Left Lane Ends Curiosity

[Paul Rands]

Hi Guys,

I had to drive to Sydney this weekend, and found handful of these new supplementary panels on the Left Lane Ends signs between Orange and Faulconbridge. I was wondering if anyone has noticed them else where?

DSC07681

 

--

Paul Rands

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[T B]

Standard arrangement according to RMS/RTA's Traffic Signs guide...it says the Merge L/R is no longer used.

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From: paul...@me.com
Subject: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:32:11 +1100
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

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[Paul Rands]

OK, hadn't seen it in the guide I have on file here. Are they going to do what they do in QLD and change the Left / Right Lane Ends signs to Lane Ends?

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On 27/11/2011, at 4:57 PM, T B wrote:

Standard arrangement according to RMS/RTA's Traffic Signs guide...it says the Merge L/R is no longer used.

---

From: paul...@me.com
Subject: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:32:11 +1100
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

Hi Guys,

I had to drive to Sydney this weekend, and found handful of these new supplementary panels on the Left Lane Ends signs between Orange and Faulconbridge. I was wondering if anyone has noticed them else where?

<DSC07681.jpg>

DSC07681

 

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Paul Rands

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[T B]

The L/R Lane Ends is still a standard sign according to their site, it says the "Lane Ends" sign is not used in NSW.

---

From: paul...@me.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:16:31 +1100
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[Nihat]

first time i have seen it, didnt know it was on the guide either. i have seen quite a few with nothing bar left lane ends though

[Dr B. J. Winzer]

Looks like they're changing it because most drivers are too stupid to know what "Merge Right" means.  Which means we'll see those signs in Victoria soon enough.

[T B]

I don't understand why, but unfortunately that is true. Personally I think Merge L/R looks better on signs.

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Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:20:58 +1100
From: sarcop...@iprimus.com.au
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

[Darren Hodges]

I don't like it. It will just make more people change lanes well before the lane ends. There's enough drivers already who seem to consider the MERGE RIGHT plates to be a regulatory sign and merge early to prevent anyone overtaking them. I think that the CHANGE LANES is somewhat redundant. I mean, if you're in a lane that's ending. What else can you do?

[T B]

Maybe they'll continue to use the Merge L/R signs and the Change Lanes crap will be phased out...can only hope.

---

From: vicra...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:41:41 +1100

[Paul Rands]

Actually to be honest the merge / change plate is a bit redundant, a Left Lane Ends sign should be sufficient to tell motorists they need to merge

On 27/11/2011, at 7:33 PM, Nihat wrote:

first time i have seen it, didnt know it was on the guide either. i have seen quite a few with nothing bar left lane ends though

On Sun, Nov 27, 2011 at 4:32 PM, Paul Rands <paul...@me.com> wrote:

Hi Guys,

I had to drive to Sydney this weekend, and found handful of these new supplementary panels on the Left Lane Ends signs between Orange and Faulconbridge. I was wondering if anyone has noticed them else where?

<DSC07681.jpg>

DSC07681

 

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Paul Rands

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[T B]

I've seen that sort of arrangement up here already; on Morayfield Road near Gaffield Street (they'll be removed once the duplication continues south in the next 3 years).

---

From: paul...@me.com

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:08:52 +1100
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[Lachlan Sims]

Only thing I’ve noticed over the last 12 months or so is that new installations have removed the “merge right” plate from the yellow warning sign to a larger black legend on white background regulatory sign at the actual merge (see attached).

 

 

 

Lachlan

 

From: aussie-...@googlegroups.com [mailto:aussie-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Rands
Sent: Monday, 28 November 2011 7:09 AM
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

 

Actually to be honest the merge / change plate is a bit redundant, a Left Lane Ends sign should be sufficient to tell motorists they need to merge

[T B]

Is that in NSW? 

---

From: lachl...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:16:27 +1100

[Paul Rands]

I have seen this in NSW, and has been common practice in other states such as WA and QLD for a long time. 

<merge right.jpg>

[Lachlan Sims]

Yes.  On the Bruxner Highway (Alstonville Bypass) and Pacific Highway (Ballina Bypass, and elsewhere)

 

 

Lach

[Darren Hodges]

FORM X LANE/S covers it pretty well really. :)

----- Original Message -----

From: Paul Rands

To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 7:08 AM

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

[Nihat]

victoria as well. nsw seems to be copying other states

[T B]

Hopefully they will never copy QLD....

