Couple thoughts here:
We need to remember that it's not just "our city", the
entire Metro is an interconnnected system. Like "no
man is an island", neither is our city. If everyone
who worked Downtown lived there or even within the
city border, we wouldn't have a freeway rush hour in &
out of Downtown. A large percent of Downtown workers
are commuting from outside the city. Likewise not
every citizen of Mpls works here either.
Mpls certainly doesn't have any farmland left, and
very little manufactering - 99.9% of whatever products
& produce purchased comes from somewhere else. If I
go to the grocery store, it may be Cub in S. Mpls, or
Rainbow in Richfield, or Lunds in St Paul. Heck,
even if I got to Whole Foods in S. Mpls - it's all
still chains - Does that really make a difference to
Mpls as a whole? All of the products sold at the
store are coming from somewhere else, a large amount
not even from Minnesota. Does the cashier live in
Mpls? Maybe, maybe not, practically it doesn't really
matter - we're all still part of the same regional
system. We're all mobile, we all have fluidity in
where we deposit our assets, etc. If the semi
bringing that load of food is stuck in traffic for 30
minutes somewhere in the Metro, I'm going to be paying
for it.
Regarding traffic and congestion. Increased
congestion on the roadways in the Metro isn't in
itself, a horrendous thing - it's actually an
extremely positive indication that our local economy
is doing well. People have jobs, people can buy
houses where they want, people can afford gas &
vehicles, etc. All signs that we have a strong local
economy - and good for everyone.
However that congestion can also be what strangles us.
The large employeers Downtown, the remaining
manufactuerers, etc, all bare the cost of commuter
delays. If we "build more freeways in the suburbs"
where do you think those employer centers are going to
go? Same with the employees. They are going to move
out to where that one particular issue (commuting) is
no longer a hassle. Same for manufactuerers - they
will move to where the transportation network they
depend on is reliable.
A good analogy would be a man that works hard, has a
good job, eats well, and enjoys himself. The
unfortunate side effect is that his arteries clog up
cholesterol and he dies of a massive cornonary at 42!
The good life for a while, clogged arteries, and then
an early death.
As distasteful as freeways, highways, etc are. They
are still the arteries that pump the heart of the
economy here. If we don't bite some pain and hit the
gym, we are going to be in trouble!
Translation: a good mix of bottleneck removal, lane
expansion (within reason), and mass transit for those
who can benefit from it.
Regarding ramp meters, 2200 vehicles per hour is not
actually the wall. In the old days of aggresive ramp
metering, TMC was pushing close to 2400 vph along 94
up to the Tunnel! Following the shutdown, it's
closer to 1800-1900 before the system breaks down. Of
course the downside was that it involved metering NB65
to WB94 which in turned backed NB 65 to NB35W, and
caused additional congestion on 35W past Lake St - and
a high crash rate between 28th - 26th St. By
removing that freeway to freeway meter, congestion &
crashes are reduced on NB 35W, however the crash rate
on WB94 from Chicago to 1st Ave is by far the highest
in the Metro, averaging 1 per day. In large part due
to the shockwaves that travel in the right lane all
afternoon long.
A good example of metering and how the entire system
is interconnected is NB35E and the Pennsylvania
on-ramp in St Paul during the PM peak. (Apoligies
for going across the border). In the pre-shut down
days, that meter would kick on around 2:30pm.
Immediately after the shutdown, it stayed off till
3:30pm, although it's moved back a bit closer to
3:15pm now.
Here's the problem: That on-ramp gets a big surge of
traffic around 2-3pm. Why? Traffic coming straight
from the Capital Complex, and probably some from
Regions Hosp too. That ramp starts filling up around
2:30. All that traffic platoons on to NB 35E and
jams the right lane. The existing NB traffic in the
right lane moves to the center lane, volumes increase,
and the center lane fails, of course the left lane
isn't far to go, so within a few minutes NB 35E is at
a crawl. That congestion wave tracks back through
the 94 commons, typically back to Kellogg at least (on
a good day). The EB 94 traffic that wants to merge
to NB 35E gets stuck, jamming the left lane of 94,
which then passes on to all three 94 lanes. So now
EB94 is stopped. That congestion tracks back all
afternoon long, back to Lex or Hamline (again on a
good day). For WB 94, mainline volumes are fairly low
for the afternoon, however the exit from WB94 to NB35E
typically backs up to Hwy 52 where it screws up the
ramp from NB52 to WB94 - and that in turn, screws up
NB52 across the Lafayette Bridge.
One ramp with heavy volume, contributes to screwed up
traffic in St Paul all afternoon long.
And regarding the suggestion that we lower the speed
limit on all the Metro freeways - that seems to be
missing one of the key components of the throughput
calculation - volume + SPEED. The ideal scenario for
max vehicles per hour is to have them all going the
same speed, with a safe enough spacing, as fast as
possible. Cars in, cars out. 35E south of Downtown
St Paul is 45mph, and it experiences significant
backups, and has a lower capacity then 35W.
John McClellan
Keewaydin
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