More medians....

25,369 Views | 183 Replies | Last: 9 mo ago by doubledog
doubledog
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A Net Full of Jello said:

I have wondered if we are going to see "no U Turn" signs popping up next.

Unless they widen the streets (in some places) they will need to.
Tookieclothespin
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saltsman said:

How, exactly do medians kill business? It's not like traffic is only going one direction all the time.

Let's say I'm out to pick up some tacos at this place up on the left. I'm headed east, but the median requires me to make a u-turn at the light. I say forget it, so I'll pull into this taco place on the right. I still bought tacos. For that taco stand on the right, medians increased their business. In the big scheme of things, it's a wash. I get that medians are disrupting old habits, but I can't see how they are actually discouraging people from buying tacos if they really want tacos. The only business they may be actually reducing is body shop business.

The same logic applies with the bypass. If I want to go to Sam's Club and am driving south, I still have to exit,U-turn and drive back north a bit. It's not that big of a deal. Back when the bypass was added, were people pissed they can't just drive across the median and down the embankments at will?
One flaw in this is that you can't always take a U-turn at the light. There are a LOT of no u-turn signs along the roads with medians.
woodometer
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When WJB was reconfigured some 30+ years ago specifically without stop signs or lights it was because of the lack of E-W corridors in town. Will be interesting to to see how emergency vehicles get through these ne narrow lanes.
Gigem314
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A Net Full of Jello said:

I have wondered if we are going to see "no U Turn" signs popping up next.

To which B/CS drivers will go…

woodiewood
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Tookieclothespin said:

saltsman said:

How, exactly do medians kill business? It's not like traffic is only going one direction all the time.

Let's say I'm out to pick up some tacos at this place up on the left. I'm headed east, but the median requires me to make a u-turn at the light. I say forget it, so I'll pull into this taco place on the right. I still bought tacos. For that taco stand on the right, medians increased their business. In the big scheme of things, it's a wash. I get that medians are disrupting old habits, but I can't see how they are actually discouraging people from buying tacos if they really want tacos. The only business they may be actually reducing is body shop business.

The same logic applies with the bypass. If I want to go to Sam's Club and am driving south, I still have to exit,U-turn and drive back north a bit. It's not that big of a deal. Back when the bypass was added, were people pissed they can't just drive across the median and down the embankments at will?
One flaw in this is that you can't always take a U-turn at the light. There are a LOT of no u-turn signs along the roads with medians.
Also, in some locations it's a long distance for you to even do a U-turn. On Texas Ave in Bryan when you are driving north going around the bend the medium blocks you from turning left on four streets and you have to go to the fifth street to make a U-turn. Before they do that to go to a business, some people may say, F..I.., I will go elsewhere.
CS78
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Gigem314 said:

A Net Full of Jello said:

I have wondered if we are going to see "no U Turn" signs popping up next.

To which B/CS drivers will go…


Seems we are seeing more examples of civil disobedience. In the last few months Ive seen people drive completely over medians, ignore U-turn signs, and there's a certain new median cutout at the entrance to a residential area where people routinely use it to go the wrong way. Im sure a lot of people are fed up with our overlords and just dont care.
drred4
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The median by Producers Coop if heading south on texas to try to turn on the road that goes to HEB gas station. That is horrible! People are already running all over it, as a lot of trucks and trailers turn down that way. I usually planned my route when running errands so not driving all over town to get to one place or the other. But now it really sucks trying to plan my route due to the medians. Find myself going out of my way and doubling back all the time to get to places I need to go.

oklaunion
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After going to Producers Coop late morning, I drove south on
Texas. Past the downtown cluster where WJB is closed due to repaving. Hmmm, I think I will drop by der Weinerschnitzel for a couple of chili dogs with onions. I wonder.....nope can't turn there. Maybe go to the next left turn and do a U-turn. Nope, 15 other cars were trying to do the same thing and the left turn light only stayed green for 3 cars and there were 15 in line, piling back up into the main lane. Maybe the next one. Nope, same thing.
The deal is, drivers simply filtered into those businesses before when there was an open, barrier-less median. No big deal and life was simple. Now, traffic has backed up with all those wishing to negotiate those obstacles. I can't believe life is safer.
BiochemAg97
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oklaunion said:

After going to Producers Coop late morning, I drove south on
Texas. Past the downtown cluster where WJB is closed due to repaving. Hmmm, I think I will drop by der Weinerschnitzel for a couple of chili dogs with onions. I wonder.....nope can't turn there. Maybe go to the next left turn and do a U-turn. Nope, 15 other cars were trying to do the same thing and the left turn light only stayed green for 3 cars and there were 15 in line, piling back up into the main lane. Maybe the next one. Nope, same thing.
The deal is, drivers simply filtered into those businesses before when there was an open, barrier-less median. No big deal and life was simple. Now, traffic has backed up with all those wishing to negotiate those obstacles. I can't believe life is safer.


