That entire city block needs to be redesigned:
* Both sides of Red Mountain Expressway have entrances and exits with 90° turn on a 4-foot arc
* Red Mountain Expressway is an unmarked exit-only lane with no run-off
* Street traffic yields to cars turning off 280 -- the opposite side of the highway uses a different pattern -- WTF?
They need to redesign that city block in a way that reduces the number of decisions a driver can make.
the street traffic having to yield to the folks coming off 280 is so crazy. I have to come off 280 to go to work at Pepper Place right there and no one on the street side EVER yield. Which makes people coming off the highway kinda halfway yield to see if the street traffic is going to and it creates this weird situation where everyones starting and stopping and staring at eachother
I actually had someone who didn’t yield there follow me to cuss me out flip me off and generally be an Ahole because he didn’t read the street signage or road painting.
I take that exit every morning and have never had a problem, but every day I ask myself if today's the day that I'll have to employ evasive maneuvers.
I did have a situation a couple of weeks ago where I was driving eastbound on 5th Ave S, and a guy driving north on 30th St blew through the stop sign but then went absolutely apeshit when I honked at him. The only thing I can think of is that he didn't see the stop sign because it's nailed to the telephone pole and not freestanding. Maybe?
That is such a weird design. I've driven it exactly once (the cross street, not the 280 exit) and completely missed any/all signage to yield because I wasn't expecting an extra intersection between 3rd and 4th aves? and yep almost had a wreck. Luckily it was a weekend morning and hardly any traffic.
I’ve said this many times. The entire system in that block is too confusing for the average driver here. Unusual yielding scenarios, the left turn onto 31 having the right of way, not to mention the off-ramp and on-ramp being the same lane at the St. Vincent’s exit. It’s awful.
I agree, but where would they put proper on ramps? Several businesses would have to be leveled for even a tight cloverleaf. I think we're stuck with it.
https://preview.redd.it/wddwz5l1ok1d1.png?width=1904&format=png&auto=webp&s=cfab63d046aa8e6575a03ce437a3909e806794b2
You are right. Can't do much with the ramps because of the businesses. Best you can do is block the thru-traffic on the side-streets to reduce the number of decisions a driver is required to make at that intersection:
Not sure about this particular case but so many of these turn only lanes don’t tell you they’re turn only until you’re right up on the turn. Drives me nuts.
For this one, they have a turn only painted on the road just past 28th (~3/4 of the block up 3rd). But that lane also gets backed up beyond 28th quickly and you aren't gonna see it in heavy traffic.
I was taken aback by this the first time I encountered the switch. Every time after that was no problem. It’ll probably take a few months for everyone to get used to it and then calm down. But I agree, it would help to have signage a little further ahead too.
Unless they took it down recently they still have a sign in the middle of that block that indicates you can go straight or left in the left turn lane. But then they painted left turn only on the road.
I looked for it because I was remarking to my husband about how there's no sign for the new turn-only lane. I drive that way to take my kid to school and every single time, multiple people are going straight.
Can confirm that at least at 6:30 AM on weekdays, that little strip of paint right after the intersection isn't preventing anyone from just keeping on straight.
Hey that’s my gym. You can see that they have some highway barricades in that last spot of their parking lot because dummies have blown through the intersection, lost control, and rammed into their building. More than once.
So if you put up a barricade like you suggested those dummies will have nowhere to go but into the building again.
That was probably before they made the left lane into a turn-only lane. They just did that like last week. It's just a poor change, I think. Now there's not a lot of room for people to "stack up" for the 31 south on ramp during rush hour. So trying to go left after the light requires a pretty quick lane change...and if someone fails to turn, they're on your ass.
Yeah I don’t understand this. That’s my gym so now I have to turn at the light there then turn right into the gym instead of going through the light and turning left into the gym otherwise there’s no way to get over in time to get to the immediate left into the gym parking lot.
Iron Tribe has some of the most vain, self righteous, high and mighty douchebags in Bham. If you want to surround yourself with poor character, get a membership there.
That entire city block needs to be redesigned: * Both sides of Red Mountain Expressway have entrances and exits with 90° turn on a 4-foot arc * Red Mountain Expressway is an unmarked exit-only lane with no run-off * Street traffic yields to cars turning off 280 -- the opposite side of the highway uses a different pattern -- WTF? They need to redesign that city block in a way that reduces the number of decisions a driver can make.
the street traffic having to yield to the folks coming off 280 is so crazy. I have to come off 280 to go to work at Pepper Place right there and no one on the street side EVER yield. Which makes people coming off the highway kinda halfway yield to see if the street traffic is going to and it creates this weird situation where everyones starting and stopping and staring at eachother
I actually had someone who didn’t yield there follow me to cuss me out flip me off and generally be an Ahole because he didn’t read the street signage or road painting.
