The slow lane, the new passing lane

[big A]

For the past 15 years I've just worked 6 kilometers up 52nd St. Now I work on the other side of town and regularly drive Deerfoot or Stoney.
I've noticed that the fast lane is always packed full of people doing between 100 and 110. The middle lane is people going 100 and under, and right lane is pretty much empty except when people merge on briefly and then immediately get over, no matter how slow they are going.
This leaves the right lane available for passing all the slow people in the left two lanes.
The people that weave in and out of traffic to get ahead use the middle lane and the right lane. The only way to beat the new system is to leave for work about an hour early 😛😛😛
This just appears to be the new system we are going to have to get used to.

[ercchry]

Hwy 2/Deerfoot has been like that for easily a decade

[FixedGear]

It's been like this everywhere I've driven since at least the time I started driving (1996). We're taught left lanes are for passing only, and there are signs all over the place. It's a combination of 1) people being fucking idiots, 2) being oblivious to the world around them, and 3) not caring about anyone except themselves.

[infamous]

while i agree for the most part, the only issue this causes is the slow merging people who are doing 80km/hr.......and FixedGear you are 100% correct about the three points you made.

[dj_rice]

The thing that ticks me off is the people that know they're in the fast lane, dont give a fuck about it, will go the speed limit and when your on there ass, they won't speed up and get out of the way. You have to use the right lane to get in front of them and they still are oblivious to moving over. When a whole train of cars do the same thing, get out of the fast lane.

[rvd]

FixedGear for prez.

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by FixedGear
It's been like this everywhere I've driven since at least the time I started driving (1996). We're taught left lanes are for passing only, and there are signs all over the place. It's a combination of 1) people being fucking idiots, 2) being oblivious to the world around them, and 3) not caring about anyone except themselves.

but officer, why I race down the slow lane at twice the speed limit, foregoing other rules of the road, is to limiit my time on it... giving more time available for other drivers to use.

[01RedDX]

.

[max_boost]

Just waiting for the usual....it's the MAXIMUM speed blah blah

Driving here can be so ridiculous.

[J-hop]

Yea I find on crowchild I'm often passing on the right a lot. Usually there it's people in the middle and left lanes going the same speed, super annoying.

The right lane is the worst for passing though and you really have to watch out.

Makes me cringe every time I see snowcat whip passed a line of cars on the right expecting everyone to see a small fast moving object. One day he is going to get creamed really bad.

[schocker]

Originally posted by J-hop
Yea I find on crowchild I'm often passing on the right a lot. Usually there it's people in the middle and left lanes going the same speed, super annoying.

Yup. You have the left and middle lanes doing 81 and then no one in the right lane. I do find often that once you get past sarcee there are even more left lane bandits though there is less traffic. Very odd. Wide open in both lanes next to them and they just stick at 80 in the left lane.

[speedog]

Originally posted by FixedGear
It's been like this everywhere I've driven since at least the time I started driving (1996). We're taught left lanes are for passing only, and there are signs all over the place. It's a combination of 1) people being fucking idiots, 2) being oblivious to the world around them, and 3) not caring about anyone except themselves.

Flame suit on, there are not signs all over the place. On Deerfoot yes, Stoney's probably got them as well but in the city outside of those two named roads you'd be hard pressed to find a left lane for passing or equivalent sign.

I am well aware and respect the left lane rule and do so in the city for the most part and especially so for freeway type of roads but anywhere else that left lane is free game. John Laurie - no where near being a freeway style of road, Crowchild and Glenmore, yupp freeway style. Centre Street north, nope, not a freeway - if you expect me to ride along in the right lane at the speed limit on Centre Street where all the bumps and pot holes are, then good luck.

[ExtraSlow]

I'm with speedog here. On highways outside of the city, yeah, left lane for passing only.

However, inside the city, on any lane that has left turns or traffic lights, all lanes are equal and I just use the lane that lines me up for my next turn.

Even deerfoot, when it's busy, it's insanity for someone going more than a few exits down the line to stay in the right hand lane, because they'll be squeezed out by all the (poorly) merging traffic.

Someone driving deerfoot at 4:00 PM and expecting a wide open left lane so they can go 130 kmph is much more selfish than someone doing 100 (or 99) who got out of the right lane to make way for merging traffic.

[speedog]

Deerfoot NB in the PM rush between Calf Robe and 17th Avenue SE, the smart drivers are not in the left lane.

[tonytiger55]

^ Pretty much spot on. Outside the city, left lane for overtaking.

The intersections inside the city are so poorly designed. Right lane vehicles are slowing right down below 100km to merge off or on.
Merging traffic is not always up to speed. Middle lane slows down as merging traffic wants to avoid last minute mergers on right lane.
Left lane drivers go above 100km, but then you get the sharp braking happening as frustrated drivers from the middle lane move to the left.

Deerfoot could do with a 4th lane that is partially blocked off for thoroughfare traffic. Or have chevrons painted on the road to space out traffic. This actually works, but would be useless in the winter.
Im surprised its not been done, but then again it goes against city planners philosophy of just drawing pretty flowing lines on paper.

[dirtsniffer]

Right lane is the new left lane. Be cognizant of merge lanes and fucking go 20 over in the right lane. Also easiest line to speed trap.

[speedog]

Originally posted by tonytiger55

Hah, good luck.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I'm with speedog here. On highways outside of the city, yeah, left lane for passing only.

However, inside the city, on any lane that has left turns or traffic lights, all lanes are equal and I just use the lane that lines me up for my next turn.

Even deerfoot, when it's busy, it's insanity for someone going more than a few exits down the line to stay in the right hand lane, because they'll be squeezed out by all the (poorly) merging traffic.

Someone driving deerfoot at 4:00 PM and expecting a wide open left lane so they can go 130 kmph is much more selfish than someone doing 100 (or 99) who got out of the right lane to make way for merging traffic.

I have to disagree especially on crowchild. Between 24ave and 12 mile coulee there is not a single left turn.

There are two left turns south of 24ave and the section across the bridge which are the only other sections it is acceptable to hog the left lane. Other than that it isn't.

[ExtraSlow]

I'm rarely on crowchild, so I didn't think of that one, but yes, when I drive there I stay out of the left lane when I'm able. Although southbound (eastbound?) around brentwood, I'm usually turning left at 24th, so I'll be making my way over ahead of time.

[schurchill39]

The left lane is for passing. Pass the vehicle you need to then get back over to the right. Unfortunately, we live in a city (and for the most part a western culture) that CANNOT figure this out. Especially in Calgary. I 100% agree with this thread, the left lane is the new right lane and 9/10 times you are going to get more people in the left than any other lane. Then when they need to exit right they swoop across three lanes of traffic at the last minute (see deerfoot any exit).

Originally posted by tonytiger55

The intersections inside the city are so poorly designed. Right lane vehicles are slowing right down below 100km to merge off or on.
Merging traffic is not always up to speed. Middle lane slows down as merging traffic wants to avoid last minute mergers on right lane.
Left lane drivers go above 100km, but then you get the sharp braking happening as frustrated drivers from the middle lane move to the left.

I think the worst for this is deerfoot NB to memorial in the morning. People have no idea how to deal with that intersection. Typically traffic slows to about half that of the other lanes of traffic so people can figure out how to merge left or right. This morning riding in on my bike a Kaltire truck slammed on his brakes down to 40 km/hr because a pair of mini vans and a Ford Ranger had no idea what they were doing. 90km/hr -> 40 km/hr really sucks.