Some of that headache would be reduced by adjusting the timing on the traffic lights that are clearly based on pre median traffic loads when you didn't have 2+ blocks of left turns all piling up for a u-turn at the traffic light.
MyNameIsJeff
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Just made a trip to Bryan via WJB and the wrong way on Texas Avenue. Had to go through neighborhoods each way to get where I was going.

Anybody up for a Texags D9 group buy?
oklaunion
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You got that right.
GSS
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drred4 said:

The median by Producers Coop if heading south on texas to try to turn on the road that goes to HEB gas station. That is horrible! People are already running all over it, as a lot of trucks and trailers turn down that way. I usually planned my route when running errands so not driving all over town to get to one place or the other. But now it really sucks trying to plan my route due to the medians. Find myself going out of my way and doubling back all the time to get to places I need to go.



Are you referring to the idiotic "medians", separating the traffic lanes on Old Hearne Rd, at Texas Ave? Clueless engineers must think everyone drives a Prius, or a "Smart Car". What safely concern are they addressing, with the narrow lanes/wide medians?
NRA Life
TSRA Life
milner79
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Tookieclothespin said:

saltsman said:

How, exactly do medians kill business? It's not like traffic is only going one direction all the time.

Let's say I'm out to pick up some tacos at this place up on the left. I'm headed east, but the median requires me to make a u-turn at the light. I say forget it, so I'll pull into this taco place on the right. I still bought tacos. For that taco stand on the right, medians increased their business. In the big scheme of things, it's a wash. I get that medians are disrupting old habits, but I can't see how they are actually discouraging people from buying tacos if they really want tacos. The only business they may be actually reducing is body shop business.

The same logic applies with the bypass. If I want to go to Sam's Club and am driving south, I still have to exit,U-turn and drive back north a bit. It's not that big of a deal. Back when the bypass was added, were people pissed they can't just drive across the median and down the embankments at will?
One flaw in this is that you can't always take a U-turn at the light. There are a LOT of no u-turn signs along the roads with medians.

And the fact that there are no taco stands on the right. Only tattoo parlors and vape shops.
drred4
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pretty much. not real fun to drive with a trailer in town. I bet the tire/wheel shops are loving this.
TyHolden
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MyNameIsJeff said:

Just made a trip to Bryan via WJB and the wrong way on Texas Avenue. Had to go through neighborhoods each way to get where I was going.

Anybody up for a Texags D9 group buy?
Yeah, me too. I got lost going through neighborhoods and had to use Waze to find where I needed to be. That is one huge cluster F.
Somebody has to be making money off the medians in Texas. I don't understand the purpose.
doubledog
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TyHolden said:

MyNameIsJeff said:

Just made a trip to Bryan via WJB and the wrong way on Texas Avenue. Had to go through neighborhoods each way to get where I was going.

Anybody up for a Texags D9 group buy?
Yeah, me too. I got lost going through neighborhoods and had to use Waze to find where I needed to be. That is one huge cluster F.
Somebody has to be making money off the medians in Texas. I don't understand the purpose.
We have a 250K+ community with roads designed for 25K. Medians are a band-aid to stop poor drivers from causing t-bone accidents.
TyHolden
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doubledog said:

TyHolden said:

MyNameIsJeff said:

Just made a trip to Bryan via WJB and the wrong way on Texas Avenue. Had to go through neighborhoods each way to get where I was going.

Anybody up for a Texags D9 group buy?
Yeah, me too. I got lost going through neighborhoods and had to use Waze to find where I needed to be. That is one huge cluster F.
Somebody has to be making money off the medians in Texas. I don't understand the purpose.
We have a 250K+ community with roads designed for 25K.
Are you saying medians are getting us ready for the future? If so, explain. I have no idea what their purpose is other than preventing you from using the middle lane whenever you want and pushing everybody to the same turn which seems counterintuitive to helping traffic problems.
doubledog
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TyHolden said:

doubledog said:

TyHolden said:

MyNameIsJeff said:

Just made a trip to Bryan via WJB and the wrong way on Texas Avenue. Had to go through neighborhoods each way to get where I was going.

Anybody up for a Texags D9 group buy?
Yeah, me too. I got lost going through neighborhoods and had to use Waze to find where I needed to be. That is one huge cluster F.
Somebody has to be making money off the medians in Texas. I don't understand the purpose.
We have a 250K+ community with roads designed for 25K.
Are you saying medians are getting us ready for the future? If so, explain. I have no idea what their purpose is other than preventing you from using the middle lane whenever you want and pushing everybody to the same turn which seems counterintuitive to helping traffic problems.

