Texas roads and driving oddities the video

[masraum]

I thought this was interesting, and seemed to cover things pretty well.

[pwd72s]

Weird...and funny, as well as educational.

[masraum]

Houston has a loop that he missed. We've got 3 3/4 loops.



All of the speed limits are suggestions or minimums except in a specific case. If you're on a highway in the country that's got a 70-75mph speed limit, and the highway runs through a town where the speed drops down (usually to 35), you'd better slow down to whatever the speed limit drops to or you stand a good chance of getting a ticket. Every place else, the speed limit is "80ish" which means 70-90.

He talks about dual turn lanes. Yes, there are many dual turn lanes (both right and left). WHat's also screwy is that when turning (right or left) you can turn into any lane you want. (In FL you had to turn into the nearest lane to where you were coming from).

I have once been hit by some girl who said that she didn't realize it was a dual turn lane.

The thing to note is that in places where there is a dual right hand turn lane, the "right on red is OK" rule ONLY holds for the right most lane. So if there's 2 right hand turn lanes, and you make a right on red from the left of the two turn lanes, you can get a ticket.

[matthewb0051]

We have a loop, 1604, that has basically been under construction for 63 years. Yep, the entire time it has been open. Formerly known as the 'Death Loop'

https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/loop-1604-construction-death-loop-18284906.php

[GH85Carrera]

Oklahoma City and Tulsa have "Texas Turnarounds" and we actually call them that and acknowledge them as Texan. They are really handy, especially on our many access roads or frontage roads as he calls them. Many of those roads are one way, and if you need to get to a business on one side or the other, just exit, take the Texas Turnaround, no traffic lights to slow you down, and over to the other side. It only sucks if you miss the business entrance, and have to go around again.

We have some 80 MPH roads as well. It is somehow really fun to roll past a State Trooper at 80 MPH with my radar detector in full alert. I vividly remember the bad old days of the national 55 MPH limit. Going 80 back then got one of my buddies handcuffed, and a night in jail, and his car impounded. Most interstates outside of the busy metro areas are 75 MPH.

[matthewb0051]

About 6 weeks ago I saw a driver of a 18-wheeler get his rig stuck in a Texas turnaround. It was too tight for him to make the turn and his trailer was crushed up against the wall to his right while the tractor cab was all the way up to the bridge support at the front left.

He left a pretty good scar on the wall.

Oh yeah, it was about 30 minutes before evening rush hour. Genius move

[masraum]

"Texit's" are absolutely a thing, and I've used them, even in the Boxster.

The frontage roads and Texas Turnarounds are FANTASTIC, and something that the rest of the world should mimic.

Yes, Katy freeway is one of the widest (by lane count) roads in the US, and I drive it frequently. I've found several pages that say that it's the widest road in the world with 26 lanes. I think China has us beat. And I'm not sure where it's supposed to have 26 lanes, unless they are counting "emergency" lanes that are used in case of a mass evacuation. THose are usually just the shoulder of the road.

I was able to find a place that including the frontage showed 20 lanes. I'm not sure how they got 26, maybe counting right and left turns lanes where the frontage lanes meet cross streets and a large intersection.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Oklahoma City and Tulsa have "Texas Turnarounds" and we actually call them that and acknowledge them as Texan. They are really handy, especially on our many access roads or frontage roads as he calls them. Many of those roads are one way, and if you need to get to a business on one side or the other, just exit, take the Texas Turnaround, no traffic lights to slow you down, and over to the other side. It only sucks if you miss the business entrance, and have to go around again.

We have some 80 MPH roads as well. It is somehow really fun to roll past a State Trooper at 80 MPH with my radar detector in full alert. I vividly remember the bad old days of the national 55 MPH limit. Going 80 back then got one of my buddies handcuffed, and a night in jail, and his car impounded. Most interstates outside of the busy metro areas are 75 MPH.

I'd never heard of them being called "Texas Turnaround" until the video. Yes, "in town" the access/feeder/frontage roads are usually one way so the turn around is very useful when you need to get to a business on the other side. It saves you from potentially waiting through one or two lights.

Often, you can pass the business and turn into another business' parking lot and back track, or maybe use a neighborhood behind the commercial area to back track, but yes, if you have to go around again, that's a pain. That applies to any one way road.

I've never run into an official 80 or 85mph road here in Texas, but then I've never driven between SA and EP. Around here, we top out at 75 (officially). I usually have my cruise set to 83mph, and I occasionally get passed by all sorts of vehicles.

[stevej37]

Yeah...but do you have/use Michigan lefts or diverging diamond interchanges in Texas?

[stomachmonkey]

Those turnarounds are a great idea with typically horrible TX road execution.

None of them around me have a merge on other side so you get dumped right into the lanes of oncoming traffic.

Some are at intersections so you have people making left turns onto the same road but they are a bit behind you and are nearly impossible to see coming.

Leave it to TXDot to F up a good thing.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Yeah...but do you have/use Michigan lefts or diverging diamond interchanges in Texas?

