My Level: 3
Reason for request: Merge lane into the HOV lane needs to move further east as where it starts here is actually where it has ended.
This appears to be the very first HOV UR we’ve received in the GTA. The language used in the UR suggests that the user did not have any situational awareness.
Fundamentally, the setup at QEW/403 & Bronte Rd is how all HOV lanes have been configured across Canada.
We have the merge junction node at the “point of no return”, permalink.
We have the exit junction node at the “earliest possible point”, permalink.
This is largely still an open discussion, the HOV transition lane is 459m (permalink). In the U.S. they’ve adopted the opposite guidance.
Their line of thinking is that drivers want to get into the HOV lane as early as possible, so the “merge” instruction should be at the beginning. I fundamentally disagree with this, because drivers as soon as the pass the “merge” junction node, they will no longer see HOV instructions. They will see new “exit” instructions.
Even before they physically merge into the HOV lane, they will receive “Exit to Appleby Line”. This is one of the problems we had with off-ramp junction nodes not being placed at “the point of no return”, because new instructions are being given to the driver even before they complete their exit, turn, manoeuvre.
The U.S. guidance also argues that the exit HOV junction node should be placed at the very end of the transition, as drivers want to stay in the HOV lane as long as possible. The example at Bronte Rd, you can see the merge lane is only 459m and the consensus within the community is that drivers want to leave the HOV as soon as possible in order to negotiate their 3-5 lane change to get to their exit.
Having said this, we are open to changing the guidance. My primary concern with moving the “merge junction node” back is that drivers will see new instructions even before they enter the HOV lane.
However, there may have been updates to HOV where there are instructions that say “stay in HOV lane”, which may ultimately change our guidance. But this has to be checked/reviewed.
As to the UR, he mentioned not realizing he had the HOV pass on which is why he didn’t understand why it was asking him to merge. So user error. I get that.
Personally I have only had the opportunity to use the HOV lanes a couple of times since they have been added into Waze. And both of those times have been the entire length on the HOV lanes between Burlington and Oakville so I never really had an opportunity to see the directions through those points before.
I can see the argument both ways and I’m not really sure which way makes more sense.
Personally when entering or exiting I don’t wait until the very last moment. Shortly after they first opened I got pulled over for crossing a solid line when I just missed the entrance. I think if you get on as soon as the lane opens or get off at the very end you could have more trouble because of cars going the opposite way.
Every time I look back at the map I flip flop on this. But more often I look at the map and compare the entrances and exits from the HOV lanes to any other exit ramp from the highways and they are just the same; and those make sense too. I think you have it right.