Medians keep traffic flowing in one direction and prevent cars from crossing two/three lanes of traffic to make a left turn from a side street. People use the middle lane both for left turn on to a side street and as a "speed up" lane when they make a left turn from a side street. The later situation can cause a lot of headaches and should not be attempted.

I am not defending medians, but they do keep traffic flowing smoothly in one direction or the other IF the lights are timed properly (a big IF, I know). The more people on the roads, the more we need a good traffic flow.
BiochemAg97
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It strikes me that those complaining about medians, etc must never drive in the major metro areas of Texas (DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio). The majority of major arterials in these cities and their suburbs are all divided, either by concrete medians or grass ditches. The biggest difference is those cities are adding the medians as they rebuild the roads to accommodate more traffic. Here, we are retrofitting existing roads with medians rather than rebuilding the road.

I think the retrofit has its own problems (lane widths, poor median placement), but most of the big issues like left turn lane backing up and people not knowing where to turn will be resolved in time by adjusting the light patterns and people adjusting to the presence of the medians.


Just wait until they start removing on/off ramps to Hwy 6.
PS3D
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BiochemAg97 said:

It strikes me that those complaining about medians, etc must never drive in the major metro areas of Texas (DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio). The majority of major arterials in these cities and their suburbs are all divided, either by concrete medians or grass ditches. The biggest difference is those cities are adding the medians as they rebuild the roads to accommodate more traffic. Here, we are retrofitting existing roads with medians rather than rebuilding the road.

I think the retrofit has its own problems (lane widths, poor median placement), but most of the big issues like left turn lane backing up and people not knowing where to turn will be resolved in time by adjusting the light patterns and people adjusting to the presence of the medians.


Just wait until they start removing on/off ramps to Hwy 6.
Yup. Many of the older avenues in Houston which have medians, with gaps and turn lanes to access them, are also landscaped and time has allowed trees to grow in. Not so much here, with thin medians that are just concrete.
TyHolden
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doubledog said:

TyHolden said:

doubledog said:

TyHolden said:

MyNameIsJeff said:

Just made a trip to Bryan via WJB and the wrong way on Texas Avenue. Had to go through neighborhoods each way to get where I was going.

Anybody up for a Texags D9 group buy?
Yeah, me too. I got lost going through neighborhoods and had to use Waze to find where I needed to be. That is one huge cluster F.
Somebody has to be making money off the medians in Texas. I don't understand the purpose.
We have a 250K+ community with roads designed for 25K.
Are you saying medians are getting us ready for the future? If so, explain. I have no idea what their purpose is other than preventing you from using the middle lane whenever you want and pushing everybody to the same turn which seems counterintuitive to helping traffic problems.

Medians keep traffic flowing in one direction and prevent cars from crossing two/three lanes of traffic to make a left turn from a side street. People use the middle lane both for left turn on to a side street and as a "speed up" lane when they make a left turn from a side street. The later situation can cause a lot of headaches and should not be attempted.

I am not defending medians, but they do keep traffic flowing smoothly in one direction or the other IF the lights are timed properly (a big IF, I know). The more people on the roads, the more we need a good traffic flow.

Maybe in Europe where cars are half the size. Most of the trucks on the road can't make the turnarounds. They'll just have to drive through neighborhoods. If I lived near the turnarounds, I'd be pissed as hell. I've been in suburbs that have lanes much wider. Sure, it's ok then. These are areas with much newer infrastructure. This will just be an excuse to make the lanes wider and more construction. It's probably just another grift.

edit: 2nd point doesn't relate to topic. sorry.
lawyeraggie04
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Going to and from the courthouse via WJB on a daily basis, I have yet to figure out how what they are doing on WJB is going to accomplish anything other than increasing traffic through the neighborhoods and MLK. There is no way a fire engine is going to be able to go up WJB safely during "rush hour" traffic.
M1911
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Here's some links with information, the first one has the guy that you should probably be complaining to.

https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/docs/district/bryan-district-profile.pdf

https://bcsmpo.org/DocumentCenter/View/282/FINAL-2040-MTP-Amendment-III-For-Public-Comment---20171221?bidId=

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/bryan.html

https://bcsmpo.org/
doubledog
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Next we will see medians on Longmire. I see people often use the left turn lane as a passing lane. As long as there are a few bad drivers, we will need to build medians to inconvenience everyone else.
BaitShack
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I left Jose's and needed to go East on villa maria. Waze routed me through a neighborhood.
TyHolden
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lawyeraggie04 said:

