alorsenfantsBy an edhat reader
Okay, so I haven’t lived here forever, as have many Edhatters, but I’m now into my fifth year, and want a knowledgeable answer to this: it seems to me that the 6 days-a-week(!) afternoon bottleneck on the southbound 101, as you approach Montecito and the lane reduction there, is largely due to the unprepared drivers who don’t get in the two through lanes far enough in advance.
It seems unlikely that they will ever widen the freeway (do we want them to?)
I want to know why there aren’t large warning signs about the merging lanes, saying something like “Two Lanes Ahead – Thru Traffic Keep Left”? Maybe put these somewhere around Garden Street or something? Anybody know why this hasn’t been done? Can’t see how it could hurt.
I’m 70 y/o from another state and honestly did not know about zipper merge. I thought I was being safe by merging early and not causing things to bunch up at the end. My bad!! Why not a huge sign with a zipper on it. Honestly!
Grown adults who don’t know how to merge. Good grief. It’s not much different from merging onto the freeway from the entrance ramp.
I’ve wondered the same thing. There is no warning that the lanes narrow to two until you’re right there.
larger than painted arrows? for almost 1/4mile before it happens? its taught in drivers ed, why do we need more blatant info for people to ignore? why this happens, its been happening for YEARS.
impatient people jump the merge, and cause everyone else to slam on there brakes. so if anything, you should be honking and yelling at the jerks that cause your traffic.
So now, because people can’t see large arrows, and don’t know how to merge, we need more cluttering ugly signs? Jeez. And they have been arguing about widening the freeway there. Montecito folks don’t want it b/c they don’t want the trees removed.