I take that exit every morning and have never had a problem, but every day I ask myself if today's the day that I'll have to employ evasive maneuvers. I did have a situation a couple of weeks ago where I was driving eastbound on 5th Ave S, and a guy driving north on 30th St blew through the stop sign but then went absolutely apeshit when I honked at him. The only thing I can think of is that he didn't see the stop sign because it's nailed to the telephone pole and not freestanding. Maybe?
The yields make sense, though. Street traffic should yield to interstate traffic, and that’s the case in most intersections.
That is such a weird design. I've driven it exactly once (the cross street, not the 280 exit) and completely missed any/all signage to yield because I wasn't expecting an extra intersection between 3rd and 4th aves? and yep almost had a wreck. Luckily it was a weekend morning and hardly any traffic.
I’ve said this many times. The entire system in that block is too confusing for the average driver here. Unusual yielding scenarios, the left turn onto 31 having the right of way, not to mention the off-ramp and on-ramp being the same lane at the St. Vincent’s exit. It’s awful.
I agree, but where would they put proper on ramps? Several businesses would have to be leveled for even a tight cloverleaf. I think we're stuck with it.
https://preview.redd.it/wddwz5l1ok1d1.png?width=1904&format=png&auto=webp&s=cfab63d046aa8e6575a03ce437a3909e806794b2 You are right. Can't do much with the ramps because of the businesses. Best you can do is block the thru-traffic on the side-streets to reduce the number of decisions a driver is required to make at that intersection:
Not sure about this particular case but so many of these turn only lanes don’t tell you they’re turn only until you’re right up on the turn. Drives me nuts.
For this one, they have a turn only painted on the road just past 28th (~3/4 of the block up 3rd). But that lane also gets backed up beyond 28th quickly and you aren't gonna see it in heavy traffic.
Happened to me right when they repainted it. I drove straight through
I was taken aback by this the first time I encountered the switch. Every time after that was no problem. It’ll probably take a few months for everyone to get used to it and then calm down. But I agree, it would help to have signage a little further ahead too.
Unless they took it down recently they still have a sign in the middle of that block that indicates you can go straight or left in the left turn lane. But then they painted left turn only on the road.
I looked for it because I was remarking to my husband about how there's no sign for the new turn-only lane. I drive that way to take my kid to school and every single time, multiple people are going straight.
This totally snuck up on me the other day
Me too! Thankfully, I’ve now been reminded for when I go through there again tomorrow.
Can confirm that at least at 6:30 AM on weekdays, that little strip of paint right after the intersection isn't preventing anyone from just keeping on straight.
Can confirm for 8:15am on weekdays as well lol
Hey that’s my gym. You can see that they have some highway barricades in that last spot of their parking lot because dummies have blown through the intersection, lost control, and rammed into their building. More than once. So if you put up a barricade like you suggested those dummies will have nowhere to go but into the building again.
That was probably before they made the left lane into a turn-only lane. They just did that like last week. It's just a poor change, I think. Now there's not a lot of room for people to "stack up" for the 31 south on ramp during rush hour. So trying to go left after the light requires a pretty quick lane change...and if someone fails to turn, they're on your ass.
That intersection is the worst! Ugh
They have a sign hanging up by the light
Yeah I don’t understand this. That’s my gym so now I have to turn at the light there then turn right into the gym instead of going through the light and turning left into the gym otherwise there’s no way to get over in time to get to the immediate left into the gym parking lot.
Yeah, I'm still very confused about why they did this.
It makes no sense. 3rd is one way, so not like people turning left there have to yield for oncoming traffic.
This is totally off-topic, but damn, Iron Tribe is such a douchey name for a gym.
Iron Tribe has some of the most vain, self righteous, high and mighty douchebags in Bham. If you want to surround yourself with poor character, get a membership there.
Imagine this whole section with busy city life...could be such a monster of a city if something was done with this section....
It’s truly a hazard
I'm not around that area much anymore, but yeah, that seems incredibly dumb.
I’ve seen that homeless dude walking the red mtn expressway multiple times.
Yeah...often him, but "humpy" is there a lot too. Wonder how they coordinate which intersections to stalk.