Going to and from the courthouse via WJB on a daily basis, I have yet to figure out how what they are doing on WJB is going to accomplish anything other than increasing traffic through the neighborhoods and MLK. There is no way a fire engine is going to be able to go up WJB safely during "rush hour" traffic.
This. They can barely fit through those lanes as it is. Anybody brave enough to ride a bike through that bike lane is crazy.
maroon barchetta
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https://www.kbtx.com/2024/03/03/txdot-city-bryan-announce-detours-delays-william-j-bryan-parkway/
FlyRod
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The re-routing through neighborhoods sucks. Thank you TXDOT for producing traffic congestion and speeding on (formerly) quiet residential streets.
TyHolden
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Driving toward 6 on WJB this morning. Truck in front of me is pulling a trailer with several riding lawnmowers on it. Probably going 30-40 mph. Back trailer tire hits the sidewalk. Lawnmowers tip over, barely stay on the trailer. I was surprised he didn't blow out the trailer tire because they looked like a donut spare. If those lawnmowers fall off or if he blows out a tire and somebody's on the sidewalk or bike lane, somebody's getting seriously hurt. It's going to happen.
taxpreparer
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FlyRod said:

The re-routing through neighborhoods sucks. Thank you TXDOT for producing traffic congestion and speeding on (formerly) quiet residential streets.


TXDOT is responsible for the congestion, not the speeding.
M1911
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https://www.kagstv.com/article/news/community/group-to-voice-concerns-on-texas-ave-medians/499-0476defb-e28f-4a36-9fda-548d068ae741

The newly formed BCS Median Survey Team is looking for citizen support to raise awareness about community grievances towards the Texas Avenue medians.
CS78
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TyHolden said:

Driving toward 6 on WJB this morning. Truck in front of me is pulling a trailer with several riding lawnmowers on it. Probably going 30-40 mph. Back trailer tire hits the sidewalk. Lawnmowers tip over, barely stay on the trailer. I was surprised he didn't blow out the trailer tire because they looked like a donut spare. If those lawnmowers fall off or if he blows out a tire and somebody's on the sidewalk or bike lane, somebody's getting seriously hurt. It's going to happen.


There are a lot of trailers being pulled around this town. People just like you saw. Pulling skid steers and lawn equipment. The roads should never be intentionally designed to make driving harder. I have a CDL and a lot of years experience with big vehicles and trailers. I hit a couple of the new booby traps, trying to perfectly honor my lane. There are now areas where I intentionally just take and cover both lanes. Im not tearing up my trailers to satisfy some traffic engineers agenda for progress.
TyHolden
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CS78 said:

TyHolden said:

Driving toward 6 on WJB this morning. Truck in front of me is pulling a trailer with several riding lawnmowers on it. Probably going 30-40 mph. Back trailer tire hits the sidewalk. Lawnmowers tip over, barely stay on the trailer. I was surprised he didn't blow out the trailer tire because they looked like a donut spare. If those lawnmowers fall off or if he blows out a tire and somebody's on the sidewalk or bike lane, somebody's getting seriously hurt. It's going to happen.


There are a lot of trailers being pulled around this town. People just like you saw. Pulling skid steers and lawn equipment. The roads should never be intentionally designed to make driving harder. I have a CDL and a lot of years experience with big vehicles and trailers. I hit a couple of the new booby traps, trying to perfectly honor my lane. There are now areas where I intentionally just take and cover both lanes. Im not tearing up my trailers to satisfy some traffic engineers agenda for progress.
that's the problem, though. you don't have 2 lanes now. you have 1 and a bike lane. you gonna take out a biker? no, you're going to drive 10-15 mph behind them until you get 2 lanes again. it's idiotic.
84AGEC
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TyHolden said:

CS78 said:

TyHolden said:

Driving toward 6 on WJB this morning. Truck in front of me is pulling a trailer with several riding lawnmowers on it. Probably going 30-40 mph. Back trailer tire hits the sidewalk. Lawnmowers tip over, barely stay on the trailer. I was surprised he didn't blow out the trailer tire because they looked like a donut spare. If those lawnmowers fall off or if he blows out a tire and somebody's on the sidewalk or bike lane, somebody's getting seriously hurt. It's going to happen.


There are a lot of trailers being pulled around this town. People just like you saw. Pulling skid steers and lawn equipment. The roads should never be intentionally designed to make driving harder. I have a CDL and a lot of years experience with big vehicles and trailers. I hit a couple of the new booby traps, trying to perfectly honor my lane. There are now areas where I intentionally just take and cover both lanes. Im not tearing up my trailers to satisfy some traffic engineers agenda for progress.
that's the problem, though. you don't have 2 lanes now. you have 1 and a bike lane. you gonna take out a biker? no, you're going to drive 10-15 mph behind them until you get 2 lanes again. it's idiotic.


It's very Austin like
BlueMiles
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"Traffic calming"
 
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