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How's called the inverted lane in your country?

Started by An_dz, December 01, 2012, 10:43:16 PM

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An_dz

I was driving around here in Brazil when I saw one traffic sign showing a road have inverted lane system, drive on the left rather the right. And here we call them British Lane roads.

So I was wondering how it's called in other countries, specially UK.

That's my question for you. Show us how your people call this.

Isaac Eiland-Hall

I'm not aware of a term for that here.

I am aware of Contraflow, which is what they do when they need to evacuate coasts for an incoming hurricane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraflow

Zeno

Never saw one of those in Spain, probably we don't have such lanes...
Btw, we already drive like idiots by the right one, such inverted lanes would be chaotic here! :D

prissi

I was not aware that there such roads exist in the world. How does the corssing of lanes work? And what is the advantage for such a dangerous exercize?

I am pretty sure this does not exist at least in germany.

EDIT Maybe sweden had something like this, since they switched 1967 or so from left to right side driving.

Sarlock

Interesting.  No lanes/roads that I know of in Canada that are reversed like this... I'd be interested as well to know why this is done.
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Combuijs

Never seen it in the Netherlands too. There is no name for it as far as I know.
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ӔO

sometimes you can get reversed lanes in a highway if it has a diverging windmill interchange or diverging diamond.
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IgorEliezer

#7
Quote from: Isaac.Eiland-Hall on December 01, 2012, 10:47:51 PM
I am aware of Contraflow, which is what they do when they need to evacuate coasts for an incoming hurricane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraflow
Technically, contraflow (or counterflow) best fits the term we Brazilians use for "Contrafluxo" since "fluxo" is "flow", and "contra" is used in both languages. There is the Reversible lane. But both cases aren't what An_dz is talking about. I'd call it "Inverted-traffic lane" or "Inverted-way lane".

Try also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Types_of_roads, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_road_types_by_features

Quote from: prissi on December 01, 2012, 11:19:45 PM
I was not aware that there such roads exist in the world. How does the crossing of lanes work? And what is the advantage for such a dangerous exercize?
I lived in two cities that had (or still have) this kind of system, not one lane with inverted ways, but two separated lanes with inverted ways. That happens for lack of available space to build proper intersections or double-lanes or because the regions that generate or attract the traffic are in regions that a "normal" system is not suitable.

For example, we use right-hand traffic as standard. This means that, the traffic goes on the right-hand and returns on the left-hand. Say, during the morning rush-time the traffic mostly goes from an main avenue to the district "A", and during the evening the traffic comes from the district "B" to the main avenue, but there's a problem: the district "A" is on the left side of the access way, and "B" on the right side. Solution: invert the ways. (To be honest, I don't recommend it. This rather seems a half-yummy solution)

An_dz

Interesting, I didn't expect it being so rare around the world.

Quote from: IgorEliezer on December 02, 2012, 01:13:07 AM
(I don't recommend, to be honest)
The architect and urban planner is saying. No discussion here. ;)

Quote from: prissi on December 01, 2012, 11:19:45 PM
I was not aware that there such roads exist in the world. How does the corssing of lanes work? And what is the advantage for such a dangerous exercize?
A road don't simply become inverted in the middle of nothing. Or it's always inverted lane or it's between crossings.
Mostly they are used between two one-way lanes, each going on inverse direction, it's 'safer' and 'easier' to go to the other direction. If in a crossing one side is inverted and the other don't. You simply can't cross.
But the most variable lane designs exist.

IgorEliezer

Quote from: An_dz on December 02, 2012, 01:25:52 AM
Interesting, I didn't expect it being so rare around the world.
Okay, I give up. We have to admit our country is a bit strange and pretty sui generis. ;D

wlindley

There is a relatively recent discussion of contra-flow lanes here.  They are highly unusual in North America, and the thread catalogues perhaps the dozen or so which exist on that continent.

Isaac Eiland-Hall

tired after a long day, but I am also aware of a couple of places ( can't remember where, no energy to find) where there are short distances of a block or so with lanes in the 'wrong' sides - for various reasons including bus routes and just the layout of the streets for whatever reason - read an article a while back, but can't remember where...

ӔO

There is one place in toronto that has two roads running parallel to each other. Now, that may sound normal, but this one is only separated by a central divider.

To cross on to that road, you need to stop in the middle of the road, wait for the lights to change, and then cross over when the lights allow. What is worse, is just down the road, that street ends and becomes a nightmare intersection for many to navigate.
http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/05/the_worst_intersections_in_toronto/

That second intersection listed is pretty interesting, if you look at it from a top down view.
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sdog

I've seen something similar, but can't recall where. It was practically just two one way roads joining and diverting again. In such a way that they were adjoint for a short stretch in the wrong order.

