Speed Bumps?

[renowiggum]

I made the mistake of looking at the comments on an RGJ story. I was amused by the proposed solution in the comments to the nightmare intersection that is Pyramid and McCarran:

http://www.rgj.com/article/20100526/NEWS/100526040

[Slapdad]

LOL....speed bumps? The idea is to keep traffic moving, not slow it down! BWAHAHAHAHA!

[student4ever]

LOL. Something tells me that won't do the trick.

I know it's a cost issue, but they should probably connect to 395, widen the roads and build all of the proposed bridge structures. Not one of the proposed ideas does enough on its own.

If you connect to 395, you dump people out on an already overstressed highway with significant traffic coming in from the North Valleys. If this is really an option, I'd like to see it connect both in Cold Springs and somewhere near Parr.

If you only widen Pyramid and McCarran, you aren't really addressing the key issues that are affecting the intersection, so much as putting on a temporary band aid.

The east to north bridge is a good idea and so is the flyover, but they don't really address the problem either, so much as put a temporary band-aid on the problem.

If you're going to build those, why not go all out and build an elevated freeway complete with McCarran on and off ramps that starts just south of the intersection and remains elevated to north of Queen Way. Elevate it again at Disc, drop it just past Golden View, and do a flyover complete with exits at Highland Ranch/Sparks BLVD. I personally don't get much north of that, but just making that a freeway, with a lower level access road for businesses and homes through that stretch would cut down on a lot of the congestion. Have exits and ramps at McCarran, Disc, just north of Golden View, and Highland Ranch/Sparks.

[Nosebleed]

Someone did a poor job at estimating the traffic through that intersection. It is very bogged down in all directions. Good idea on the speed bumps though, idiot! I think creating a full interchange turn system with elevated through lanes will be the eventual solution, but that will probably be a ways off. Until then, just stop in at Bully's for a cold one and let the traffic die down.

Rick

[BustNChops]

I don't live out there.... so I am all in favor of the speed bump idea instead of bridges or widening of intersection. It would be priceless to see the look on drivers faces as they slowly creep by the road work crews and read a sign "improving traffic flow" and then see them installing speed bumps.

[renowiggum]

The more I think about it, the more sense the idea makes. The goal is to shift drivers to alternate routes... so why not take the same approach with northbound 395? Close it at Neil Road, or better yet at the Mount Rose highway. People will take other routes, and BOOM! Congestion problem solved.

I also propose not just speed bumps, but a brick wall in place of a crosswalk at each part of McCarran and Pyramid. Nobody will be waiting to go through the intersection then!

Or we could add an element of surprise - some nice big 100-ton anvils suspended above the intersection that drop unexpectedly - it's like playing a puzzle game... stop in front of the area, wait for it to drop and begin lifting, then dart underneath.

We also need more stoplights on the freeway. People move far too fast there. Let's drop the speed limit to 15mph, and install some lights that only turn green once every 5 minutes, for no more than 30 seconds. Surely that will improve traffic flow.

[backsthepack]

Speed bumps? But that deceleration from 55 to 45 to 35 is police gold! Where else will they make their quotas?