Are they nuts?

States push for truck-only lanes
DAYTON, Ohio — With truck traffic rising, at least nine states are considering proposals to separate big rigs from cars on interstate highways, hoping to reduce congestion, improve safety and increase commerce by moving goods faster.

How are goods going to move faster if every truck is only going as fast as the slowest truck out there? There is a quicker better solution for this, later.

Financing is a sticking point.

Trucking pays 43% of the annual $35 billion in user fees for federal highways, according to the trucking associations. Truckers also pay a federal diesel fuel tax of 24.4 cents a gallon, a 12% excise tax on new trucks, an annual vehicle-use tax and a tax on tires.

Plus Federal Heavy Use Tax  and State taxes on fuel and mileage, plus more expensive tolls on toll roads.

Of course someone brings up safety -  

In 2005, 442,000 large trucks were involved in crashes — 309,000 of them with other vehicles and 4,932 of them fatal, the most since 2000. However, the number of people killed in large-truck crashes is expected to be down 3.7% in 2006, according to projections by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Karen Kuhn, 60, of Fairfield, said it is sometimes difficult to maneuver on interstate highways because there are so many trucks.

“It can get a little tense when you’re hemmed in on three sides by these truckers,” she said. “I’m trying to get into the fast lane, and they’re trying to get into the right lane, and it’s a stalemate. A truck lane would improve flow.”

Only if it’s on the left! Wait… She’s 60! (I’m just saying!) So many trucks and cars on the road is a problem. Lane restrictions like California only cause trucks to be bunched up on the right while cars zip in front of us to get on and off exit ramps.

New Jersey has I-95, a toll road, there are several miles that split between Express and Local. Trucks have to stay in the two right lanes in the Local Track. Trucks are bunched up while the other 5 or 6 lanes are empty. Makes no sense whatsoever!

More Bypasses

Arizona wants to build a bypass around Phoenix AND Tucson. There are a lot of truck related businesses that would be bypassed in Casa Grande and Eloy. Even with a bypass and truck only lanes, that’s going to take care of their truck traffic problem? How do these cities think they get their groceries and everything else?

I want to get around traffic and I hate going through the middle of cities and rush hour if I don’t have to, but I’m not going to pay extra for the privilege or get pushed into one lane for hours.

The Solution

Want a solution right now? How about making trucks drive LEFT, including any HOV lanes? If I’m going through the city I don’t want to mess with other traffic, cars or trucks trying to merge in and out every mile.  But that’s too far out of the box for most because of the slower traffic drive right mindset. But if through trucks kept left and HOV lanes became through trucks only, it would be much safer and more efficient.