Published: Monday, November 23, 2009
More holiday travelers expected than in 2008
After taking a huge dip in 2008, Thanksgiving weekend travel is expected to inch back up this year.
The American Automobile Association projects that 38.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a 1.4 percent increase compared to last year. Of these, 33.2 million are expected to travel by automobile, an increase of 2.1 percent.
Last year, shortly after the financial crisis hit, Thanksgiving travel plummeted more than 25 percent from the year before. Predictions of an increase this year are based on improved consumer confidence, better financial market performance and a sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is over, according to research released by AAA last week.
The message behind the story: if you’re headed out of town for Thanksgiving, leave early and allow plenty of time.
Oops
Officials with the state Department of Transportation say they got it wrong in an answer to a question printed in Street Smarts Nov. 2.
Bob Kelly of Snohomish asked if the state considered using flashing amber lights to warn of signals about to turn red ahead. Such lights are used in British Columbia, Kelly said. Transportation department officials originally responded that such systems can actually be dangerous because they condition drivers to respond to the flashing light rather than the stoplight itself, causing a problem if the warning lights lose power; or they can encourage drivers to speed up to try to beat the red light.
Bronlea Mishler, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Department, responds again: Mr. Kelly, we made a mistake when we answered this question recently. In fact, we do have these active warning lights on our state highways. While they aren’t the ideal traffic control device everywhere, they are very effective in some locations.
In 2005, we installed these warning lights in four locations on U.S. 2 between Leavenworth and Wenatchee and found anywhere between a 56 percent reduction in collisions to a 13 percent increase, which shows it may not be the right traffic device all the time.
We used the information from U.S. 2 and applied it to U.S. 12 near Chehalis and achieved a 50 percent reduction in overall collisions and a 100 percent reduction in rear-end collisions.
That success has led us to install these lights in other parts of the state as well, if the area meets certain criteria. These include: an isolated intersection; an intersection with a history of collisions; heavy use by commercial vehicles and a steeper than usual grade. The locations where we have installed the lights are pilot projects and are being monitored closely. We are still evaluating locations and will look at the Highway 9 location when we have a bit more experience.
Left-turn signal?
Tom Howerton of Mukilteo writes: Why is there no eastbound left-turn signal on 75th Street SW at Hardeson Road? There is one westbound. And why can’t the right lane be both a through lane and a right turn going eastbound onto Sievers Deucy Boulevard? Traffic backs up and cannot proceed eastbound from 75th to Sievers Deucy when Community Transit buses and trucks going to the industrial parks off Hardeson Road are waiting to turn left. This is particularly annoying during afternoon rush hour with Boeing traffic.
Dongho Chang, traffic engineer for Everett, responds: We have seen a high volume of right turning traffic from 75th to Hardeson Road. Vehicles from Boeing and the industrial businesses turn right on 75th, head east on Casino Road, and connect to Evergreen Way. Having the right lane as a right-turn only allows much of this traffic to flow smoothly through the intersection.
Allowing the through traffic to use the right lane will stop all the right turning traffic from being able to make a right turn during the red light when there are safe gaps. The through traffic is shared with left-turning traffic to keep the right lane flowing. I will take another look at the intersection to determine if changes are needed to improve traffic flow.
E-mail Street Smarts at stsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your city of residence.
The American Automobile Association projects that 38.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, a 1.4 percent increase compared to last year. Of these, 33.2 million are expected to travel by automobile, an increase of 2.1 percent.
Last year, shortly after the financial crisis hit, Thanksgiving travel plummeted more than 25 percent from the year before. Predictions of an increase this year are based on improved consumer confidence, better financial market performance and a sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is over, according to research released by AAA last week.
The message behind the story: if you’re headed out of town for Thanksgiving, leave early and allow plenty of time.
Oops
Officials with the state Department of Transportation say they got it wrong in an answer to a question printed in Street Smarts Nov. 2.
Bob Kelly of Snohomish asked if the state considered using flashing amber lights to warn of signals about to turn red ahead. Such lights are used in British Columbia, Kelly said. Transportation department officials originally responded that such systems can actually be dangerous because they condition drivers to respond to the flashing light rather than the stoplight itself, causing a problem if the warning lights lose power; or they can encourage drivers to speed up to try to beat the red light.
Bronlea Mishler, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Department, responds again: Mr. Kelly, we made a mistake when we answered this question recently. In fact, we do have these active warning lights on our state highways. While they aren’t the ideal traffic control device everywhere, they are very effective in some locations.
In 2005, we installed these warning lights in four locations on U.S. 2 between Leavenworth and Wenatchee and found anywhere between a 56 percent reduction in collisions to a 13 percent increase, which shows it may not be the right traffic device all the time.
We used the information from U.S. 2 and applied it to U.S. 12 near Chehalis and achieved a 50 percent reduction in overall collisions and a 100 percent reduction in rear-end collisions.
That success has led us to install these lights in other parts of the state as well, if the area meets certain criteria. These include: an isolated intersection; an intersection with a history of collisions; heavy use by commercial vehicles and a steeper than usual grade. The locations where we have installed the lights are pilot projects and are being monitored closely. We are still evaluating locations and will look at the Highway 9 location when we have a bit more experience.
Left-turn signal?
Tom Howerton of Mukilteo writes: Why is there no eastbound left-turn signal on 75th Street SW at Hardeson Road? There is one westbound. And why can’t the right lane be both a through lane and a right turn going eastbound onto Sievers Deucy Boulevard? Traffic backs up and cannot proceed eastbound from 75th to Sievers Deucy when Community Transit buses and trucks going to the industrial parks off Hardeson Road are waiting to turn left. This is particularly annoying during afternoon rush hour with Boeing traffic.
Dongho Chang, traffic engineer for Everett, responds: We have seen a high volume of right turning traffic from 75th to Hardeson Road. Vehicles from Boeing and the industrial businesses turn right on 75th, head east on Casino Road, and connect to Evergreen Way. Having the right lane as a right-turn only allows much of this traffic to flow smoothly through the intersection.
Allowing the through traffic to use the right lane will stop all the right turning traffic from being able to make a right turn during the red light when there are safe gaps. The through traffic is shared with left-turning traffic to keep the right lane flowing. I will take another look at the intersection to determine if changes are needed to improve traffic flow.
E-mail Street Smarts at stsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your city of residence.
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