Slashdot Mirror
Getting Rid of Carpool Lanes Could Double Travel Times (sciencemag.org)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Science Magazine: Eliminating carpool lanes could almost double drivers' traveling times, according to a new study. The findings come thanks to an unusual decision made by the government of Jakarta last year. Following allegations that drugged babies from poor households were being used as "jockeys," or passengers for hire, Indonesian lawmakers repealed the so-called three-in-one restriction. The law had required cars driving on the business district's main roads to carry at least three passengers during rush hours. To determine the impact on the city's drivers, Benjamin Olken, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and colleagues queried Google Maps for real-time driving-speed data before and after the new policy went into effect. Following the policy lift, travel delays, defined as the time it takes to travel 1 kilometer, increased by 46% in the morning and almost 90% in the evening, the team reports today in Science. But the most startling result is that phasing out the three-in-one policy led to worse traffic during times of the day and on roads where there had never been restrictions in place, Olken says. One possible explanation, he says, is that the three-in-one restriction led fewer people to drive into the city. "Maybe they carpooled, took public transit, or worked from home."
Well, this is an article about how someone published a scientific paper about how removing carpool/HOV/HOT lanes increases congestion.
In fairness what's true in Jakarta may well not be true for America, but I think you have to give some more reasoning as to why the article is wrong.
It's turtles all the way down.
The thing is, that was the case. The title misleads people into thinking there was just "another lane" which required 3+ people in the car, it was all of them.
Well, as a dirt poor these last few years motorcyclist who has other dirt poor motorcyclists as friends, I can say categorically that daily commuters on motorcycles in the greater Seattle area do that because its cheaper or gets them to work faster than a car. I work from home just now for a very underfunded startup, but previously I commuted year round (save a few snow days that happen here) by motorcycle. If I had mod points I'd mod you up as humorous. The reason motorcycle use the HOV lanes is justified by their very good gas mileage, safety from fewer vehicles in the lane, and air-cooled motorcycles break down in prolonged stop and go traffic.
Also car drivers need to open their eyes and see motorcyclists. The vast majority of motorcycle accidents are cars hitting a motorcycle. It is as if people would not see a large crib with lights on all the time in the road. Or a pallet of cinder blocks with taillights and headlight(s) on all the time. Car drivers fail to drive defensively. And yes some small number of motorcyclists have apparent death wishes. But not as many as cars driving in and out of traffic at rush hour. I have my little french fry transponder but I'm on my third. heat and 60MPH peel them off the plastic headlight cover. So charging a motorcycle will not go over well with me.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
Following allegations that drugged babies from poor households were being used as "jockeys," or passengers for hire
Holy crap, if this is true I would think that congestion traffic is the least of your worries...
The Jakarta situation is all or nothing. No non-HOV traffic. In the Seattle area, particularly I-405 North, the enter and exit lanes cause more congestion and dramatic speed changes. They've increased accidents by a significant amount.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
In communism, all is done for the benefit of man.
The key to success is being that man.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.