As Texas A&M continues to grow, they opened one there in 2018. It is brilliant.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Those turnarounds are a great idea with typically horrible TX road execution.

None of them around me have a merge on other side so you get dumped right into the lanes of oncoming traffic.

Some are at intersections so you have people making left turns onto the same road but they are a bit behind you and are nearly impossible to see coming.

Leave it to TXDot to F up a good thing.

Absolutely correct. The one by my house and I-10 is horrible. As I go under the Interstate to take a left on the access road, the turnaround has about 1 car length to a) merge on the access road, and b) for those turning left to enter I-10. It is a disaster. Cars turning right from the opposite direction used to dart straight across 3 lanes of access road to take that entrance to I-10. At least some smart person finally put up curbing so those turning right can't execute that stupid maneuver any longer

[stomachmonkey]

Typical one for us.

You get dumped right back into the left lane of the Frontage/Service Rd with at least 2 options for people also enter.

Far side people making right turns, middle coming straight, upper making lefts.

The only traffic you can easily see is the lane making rights.

It's not like they didn't have room to add a merge lane.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Those turnarounds are a great idea with typically horrible TX road execution.

Leave it to TXDot to F up a good thing.

I'll also add that the flyover bridges that have cropped up in the big cities are pretty good in idea but bad in execution.

In Dallas, where it does get cold and at times a bit frosty... those things freeze up in a heartbeat and cars are like on an ice rink.

In El Paso, where it is pretty windy at times... it gets pretty scary if you have a high profile vehicle. At times I would take the longer, lower, route to avoid getting blown off a flyover bridge that competes for title of the highest mountain peak in the state.

The flyover nearest my house has access on the far right two lanes of I-10 and it backs up every rush hour for a very long line. In addition, where the cars are lined up in that backup, there is an entrance to I-10 from the access road. The bridges are too steep for 18-wheelers and other big work vehicles, so they clog things up. Plus they the sweep of the turn is too tight for much more than 30mph and 18-wheelers have been known to roll over.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

That is very close to the intersection I described. The only difference is where your green and red lines intersect there is an entrance to I-10. Right up the access road is USAA HQ. I'm certain they were instrumental in getting this made as there are two more stand alone turnaround bridges across I-10 less than 1/4 mile up the access road that lead directly to their campus entrance. Their employees sit at the end of the turn around bridge and then when they see daylight dart perpendicular across the access road to USAA entrance. Pretty dangerous and stupid move but I see it daily.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Those turnarounds are a great idea with typically horrible TX road execution.

None of them around me have a merge on other side so you get dumped right into the lanes of oncoming traffic.

Some are at intersections so you have people making left turns onto the same road but they are a bit behind you and are nearly impossible to see coming.

Leave it to TXDot to F up a good thing.

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Typical one for us.

You get dumped right back into the left lane of the Frontage/Service Rd with at least 2 options for people also enter.

Far side people making right turns, middle coming straight, upper making lefts.

The only traffic you can easily see is the lane making rights.

It's not like they didn't have room to add a merge lane.

Weird, the one in the screenshot looks elevated over the primary lanes. In Houston, I think 99.9% of them are under the main lanes. Visibility is usually good. Many of them are like you have illustrated where they dump into lanes of traffic so you may have to wait for a good time to pull out. It's still better than having to sit through a couple of lights. I can always find a time to go. We do have a bunch in Houston that include acceleration/merge lanes as well.

There's this one. You will have folks cut across to the gas station, but if you're actually making a U-turn, then there's a lane for you to get up to speed.

[bivenator]

I've heard the 26 lanes discussed, I think it is where the 1-10 and 610 West Loop interchange.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by bivenator

I've heard the 26 lanes discussed, I think it is where the 1-10 and 610 West Loop interchange.

I found a spot with 23, so that's pretty close. I suspect it takes some creative counting or something.

[Norm K]

I spent a lot of time crisscrossing Houston during my second career.

Initially, I was certain I'd hate the frontage roads and the so-called Texas u-turn because I just knew the design couldn't work as planned. I was wrong.

One important point the narrator failed to mention is that during rush hour, interstate traffic is bumper-to-bumper and moving at the proverbial snail's pace, irrespective of the number of available lanes. Four lanes? Not moving. Six? Ditto. Eight? Fuggetaboutit.

_

[matthewb0051]

Both of my kids learned to drive in Northern Virginia. So when one started university here and then we all moved back here, I had to really explain the frontage/access road to them.

It used to be in San Antonio, that there were Yield signs on access roads for the traffic getting of the interstate. People would literally come to a full and complete stop at those yield signs, regardless of whether any vehicles were exiting the interstate. That gave rise to folks exiting the interstate onto the access roads assuming they could cut across all lanes of the access road since they 'had the right of way' and you had a yield sign. That's calmed down a bit over the years but you still have to watch for people that take both to the extreme.

There are also places where the access roads on either side are two way traffic. Those have stop signs for people on access roads where exits exist. More of a rural thing that you won't see in the larger cities.