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Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:30:18 +1100

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

From: lbj2...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[crazyknightsfan]

The 'Merge Left' sign seems to be on its way out, permanently. The latest (March 2012) edition of the RMS supplement to Australian Standards says not to use them (see page 9):

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/doingbusinesswithus/downloads/technicalmanuals/auststandardssupplements/rtasupplement_1742ver14.pdf 

You might also notice that where the speed differential between two lanes is less than 20%, a zip merge is to be used rather than the traditional termination of the left lane with a continuity line.

Seems like we will be seeing a lot more zip merges in NSW from now on. The only significant one I noticed while I was over there was the new extended westbound overtaking lane on SR121 (Cormorant Road) at Kooragang Island ends in a zip merge.

[Paul Rands]

This is the one I saw, but saw another as well somewhere, but can't remember which suburb it was, but was in Newcastle somewhere.

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[Paul Rands]

Thanks Luke. I wonder if it's worth making a list?

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On Tue, Aug 14, 2012 at 1:18 AM, Lancer4247 <delto...@gmail.com> wrote:

There's one at Macquarie Rd, Cardiff southbound at the Myall Rd intersection

Luke Hart

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[Daniel Knott]

Arrghh! - As a Canberra resident - I hate the zip lane.  Something about them just bugs me.  Mostly its the stupid backwards text on the road "Lane One Form".

I just discovered another one of these in newcastle, via nearmap.  Southbound coming out of the newly redesigned Newcastle Road/Thomas Street roundabout in Wallsend. Interesting that RMS hasn't gone wth the backwards text approach used in the ACT. 

[Paul Rands]

The backward text is better in my opinion, as the first word is closest to the vehicle.


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[Leo Giusti]

It bugs me, yet it makes it easier to read.

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[Sam Laybutt]

that has been a zip merge as long as I can remember (20+ years). Is it of the new style with form one lane road markings or is it still the same? still looks the same on Nearmap.

[Paul Rands]

The last zip merge in NSW that I have used / seen up until the Newcastle ones is the one on the Old Hume Hwy at Alpine, and that's since been changed to broken lined merge. And the last time I used it was over 5 years ago.



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[Musa Hodzic]

Interesting document Sam. It confirms all what's going on with the lane markings.

Sad about the green reflectors for exit ramps though. They just did them recently on the western part of the M4. Does that mean they'll have to pull them back out, lol.

Laughed at the exit numbering clause near the end of the doc.

Yeah, it's gonna remind me of Canberra and Perth (iirc). Don't like the look of it though but it's better than the current system. Curently, it makes one think that the car in the ending lane must give way to  the car in the right lane, whereas, now both have the right of way. We need to teach NSW-men courtesy. On the other hand, the markings are much neater the way it is now.

 

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[Sam Laybutt]

That's correct - you must give way when crossing a lane (dividing?) line so the vehicle in the lane that ends must always give way. of course, traffic only flows if people in the continuing lane don't act like knobs and actually let people in. 

Here's a good question for the road rule interpreters - at a zip merge, do you need to indicate?

I think not, as neither lane actually ends, they merge. Generally if I'm not crossing a dividing line or I'm not making a turn, I don't indicate (although habit gets the better of me at times). A lot of drivers here do indicate when zip merging from the left lane. A decent amount also indicate left when zip merging from the right lane. 

As for a list of zip merges in NSW, here's a few off the top of my head quickly:

- Ryde Road/Pittwater Road, Gladesville, has zip merges on 3 legs of the intersection

- Ryde Road/Mark Street, Hunters Hill has zip merges on 2 legs (including a really dodgy eastbound one where the lane markings disappear for about 300m and then come back again, without any narrowing of the road)

- Church Street/Burns Bay Road - eastern leg of junction is a zip merge, ditto on both on-ramps

- Rutledge Street/Shaftsbury Road, Eastwood - south and west legs

- James Ruse Drive/Church Street eastbound on-ramp

- James Ruse Drive/Pennant Hills Road southbound on-ramp

There must be a heap more; those are just the ones off the top of my head.

---

Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:03:43 +1000

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

From: musah...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

Curently, it makes one think that the car in the ending lane must give way to  the car in the right lane...

[Paul Rands]

It used to be that you didnt have to indicate on a zip merge, but not sure if that has changed or not

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[Musa Hodzic]

Sam, now that you bring up the zip merges in Sydney, one comes to mind. The Silverwater Rd westbound onramp onto the M4 up to recently used to have the right lane ending and merging to the left but now they have redone that so it's a zip merge.

