Letter to the editor: Late mergers at the Piatt Bridge
To the editor:
In Tom Vanderbilt's excellent book, "Traffic," he cites a number of studies about those pesky temporary merges — like the one on Route 128 leading to the A. Andrew Piatt Bridge. In every study, traffic moves more efficiently when both lanes are used right up to the merge point. In fact, late merging improved traffic flow by 15 percent.
So how come so many drivers insist on diving into the left lane as soon as they can, and then become incensed when other drivers persist in using the whole road?
Righteous indignation turns into outrage and sometimes into dangerous driving, lane blocking, horn blowing.
Perhaps the answer is that we are afraid of simple cooperation and distrust other drivers.
Next time you are headed up Route 128 across the bridge, try this: stay in your lane, driving slowly and carefully as you would in heavy traffic, then when you get to the merge point, let a driver from the other lane merge in front of you.
I have tried it and lived, and it works. And I forgive you finger-wavers. I used to be an early merger, too.
Brian Scarlett
Englewood Road, Gloucester
