Quote:
Originally Posted by Thymeclock
We think of saving gas as a priority, but we may not be thinking of the unintended consequences. Cloverleafs and traffic circles (rotaries, roundabouts) do increase the amount of miles driven. (Every little bit of additional distance traveled adds up.) It may keep traffic moving, but it won't necessarily save fuel.
Also, if you are making mostly right turns, but virtually never making left turns, your steering and suspension will wear unevenly over time. This tends to be the case already with having the "right turn on red" option (which is better than not having it). I find myself favoring routes that encourage making more right turns.
It usually requires a separate lane. Here in suburban NY left turn arrow signals are timed, but some people dawdle and poke, and often only half the line of cars waiting to go through the intersection actually get to proceed due to inattentiveness. Even the best timed traffic signals won't arouse drivers who are habitually asleep at the light.
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Thymeclock,I hear what you're saying about the extra distance,but I what strikes me,is that you're traveling the extra portion at twice the mpg which more than offsets the additional travel.
That's the whole point of the synchronization.All vehicles obtain the urban mpg of a hybrid,with no change to the vehicle.
The American 'fleet' is returning only 17-mpg even though the cars can get around 28-mpg.
The difference is in the congestion,much of which can be ameliorated by abandoning the left turn.
During World-War, II Americans were obliged to drive no more than 35-mph in order to strengthen the war effort.
It's my opinion that motorists can be made to feel patriotic about a little inconvenience.