-->--\       /--->
         ===
--<--/       \-<---

However both roads were seperated in the middle by barriers. It wasn't so much a reversed direction road but rather two one way roads at a very small distance.


@ӔO: Surprisingly i know all of them. Most of the time such trafic posts are about places far from my home. Dupont-Anette and Dundas made me wonder who on earth would plan such a thing. (and it looks like there was quite a bit of money invested in it, lots of concrete.)

Bathurst and Lakshore, Fleet is a real pain to cross as pedestrian. But the difficulty of most others seem to be only that they are not intersecting at a right angle :-P

The pedestrian accident lists seems to correlate with number of pedestrians crossing. Spadiana & Dundas is likely the busiest crossing in canada.

Lmallet

Quote from: Isaac.Eiland-Hall on December 02, 2012, 03:01:19 AM
tired after a long day, but I am also aware of a couple of places ( can't remember where, no energy to find) where there are short distances of a block or so with lanes in the 'wrong' sides - for various reasons including bus routes and just the layout of the streets for whatever reason - read an article a while back, but can't remember where...

http://www.divergingdiamondinterchange.org/

A few American states have been trying out diverging diamond interchanges, where traffic flips from right to left before an interchange, then flips back from left to right after the interchange.  The lane crossing is controlled by traffic signal.  The idea is that you eliminate the need for 270 degree circular ramps, since traffic is always on the "right" side of the highway for a straight ramp, therefore saving space.

PS:  and for you Toronto folks:  http://www.westlansing.ca/Resources/Forms/Documents/401-Double-cross-over-Diamond-concept-Executive-Su.aspx (will open a PDF document)/

ӔO

Quote from: sdog on December 02, 2012, 05:08:14 AM
@ӔO: Surprisingly i know all of them. Most of the time such trafic posts are about places far from my home. Dupont-Anette and Dundas made me wonder who on earth would plan such a thing. (and it looks like there was quite a bit of money invested in it, lots of concrete.)

Bathurst and Lakshore, Fleet is a real pain to cross as pedestrian. But the difficulty of most others seem to be only that they are not intersecting at a right angle :-P

The pedestrian accident lists seems to correlate with number of pedestrians crossing. Spadiana & Dundas is likely the busiest crossing in canada.

Dupont-Anette and Dundas, there used to be bridge that went over the tracks from old weston. With the bridge, the intersection made sense, but without it, it is just a headache. I'm used to it, since I live near there.
My Sketchup open project sources
various projects rolled up: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17111233/Roll_up.rar

Colour safe chart:

sdog

Been there a few times for walks last summer. It's close to Landsdown and Wallace, where i get bacalhau a bras occasionally on wednesdays.  Seems we're almost neighbours, just 3 km or so apart.

dom700

Quote from: Lmallet on December 02, 2012, 05:16:23 AM
http://www.divergingdiamondinterchange.org/
Okay, Im sorry, but this is the dumbest idea for a highway access. The highway access, closest to me , is rather busy, but still only has one intersection with traffic lights, which only activate if traffic from my direction onto the way starts clogging up. This idea needs two "intersections" with traffic lights, working all the time, to do nothing too special. Personally, Ive never seen inversed traffic like you have been describing it. Seems to be a sign for bad planning.

Sarlock

The benefit comes from the lack of requirement for left turn signals to access the freeway onramps.  The idea is that while you have traffic signals at each crossing, you don't need left turn signals and so the traffic lights alternate traffic flow and keep things moving fairly efficiently.  If the signal lengths are timed well it will allow a larger volume of traffic through that area than a traditional configuration with left turn signals.  Your odds are higher that you will arrive at the intersection and have two sets of green lights and drive right on through.  This would be beneficial for busier areas with a fairly heavy traffic volume, a lot of which wants to access the freeway (and less straight-through traffic).
Interesting design.
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ӔO

Grade separation is ideal, if there is money, however since many places don't have enough money, or space, to give to low traffic volume areas, people will come up with ideas like diverging traffic.


Rule of thumb: Whenever you see something strange or unusual in urban design, it usually means, 99% of the time, there was not enough money to fix it in the traditional manner. The other 1% is the result of some crazy city planning.

As I found out with downtown vancouver. Lots of dangerous places due to city planners not installing 4-way stop signs at poor sight-line intersections.
My Sketchup open project sources
various projects rolled up: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17111233/Roll_up.rar

Colour safe chart:

kierongreen

No places that I know of with drive on right roads in the UK. Contraflows, where one carriageway of a motorway or dual carriageway is closed due to roadworks and the traffic uses the remaining carriageway are still drive on left. Sometimes at motorway junctions carriageways maybe arranged such that they are the opposite way round from usual, but within each carriageway you will still have slower traffic on the left and faster on the right, and the carriageways will be separated by barriers.

