Tag: Traffic

One-Way or the Other? Two-Way Traffic Conversion Requires Study

By Alexander Cowan, PE, PTOE A drive through the downtown area of many American cities includes time spent on one-way streets. Cities have used short segments of one-way traffic for hundreds of years to try to improve traffic flow and move higher volumes of traffic along downtown arterials. However, in recent years many communities have… Read More »

Concrete vs. Asphalt: What’s the Best Roadway Surface?

By Mark Petersen, PE Budgets for roadways are tight, and elected officials have to seek the most value for limited construction and maintenance dollars. Unlike homeowners contemplating a new driveway, municipalities may be looking at miles of surface that must safely accommodate hundreds of vehicles a day. So which is the best investment, asphalt or… Read More »

Breaking Down the Zipper Merge

By Nathan Silberhorn, PE Here’s the scenario: signs warn that a lane of traffic will close soon, and two lanes of vehicles will be narrowed to one. Some drivers merge early and get to the through lane as fast as possible, then wait for traffic to advance. Others don’t seem to have a problem zooming… Read More »