The 10-lane Kennedy Expressway in Chicago is forced to manage significantly more traffic than it was designed to handle. Traffic planners have installed a flexible lane that can increase the flow in one direction, but Chicagoans are baffled by them.
Columnist Jon Hilkevitch talks to locals who see no rhyme or reason for when the switching happens:
"To many drivers, it's a mystery why the two express lanes are open in one direction much of the time while traffic in the same direction on the four local lanes is running smoothly, yet traffic in the opposite direction is like a parking lot."
Hilkevitch sought out the answer:
"The decision to switch the reversibles to favor inbound or outbound traffic is based on traffic volumes and travel times, but about 80 percent of the time higher traffic volumes are the deciding factor, officials said."
FULL STORY: Drivers frustrated by Kennedy express lanes
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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