I'm beginning to come around to the idea that a single lane drop might merit a wayfinder, especially if there is wayfinder-type signage involved. But I don't believe signage alone should be enough. Take I-75 N exit 208 in Toledo for example: yes, there is a wayfinder sign there, but not a single lane is lost to the exit – the exit (deceleration) lane starts just before the exit. To end up off I-75 you'd have to actively make that lane change right then, with the sign hovering above you; you're not gonna just "oh, another lane, I'll get over" onto it.
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The idea is that, if you're in either of the right two lanes in a 1.5-1.5 scenario (1 continue, 1 option, 1 dropped), you have to take some sort of action, or at least make a choice, to stay on the road. In the dropped lane, you must get over; in the option lane, you must be sure to stay to the left. If you're a chronic speed limit obeyer and you've been in that right lane for quite a while, the reminder would be good. The wayfinder rules kind of assume that you might have forgotten exactly which highway you're on and that you could use a little nudge.
Like I said, I'm starting to think that there are some situations where maybe a WF is warranted even if a single lane is dropped. This one here is definitely warranted — it's (1 continue, 1 option, 1 dropped), but pan up just a little bit and you'll see that the dropped lane was one of only two lanes of I-475, and that the continue lane actually just came off a left entrance ramp. Apparently, it's a pretty dangerous interchange because of that. I think we have a few options: (1) if there's a legit dropped lane that'd been there a while, (2) if there's a dropped lane and ≤2 continuing lanes, (3) if there's a dropped lane and a wayfinder-type sign, or maybe some combination of them.
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That's what I mean by 1.5 lanes both ways, yeah. The MUTCD, by the way, calls that middle lane an "option lane", and calls lanes that are lost "dropped lanes". I like those terms.DwarfLord wrote:I'm definitely open to situations I may not have considered! 1.5 lanes...that's a new reference to me...does that mean a split where the center lane can go either way? To me that case is handled by the fourth item, signage that suggests a split. If the signage is abundantly clear about one direction being "continue on" and the other being "exit", and only one travel lane is lost, I am not sure a wayfinder is called for based on the lane behavior alone.
The idea is that, if you're in either of the right two lanes in a 1.5-1.5 scenario (1 continue, 1 option, 1 dropped), you have to take some sort of action, or at least make a choice, to stay on the road. In the dropped lane, you must get over; in the option lane, you must be sure to stay to the left. If you're a chronic speed limit obeyer and you've been in that right lane for quite a while, the reminder would be good. The wayfinder rules kind of assume that you might have forgotten exactly which highway you're on and that you could use a little nudge.
Like I said, I'm starting to think that there are some situations where maybe a WF is warranted even if a single lane is dropped. This one here is definitely warranted — it's (1 continue, 1 option, 1 dropped), but pan up just a little bit and you'll see that the dropped lane was one of only two lanes of I-475, and that the continue lane actually just came off a left entrance ramp. Apparently, it's a pretty dangerous interchange because of that. I think we have a few options: (1) if there's a legit dropped lane that'd been there a while, (2) if there's a dropped lane and ≤2 continuing lanes, (3) if there's a dropped lane and a wayfinder-type sign, or maybe some combination of them.
Ramp-ramp splits are covered below in their own section. The section on naming addresses navigation instructions. Ramp types will always give instructions if the names are different, so the type complications and display considerations are not in play there. It's much less complex – if the name of the s-in matches the name of one s-out, the s-out won't get a prompt. This includes "no name". It could maybe be explained better, but it's there.Thanks, yes I had been interpreting the term "wayfinder" to refer to any situation where extra guidance for continuing on the same road is helpful. In San Jose for example we have a ramp that goes on for nearly two miles with two sub-exits of its own! But if the term is not to be used for anything other than controlled-access MH and F types that would be good for me to be clear about. In that case, what if anything do we call continuing-path guidance in other situations?
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