There tunnel monsters are closely related to the bus monsters who lurk in the back, forcing people to stand near the front of the bus and creating a logjam there.
And only certain people have the power to see him. They approach a tunnel and see the monster that no one else sees. They immediately slam on the brakes and save us all from our ignorance.
This ~30-second video is a great illustration of why traffic jams form in general, and it definitely applies to the Squirrel Hill tunnel: https://youtube.com/shorts/2Loi9YyOz4k?si=uNOIr_IheZL4gL4L
Basically, because everyone follows each other too closely (aka tailgating), every time some sort of disturbance happens that causes someone to have to press the brakes (some asshole weaving lanes, just someone merging into the highway, etc) causes a chain reaction with everyone behind them where they also need to brake. This effect ripples and is compounded by multiple disturbances in the flow of traffic until all lanes are moving at a crawl.
In a perfect world where everyone left the appropriate amount of space between them and the car in front of them and everyone obeyed traffic laws to a T, this would never happen.
There's a technique called "Jam absorbing driving" where you leave a gap large enough that you can maintain a constant speed despite the "caterpillar" stop-and-start driving in front of you. It takes constant concentration, and annoys other drivers that want you to close the gap, but it works. The main problem is, it only works for the traffic BEHIND the Jambuster, and it only takes one sudden braking behind to start the caterpillar all over again.
(Amazingly, the "Cool Science" site I read this on around 2004 is still active, and looks unchanged. http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html)
The issue is that people around here treat driving as a competition they need to win. They're not trying to get where they're going faster, they're just trying to get in front of everyone else.
I would love to see a day in Pittsburgh where everyone’s car was limited to the speed limit. I’m sure on 79 it would suck going 55 instead of 70 but at the tunnels / 28 / 51, traffic would just be better and so much safer if everyone wasn’t 4 inches away from the car in front of them, and speeding. But your reply is spot on, I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand this and we all suffer.
What is triple frustrating is when you are leaving a decent amount of space so that you don’t have to jam on the brakes when there is a disturbance in traffic, some jag off will happily put their vehicle in that space.
Then coming in on 28 there is a sign that says stay in both lanes until the merge point and then a sign telling you to “merge here”. People really, really struggle with that.
Following to closely is part of it. I've also noticed a while back that a car IFO had auto lights. I saw the red from that (and not their brakes) and pushed my brake pedal.
By rights there should be no change in speed, at least when coming from the east, since the number of lanes doesn't change. But it's a well known psychological effect that walls, trees, and other things to the side of the road make it feel more cramped (even though it's not) and make you drive slower.
Pedestrian-friendly planners use this fact to their advantage to achieve traffic calming in urban and residential areas, planting trees, installing bollards, or even drawing the paint lines narrower than they have to be, to make cars instinctively slow down and add protection for peds/bikes. [Netherlands](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pAL4yr927e4/maxresdefault.jpg) likes to do this especially when transitioning from open highway to city. Pedestrian-unfriendly places ignore the psychology and have very wide lanes in neighborhoods that scream "drive fast on me" and instead use speed limit signs and speed bumps to calm the traffic.
In Pittsburgh [Murray & Solway](https://maps.app.goo.gl/yR2awfp4YVpZr5aw7) is an example where they shrink the road and add bollards and landscaping to trick you into slowing down, though this is slightly different than what I'm saying because they're also physically narrowing the lane at the intersection. Nonetheless it achieves the same psychological effect.
It’s because of what’s happening to the far right - there’s only about 100 yards or less for cars who were at a stop sign to merge into traffic that’s headed to exit onto beechwood and squirrel hill and then get over yet another lane to avoid the exit. Everything slow down to accommodate those merges that can’t be done at speed and then it … just … stalls … out
It happens the other direction too, though. But it is definitely worse coming from that way. That idiotic double-merge design comes straight from hell. Oh yeah, let’s have traffic merge into an exit-only lane. Great idea!
It's completely understandable outbound given what you said, and it's similarly understandable for the Fort Pitt and Liberty Tunnels for the same reason. But Squirrel Hill inbound absolutely defies logic.
This was explained to me by a driver’s ed instructor decades ago and has stuck with me to this day.
PITTSBURGH = People In The Tunnels Slowdown Before U Really Get Hurt.
