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Traffic Waves

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Main site: http://trafficwaves.org/Watch from 0:01 to 0:06 to see the fight that causes this exit-lane backup. (Not the worse example I've seen though.)On Seattle I-5, this left exit-only lane is usually backed up by a 1/2-mile during rush hour. The left exit ramp leads into the high speed "Express Lanes" under the city. But if it's jammed, you'll lose more time in the jam than you gain from getting on to the express lane. Also, if you miss getting into that lane early, then you're screwed, since nobody in the row of 200 cars will let you in. Merging drivers coming in from righthand ramps are blocked by those already in the jam. And while stuck in that jam, you have to sit in line for many minutes, driving like 2MPH. Just a few drivers occasionally force their way in aggressively, but that nearly halts the exit-lane flow.BUT ...if I let ten cars merge ahead of me as I approach the jam, like magic the whole thing evaporates, and everyone takes off at high speed. Sometimes! (It doesn't work every time.)Unfortunately this video can't show you the view from above. Also, you can't see behind me, so you can't see that my "hole" is the only one in a very long row of cars. Also you can't see the size of the reliable daily jam that was there on every other day, or the jam ahead of me before I arrived and started draining the jam by letting people merge.Note that letting some cars get ahead of you is NOTHING, it doesn't slow you down. On a 30min congested commute at 65MPH, 2sec between cars, if you instead drove 5MPH slower than the rest, how many other cars would pass you? Seventy five! In other words, you're only a "Slowpoke" when a stunningly huge numbers of cars pass you. On the same commute, letting a few (10) cars merge will slow you down INSIGNIFICANTLY: by 20sec out of 30min or less than 1MPH slowing (64.5MPH, not 65MPH.) Ten cars one way or another is too small to matter.Conversely, if you want to drive significantly faster than everyone else, then you need to pass 50-100 other drivers to shorten your commute by a minute or two. If you only managed to pass a few cars, that's called FAILURE, and your speed wasn't increased enough to matter..Note: Trolls & spammers blocked immediately. Zero tolerance.

Channel: Science & Technology
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: wbeaty

Length: 07:02
Rating: 4.87234
Views: 97150

Tags: traffic  waves  jams  amasci  science  physics  chaos  diy  cars  driving  hypermiling  fuel  gas  

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Video Comments

elaundar (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Long drive commuters really must try this.I've done some extensive tests on this in the Dallas Fort-Worth area and can assure you that this does work (most of the time) At first I was just trying to help people behind me but I realized that merging/cheater elimination was actually helping my drive (it really is a forward propagating wave).The only thing it cannot help eliminate is static stops caused by something like a traffic light (but might help where the backup starts).
wbeaty (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
> verified theory mathematically?@s0198739 this is emergent phenomena of Complexity theory, illustrated by numerical simulations, not equations. Yes, online simulations show exactly these effects (e.g. merging-lane traffic jams having two stable states.) Traffic physics became a hot topic in the last ten years, see links to timeline of papers at the bottom of trafficwaves article, and Fed Hwy Admin "Merging principles 1,2,3" site on my links page.
s0198739 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
wbeaty - Have you verified (or attempted to) your traffic busting theory mathematically?
wbeaty (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
From 0:01 - 0:06 we see the fight that usually makes this jam (wasn't the best example though.)Then I let 11 cars "zipper" into the exit lane. Behind me was solid packed cars, same as in front. At the exit itself I see the backup had already drained away, and nobody was fighting to take turns (since I'd already zippered them all in.) I almost made it through without hitting the brakes.11 cars, one or two secs delay per car, that's investing 10-20 secs to avoid a few min of 10MPH driving.
alibaby228 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
If you are going the same speed as the cars ahead of you, why does the gap between the first car you are following get bigger?
pagtoot (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Sic
steve42lawson (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Wow! Thank you for that! I've been evolving towards this kind of solution but was afraid to surrender to the "greedy bastard" that lives in me and screams "Loser" whenever I would allow cars in front of me. Now, because of your video, I'm more conscious of "the voice", can dis-empower it because I now have Beaty validation ;) and can, thus, assume "Zen Traffic Master" status while driving!!!This actually works!
sssiod (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
I love it! Every day I want to be able to explain to people how to merge. I try to break up traffic jams exactly the same way. If I see a jam ahead of me depending on how far I can see I will let off the accelerator and maintain a constant speed guestimating when the jam will pull out and when I will arrive at the last car in front of me who comes to a stop. The only problem is once the gap is formed there is almost always someone to come along in the other lane to fill it in. Kent to Seattle.
jonnyfilmboy (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
Glad to see this video. I too noticed that if I let people in during a long line, the cheaters didn't show up as often way in front of you. It really smoothes things out especially when there is an accident and people are forced into one late at the last minute to avoid the police and fire vehicles. Just let a few people in instead of fighting with them, and there's no cutting and braking. Very good explanation in your video.
BenJamminForYou (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)
@aapinator I live in the United States, and the highways are the same in my area as you just explained.

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