PM, so I can only imagine it's worse closer to rush hour. There are plenty of state patrol cars around but they don't seem to bother doing anything about this serious fairness and safety problem at one specific intersection. How could they achieve a reasonable level of "strict" enforcement over miles and miles of tollways?

oz115

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:55:23 -0600

Mikely, of course people in the Midwest don't know what an HOV lane is. They're called carpool lanes around here. That reminds me of the time when this woman lost on The Pyramid because the category was "Things a carpool lane might say," and she kept calling it an "HOV lane." Good times.

mikely1

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:58:53 -0600

My dream: HOV-2 only on LSD. Southbound from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and northbound from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Most people in the midwest don't know what HOV stands for though, so it'd never happen. And to borrow from Slaphappy, it'd never be enforced.

musicpsych

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:40:44 -0600

I don't like this idea. I don't think it will encourage ride-sharing enough to make a difference. Instead, it makes it more complicated, which makes it less safe.

Ward Up

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:05:27 -0600

A square-shouldered Fuhrer? And with a spiffy Iron Cross? I'll bet the runt would have liked that drawing.

Slaphappy

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:16:14 -0600

Experts say the key is vigorous police enforcement. Prediction: the key won't fit the lock.

tecki

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:54:13 -0600

Q Won't traffic in the other lanes get worse? Uh ... isn't that the point? Make people carpool so they can use the faster lane?