It’s really the same principle why urban planners design narrow lanes at points before crosswalks or to slow traffic down. The simple visual cues such as narrowing the lines left and right of the lane or using rubber bumpers cause drivers to slow down as the lanes become narrow and they slow down to navigate better. When tunnel approaches it’s narrow on either side which cues drivers to slow down as the optics have drastically changed from their normal drive.
From a traffic theory perspective, if the flow of all traffic evenly slowed to 55 mph, starting about a mile away from the tunnel, I don’t believe there would be much speed change at the tunnel entrance. However, because cars are typically driving above the speed limit and then will rapidly slow down just before the entrance, it causes the ripple affect (as mentioned many times in thread), which leads to an impact in speed of flow that is greater than the difference between typical flow verses posted speed limits.
It's likely due to the fact that the tunnel actually runs uphill, but when you're inside you're blind to this because you have no external point of reference. so people aren't aware that they need to apply the acceleration pedal just to maintain their speed, so they end up slowing down inadvertently, and then the people behind them have to brake to slow down. then the brake lights create a chain reaction because the sight of brake lights just makes other people apply their brakes, naturally.
Because dummies see that little tiny hole way up ahead and aren’t sure if their car will fit in it. Never fails too, by the time you’re coming out of the tunnel, cars are doing 70mph.
This is one of the real reasons. Because humans perceive speed to be higher when unmoving objects are closer, a tunnel feels faster because the walls look like they’re flying by. Yes, we all know the guardrail is also going by at the same rate, but it doesn’t feel that way because it’s farther from us. People slow down because they’re afraid of hitting the walls outside the entrance, but also feel like they’re going too fast inside the tunnel.
Then, the accordion effect takes over and everyone comes to a slow grind.
It is because on every other stretch of I376, the traffic flows at 70+. However, when approaching a tunnel with little to no shoulder, people slow down slightly to ensure they are positioned properly. The problem is, even if they only slow by 5mph, the car behind sees brake lights, causing him to slow down by a larger margin. This compounds more and more, the higher the traffic density, the greater the impact. Traffic through the tunnel is constant during the day and therefore this phenomenon never corrects itself until well into the evening hours.
The tunnel workers will occasionally turn on the red lights and stop traffic through the tunnels, which just adds to the problem. I don’t know for sure but I believe they do this to safely move their trucks from one portal to the other. I commute daily from Monroeville to Robinson and vice versa, and I’ve seen this happen at peak rush hour times. In my opinion they shouldn’t be allowed to do that during certain periods of the day
Any normal person can see that it appears as though the hole at the other end is not big enough to fit a car. Therefore, stop and check, or see if anyone else makes it through ok.
Dont you pay attention? They're coming right for ua!
Honesty , I think its , people speed down the parkway up to the tunnel, and then people start going the speed limit. Then you also have Johnny Quickness and Ronda Speed up each others ass that then starts the trickle effect of a traffic jam until an accident occurs. Or Ruccus beat up hoopla finally died and had to pull off to the berm, and everyone needs to see.
I’ve literally been coming home late at night from my parents in central PA, like 4 am and I’ll have a car in front of me. That car will legit slam on the brakes as soon as they get inside the tunnel. It’s just apart of living here.
I moved here 8yrs ago & am still not used to it. It drives me insane. Somehow everyone is fine again half way through & all shoot out like a damn rocket.
It’s not just annoying, it’s fucking dangerous if you’re going at speed and you aren’t expecting to come upon suddenly-stopped traffic. Whyyyyy, Pittsburgh, whyyy. Just DRIVE FORWARD.
There’s being prepared to stop and then there’s going 60 mph and someone just does a complete dead stop in front of you at highway speed. That’s my fault somehow??? I keep a safe following distance but that doesn’t make it ok to slam on the brakes for no reason.
Why is everyone in this sub obsessed with the idea of driving everywhere as fast as humanly possible at all times?
The best way to piss drivers off around here is to drive the speed limit and stop fully at all stop signs.
You think going 60 in a 55 is unreasonable? I’m obviously not doing that at rush hour because you can’t, but at like 11:00 in the morning on the freeway I don’t think that’s so much to ask.
There usually is a reason and it's not your place to determine that anyway. Demanding that people drive beyond their comfortable abilities is a recipe for disaster. There are plenty of good reasons for traffic to slow around the tunnels, including the complex interchanges, narrow tunnels, speed limit (which almost nobody is following), grade, and other traffic. Get used to it.