Ters

Quote from: prissi on December 01, 2012, 11:19:45 PM
EDIT Maybe sweden had something like this, since they switched 1967 or so from left to right side driving.

Cars had to switch lanes at the Norwegian border. Possibly also the Finnish border, though that border crossing might have been too rural for lanes to exist back then. All other way in/out of Sweden was (and mostly still is) by ferry. I image the lane switching would have been a serious bottleneck if there was as much traffic back then as there is now, so the Swedes were smart in changing before it would be too costly.


prissi

I googled a little, but I found no sign for it you mentioned. Could you take a photo of such an british lane sign?

Markohs

Here in Spain we don't use that system anywere. I only know of one intersection in Barcelona that due to the strange and exceptional intersections in the flow, has inverted directions.

http://goo.gl/maps/h5sMk

Ters

Quote from: Markohs on December 02, 2012, 06:26:43 PM
Here in Spain we don't use that system anywere. I only know of one intersection in Barcelona that due to the strange and exceptional intersections in the flow, has inverted directions.

http://goo.gl/maps/h5sMk

That traffic light on the left seems a bit out of place. I wonder why they have just painted stripes with a few short poles, and not a raised "island" (and put the traffic light there).

AP

Quote from: kierongreen on December 02, 2012, 09:04:57 AM
No places that I know of with drive on right roads in the UK.
There's only one, I believe, in the UK: Savoy Court, London, drives on the right. There's a special legal dispensation/act (or something) for it. It's been grandfathered in from the days of horse drawn carriages, and has to do with acess to the theatre there I think. Pub quiz trivia question, that.



Markohs

Quote from: Ters on December 02, 2012, 06:59:25 PM
That traffic light on the left seems a bit out of place. I wonder why they have just painted stripes with a few short poles, and not a raised "island" (and put the traffic light there).

Here in Barcelona there is allways semaphores on both sides of the street, even if it's two-direction. They also decided time ago raised islands was not a good idea and used plastic poles to mark them, plus white stripes on the ground. :) There are still some isdlands remaining, but not much, I'm pretty sure it's to make easier the movement to disabled people with wheelchairs and so.

Ters

Quote from: Markohs on December 02, 2012, 09:38:34 PM
Here in Barcelona there is allways semaphores on both sides of the street, even if it's two-direction. They also decided time ago raised islands was not a good idea and used plastic poles to mark them, plus white stripes on the ground. :) There are still some isdlands remaining, but not much, I'm pretty sure it's to make easier the movement to disabled people with wheelchairs and so.

In Norway, traffic lights are usually just on the right (when only one lane in that direction) or on both sides of the lane (or lanes in the same direction), except possibly for the ones on the far side of the junction. That way they won't be hidden behind tall oncomming traffic. I know of one exceptions (there might be more), and lack of space for an island to put it on might be the reason there. In addition, there is a light on the left only at one of the four roads, and I think the light is for buses only. It is also one of the few junctions with a pedestrian scramble I know of in Norway.

An_dz

#30
Quote from: prissi on December 02, 2012, 12:55:08 PM
I googled a little, but I found no sign for it you mentioned. Could you take a photo of such an british lane sign?
Seeing that such roads are like brazilian stuff, I don't get surprised you haven't found any.

There's not a standard sign for it. Some are terribly ugly, just a yellow sign saying british hand generally used on construction when it's temporary. Like those:
img1 - img2

Other versions are like this: img3

There's also a simple version, only with arrows: img4

A more beauty version: img5

I couldn't find a sign like the ones in my city, I'll try to take a pic when I go there.
They are like the last one but they are bigger and placed in the lateral road just before the left hand road, the arrows are replaced with a curve arrow pointing where is the british hand road.

BTW, I found an euro sign for it: img6
No idea from where it is.

sdog

The european sign might be in ireland. I've heard there are signs near airports.

Ters

Quote from: An_dz on December 05, 2012, 01:18:01 AM
BTW, I found an euro sign for it: img6
No idea from where it is.

Quote from: sdog on December 05, 2012, 03:53:56 AM
The european sign might be in ireland. I've heard there are signs near airports.

So it's not a sign indicating inverted lanes, but a sign informing new arrivals to the country which side of the road one shall drive on? Signs giving a brief introduction to the traffic rules exist at important border crossings in Norway too. I think one of the points is which side of the road to drive on. (One of the other is that headlights must always be on.)

sdog

I think it's not a coincidence it's next to the right lane. There it is more noticeable for drivers who just arrived and drive on the wrong side.


Btw, does the UK use road signs more similar to european or us standards? (i find the latter not very well readable btw, but that might come from growing up with european signs)

AP

UK signs are similar to EU signs, generally. Wikipedia has done a good job on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_European_road_signs
(scroll down the page!)