North Ankeny Blvd Construction

[Clonehomer]

Living in a bigger city now has its headaches with traffic. But one difference I appreciate is people know to use both lanes and zipper merge. Versus the Iowa way of stacking in the main lane and refusing to let anyone in.

The zipper merge is ********. Get in the correct lane. The people who drive up the wrong lane and expect someone to let them in is infuriating.

Perhaps in a city where the traffic needs the extra lane to hold all the cars, it may be useful. But I have rarely seen that in Iowa. And inevitably, every time there’s construction or accident that restricts a lane ahead, I’m seeing some **** wad that thinks they’re more important that passes 50 cars and then turns their blinker on to merge. **** that guy.

 

[psycln11]

Ankeny planners seem to be really bad at thinking ahead. Look at the mess at Oralabor and 2nd. I little forethought could have prevented that headache.

Not always the City's fault. 2nd Avenue (Hwy 415) to the south is IDOT as are both East/West legs (HWY 415 & 160).

 

[Nor'MidWester]

There's a special place in hell for Ankeny infrastructure.

Ankeny is actually the 4th level of hell fyi

 

[Cyched]

Perhaps in a city where the traffic needs the extra lane to hold all the cars, it may be

That’s…the point of my post

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Ankeny planners seem to be really bad at thinking ahead. Look at the mess at Oralabor and 2nd. I little forethought could have prevented that headache.

Oralabor and 2nd and then WTF were they thinking with the infrastructure around the Prairie Trail Center?

 

[alarson]

The biggest head scratcher for me is the lack of right hand turn lanes at busy intersections. There is ample room at a ton of them. I will never understand it.

Especially when they spent a lot of time redoing some of them- like oralabor and Delaware. There really should have been a right turn headed south on Delaware to west on oralabor

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

The biggest head scratcher for me is the lack of right hand turn lanes at busy intersections. There is ample room at a ton of them. I will never understand it.

We live in WDM and that is really my only gripe. The lack of right turn lanes is maddening.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

When I followed my physician from Ankeny to Waukee I couldn't believe it the first time I exited I-80 at Grand Prairie Parkway north. It was like gliding into the Denver Airport from the high plains.

And they put that exit and connector to Alices Rd WAY before it was ever going to be needed. I would say it's still fairly underutilized compared to the traffic that goes across Hickman.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

The zipper merge is ********. Get in the correct lane. The people who drive up the wrong lane and expect someone to let them in is infuriating.

Perhaps in a city where the traffic needs the extra lane to hold all the cars, it may be useful. But I have rarely seen that in Iowa. And inevitably, every time there’s construction or accident that restricts a lane ahead, I’m seeing some **** wad that thinks they’re more important that passes 50 cars and then turns their blinker on to merge. **** that guy.

Zipper works fine when everyone is on the same page but when I lived out East it was every man for themselves and that just makes things worse.

 

[cytor]

Zipper merges work the best when both lanes are used.. hence the word "zipper." Often time the posted signs will say "Use both Lanes."

 

[Kinch]

When you add 55,000 people the last 25 years and 8,000 the last 4 years, something has to give. This town wasn’t built to handle that fast a growth in that short of time.

 

[chuckd4735]

The zipper merge is ********. Get in the correct lane. The people who drive up the wrong lane and expect someone to let them in is infuriating.

Perhaps in a city where the traffic needs the extra lane to hold all the cars, it may be useful. But I have rarely seen that in Iowa. And inevitably, every time there’s construction or accident that restricts a lane ahead, I’m seeing some **** wad that thinks they’re more important that passes 50 cars and then turns their blinker on to merge. **** that guy.

The concept of first in line is weird. Why do we really care about who was there first? One of the main reasons we have traffic backups is because people don't use all of the lanes available. Zipper merge works fantastic if people can lose the "I was here first, so **** off" mentality.

 

[BigTurk]

I greatly appreciate them spending their money on current residents. Not future residents.

True, but going back to Oralabor, they could have planned for more pedestrian/bike bridges over that road. They are finally doing something about in at 2nd and Oralabor, in one direction, but not the other. I don't think it would have taken much to at least grade the shoulders and medians initially in case that is wanted in the future.

 

[Clonehomer]

That’s…the point of my post

But you also talked about how Iowans stack up a lane (like you should), implying that was not the correct way to do it.

 

[Cyched]

But you also talked about how Iowans stack up a lane (like you should), implying that was not the correct way to do it.

Because it’s not.

Stacking up the “right” lane too much causes further jams and delays downstream. Using all available lanes keeps everybody moving as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

[Clonehomer]

The concept of first in line is weird. Why do we really care about who was there first? One of the main reasons we have traffic backups is because people don't use all of the lanes available. Zipper merge works fantastic if people can lose the "I was here first, so **** off" mentality.

Backups happen when there is a bottleneck in the road. That bottleneck only allows a certain rate of cars to pass. It does not speed that up at all to be fed by two lanes instead of one. All it’s going to do is increase the chances of an accident that will back up traffic further.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

The concept of first in line is weird. Why do we really care about who was there first? One of the main reasons we have traffic backups is because people don't use all of the lanes available. Zipper merge works fantastic if people can lose the "I was here first, so **** off" mentality.

Exactly. When I was young dad would talk of how bad all the traffic was in big cities......but only in Iowa can 5 cars make a traffic jam on the interstate. "I was here first, so **** off". That's Iowa.

 

[Cloned4Life]

Not always the City's fault. 2nd Avenue (Hwy 415) to the south is IDOT as are both East/West legs (HWY 415 & 160).

Agree, some underestimate or (continue to) ignore these challenges.

Sh*t takes time and money. On the other hand, b*tching about a topic is quick, easy, and free.

 

[chuckd4735]

Backups happen when there is a bottleneck in the road. That bottleneck only allows a certain rate of cars to pass. It does not speed that up at all to be fed by two lanes instead of one. All it’s going to do is increase the chances of an accident that will back up traffic further.

Those are great words, but there is not an ounce of engineering that backs up any of it.

 

[Cyclone06]

Ankeny, the city that builds roads 50% of the need so they can redo it 5 years later to the original 100% need except the original 100% is now 50% of the current need, 5 years later... repeat. I'm pretty sure SW state street has had ongoing construction for 25 years.