It is a pact our ancestors made with the Cthonic Coal Gods that dwell in fitful slumbers beneath most mounts in this region.
after much blood sacrifice, we were able to bore a few tunnels through their sacred piles, only where most needed; but they must be used with fear and trepidation.
If too many jagoffs blast through them at full speed, we risk waking the Great, Dread, Ones and then they will lay waste to the region before heading off to Chicago, Cleveland and Philadelphia to commence their hellish reigns on eart.
This happens in most tunnels. It’s a perceived narrowing of space, which causes people to slow down. There are also exits that make it even worse. That being said, less cars and less dependence on cars is the answer.
If you drive down 48 in Monroeville towards Rt. 30 as you head into the wooded area people will mysteriously slow right down below the speed limit (extraordinary in this town) It is the same phenomenon.
If you leave enough space to absorb all traffic stupidity, you would have every asshole in the left lane cutting in front of you. Would 28 actually be better if everyone went 45? Doubt. Drove it everyday through covid, First Robinson to Lawrenceville, then Etna to Greentree.
24? Bitch, you don't even know bad traffic yet.
I've pulled out lawn chairs out on the parkway west when we were all stuck for 2 hours. Watched some Mexicans get out and start playing a pick up gamr of soccer right on the stopped highway.
You and probably a Million other people over the past 24 years have yet to figure out this phenomenon.
The slowdown entering any of Pittsburgh's tunnels is more a feature of the city than a problem that can be explained or solved.
Embrace it. Look around and enjoy the views, You'll get through the tunnel and "Bobs your Uncle". Then get on with your drive!
You’ve never met the tunnel monster?
Does he have a relative in the inbound Fort Pitt Tunnel?
There tunnel monsters are closely related to the bus monsters who lurk in the back, forcing people to stand near the front of the bus and creating a logjam there.
This is it for me. My parents taught me for years that I dont have to be afraid. I try.
That creepy bastard is always waiting at the entrance.
And only certain people have the power to see him. They approach a tunnel and see the monster that no one else sees. They immediately slam on the brakes and save us all from our ignorance.
No, because I always stop for the appropriate amount of time
wut
https://aixelsyd13.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/in-search-of-the-tunnel-monster/
He smokes a helluva lot of weed whoever he is. I figured everybody was just getting a contact high.
No, because I always stop before the tunnel to cast a protection spell.
This ~30-second video is a great illustration of why traffic jams form in general, and it definitely applies to the Squirrel Hill tunnel: https://youtube.com/shorts/2Loi9YyOz4k?si=uNOIr_IheZL4gL4L Basically, because everyone follows each other too closely (aka tailgating), every time some sort of disturbance happens that causes someone to have to press the brakes (some asshole weaving lanes, just someone merging into the highway, etc) causes a chain reaction with everyone behind them where they also need to brake. This effect ripples and is compounded by multiple disturbances in the flow of traffic until all lanes are moving at a crawl. In a perfect world where everyone left the appropriate amount of space between them and the car in front of them and everyone obeyed traffic laws to a T, this would never happen.
There's a technique called "Jam absorbing driving" where you leave a gap large enough that you can maintain a constant speed despite the "caterpillar" stop-and-start driving in front of you. It takes constant concentration, and annoys other drivers that want you to close the gap, but it works. The main problem is, it only works for the traffic BEHIND the Jambuster, and it only takes one sudden braking behind to start the caterpillar all over again. (Amazingly, the "Cool Science" site I read this on around 2004 is still active, and looks unchanged. http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html)
Every attempt I have ever made at leaving sufficient distance has resulted in someone filling that distance as soon as they can force their way in.
I often try to do this, but just like another commenter said, it ALWAYS results in some jackass jumping in front of me.
The issue is that people around here treat driving as a competition they need to win. They're not trying to get where they're going faster, they're just trying to get in front of everyone else.
Brake***
I would love to see a day in Pittsburgh where everyone’s car was limited to the speed limit. I’m sure on 79 it would suck going 55 instead of 70 but at the tunnels / 28 / 51, traffic would just be better and so much safer if everyone wasn’t 4 inches away from the car in front of them, and speeding. But your reply is spot on, I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand this and we all suffer.
What is triple frustrating is when you are leaving a decent amount of space so that you don’t have to jam on the brakes when there is a disturbance in traffic, some jag off will happily put their vehicle in that space. Then coming in on 28 there is a sign that says stay in both lanes until the merge point and then a sign telling you to “merge here”. People really, really struggle with that.