[Albert Alcoceba]

I hate zip merges because people are so impatient they always push
in... they are accidents waiting to happen.

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[Albert Alcoceba]

To add to the list...

Burns Bay Road at Victoria Road eastbound on the Gladesville Bridge.

Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:03:43 +1000
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
From: musah...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

Curently, it makes one think that the car in the ending lane must
give way to the car in the right lane...

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[Sam Laybutt]

A particularly nasty one!

> From: alber...@gmail.com
> To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
> Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 22:21:54 +1000
> Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity
>

[Lancer4247]

I think its still the same in Cardiff, i was going the other way when i saw it

There's also one on the New England Highway at the bottom of Harpers Hill toward Lochinvar

[Brendan Terrett]

This zip merge on the Todman Ave onramp of Southern Cross Drive is a real doozy.

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[Musa Hodzic]

I can say that's one rare "form 1 lane" sign on the left. Never noticed it until this photo.

[Sam Laybutt]

That merge probably functions better as a zip anyway - the problem is the sheer volume of traffic trying to merge with the noise barriers creating a claustrophobic feeling. I did laugh at the Form 1 Lane sign, nice bit of ingenuity, I suppose.

---

Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:10:25 +1000

Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Left Lane Ends Curiosity

From: musah...@gmail.com
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[Lachlan Sims]

I have a hazy memory of seeing a sign somewhere once at a zip merge "Move In Turn" (in place of today's Form 1 Lane)

[Paul Rands]

There used to be a Give Way When Merging sign at the Alpine zip

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[Choko]

There's a zip merge arrangement where the Hume and Federal Hwys meet northbound just south of Goulburn, had a couple of near misses there...

[Paul Rands]

Ah yes I forgot about this one, there's a couple on the Western Distributor as well. I think the problem for the near misses is that they're not marked out properly and people just aren't expecting them.

For the merges such as Western Dist and Hume / Federal Hwy, there should be a sign like the one attached.

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[Sam Laybutt]

There are text 'Merging Traffic' warning signs at those zip merges, so there's not really any excuse. I imagine these would be replaced with the symbolic ones as part of normal maintenance programs.

The Hume/Federal interchange has two zip merges for the price of one!

---

From: paul...@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:13:09 +1000
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Re: Left Lane Ends Curiosity
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com

[Paul Rands]

The problem with having the standard textual merging traffic sign is that you just expect a normal ramp / seagull style merge. When a pictogram is involved it gives a visual warning of the changes ahead and in the case of the Hume / Federal Interchange, traffic is moving at 110 km/h unlike 60 km/h on the Western Dist, which gives you less time to react. The other problem with the Hume, is B-doubles etc, if you mess up your merge there, there's not much in the way of a second chance.

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[Musa Hodzic]

Should have both :)

Also, the pictogram on that sign Paul, after the middles merge, should also have the middle and right merging (on top of it), looool.

[T B]

Do any other states use the Merging Traffic sign like the QLD ones?

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[Paul Rands]

The white one?

There's a few in NSW now, and they're around in Victoria as well

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[T B]

I’m yet to see one of those down there, I don’t go there much though. What about the yellow pictogram ones??

[Sam Laybutt]

What's the QLD version you're referring to?

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From: vortec-...@live.com.au

To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Re: Left Lane Ends Curiosity

Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:41:45 +1000

[T B]

http://goo.gl/maps/hbTch

 

The earliest examples I have seen are from June 1994 (including this one).

[Sam Laybutt]

Yeah, they are everywhere in WA and the current Australian Standard. Very rare to see a text only merging traffic sign here. 

---

From: vortec-...@live.com.au
To: aussie-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Aussie Highways] Re: Left Lane Ends Curiosity

Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:58:35 +1000

[T B]

I’ve seen one up here recently, the rest have all been replaced for many years.

 

From: Sam Laybutt

Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 9:01 PM

To: aussie highways

[#130km/hforthehume]

Not exactly related, but rather an interesting curiosity is https://maps.app.goo.gl/oyRPqwWQ3zLkuTR6A in Newfoundland which uses "centre lane yield" (as opposed to left lane). It makes me wonder how Australian drivers would react if we replaced right-lane ends signs with "centre lane give way" signs, especially after the Rozelle saga ;-).