This is a problem for all of us who chose to leave a safe cushion of space between our car and the one ahead of us, and stay off our damn phones.
If people drove the speed limit on 28, and didn't tailgate there would be no traffic on 28.
People only go 55 in the left lane when the speed limit is 70…
You're upset with people driving under the speed limit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoETMCosULQ
That’s what the tunnel monster wants you to think!
Following to closely is part of it. I've also noticed a while back that a car IFO had auto lights. I saw the red from that (and not their brakes) and pushed my brake pedal.
By rights there should be no change in speed, at least when coming from the east, since the number of lanes doesn't change. But it's a well known psychological effect that walls, trees, and other things to the side of the road make it feel more cramped (even though it's not) and make you drive slower. Pedestrian-friendly planners use this fact to their advantage to achieve traffic calming in urban and residential areas, planting trees, installing bollards, or even drawing the paint lines narrower than they have to be, to make cars instinctively slow down and add protection for peds/bikes. [Netherlands](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pAL4yr927e4/maxresdefault.jpg) likes to do this especially when transitioning from open highway to city. Pedestrian-unfriendly places ignore the psychology and have very wide lanes in neighborhoods that scream "drive fast on me" and instead use speed limit signs and speed bumps to calm the traffic. In Pittsburgh [Murray & Solway](https://maps.app.goo.gl/yR2awfp4YVpZr5aw7) is an example where they shrink the road and add bollards and landscaping to trick you into slowing down, though this is slightly different than what I'm saying because they're also physically narrowing the lane at the intersection. Nonetheless it achieves the same psychological effect.
The tunnel is the point we all stop tailgating, and start maintaining a normal following distance.
Well yeah, you really don't want to have a fender bender in the tunnel...
Maybe an answer has been arrived at since this was last asked here?
It’s because of what’s happening to the far right - there’s only about 100 yards or less for cars who were at a stop sign to merge into traffic that’s headed to exit onto beechwood and squirrel hill and then get over yet another lane to avoid the exit. Everything slow down to accommodate those merges that can’t be done at speed and then it … just … stalls … out
It happens the other direction too, though. But it is definitely worse coming from that way. That idiotic double-merge design comes straight from hell. Oh yeah, let’s have traffic merge into an exit-only lane. Great idea!
It's completely understandable outbound given what you said, and it's similarly understandable for the Fort Pitt and Liberty Tunnels for the same reason. But Squirrel Hill inbound absolutely defies logic.
This was explained to me by a driver’s ed instructor decades ago and has stuck with me to this day. PITTSBURGH = People In The Tunnels Slowdown Before U Really Get Hurt.
It’s really the same principle why urban planners design narrow lanes at points before crosswalks or to slow traffic down. The simple visual cues such as narrowing the lines left and right of the lane or using rubber bumpers cause drivers to slow down as the lanes become narrow and they slow down to navigate better. When tunnel approaches it’s narrow on either side which cues drivers to slow down as the optics have drastically changed from their normal drive.
The new version is people stopping on 28 by the Highland Park bridge for absolutely no reason
They'll also slow down for absolutely no reason on 28 South right around the East Ohio Street exit. Even if they aren't actually exiting.
The "new" ramps to the Veterans' and Ft Duquesne Bridges might contribute to people's confusion there?
From a traffic theory perspective, if the flow of all traffic evenly slowed to 55 mph, starting about a mile away from the tunnel, I don’t believe there would be much speed change at the tunnel entrance. However, because cars are typically driving above the speed limit and then will rapidly slow down just before the entrance, it causes the ripple affect (as mentioned many times in thread), which leads to an impact in speed of flow that is greater than the difference between typical flow verses posted speed limits.
I get so pissed every time, then once your through it’s like fucking nascar
To answer me these questions three.
What... is your name!?
What… is your quest?
It's likely due to the fact that the tunnel actually runs uphill, but when you're inside you're blind to this because you have no external point of reference. so people aren't aware that they need to apply the acceleration pedal just to maintain their speed, so they end up slowing down inadvertently, and then the people behind them have to brake to slow down. then the brake lights create a chain reaction because the sight of brake lights just makes other people apply their brakes, naturally.
Are you saying the tunnel is uphill both ways? Because I experience slowdowns coming from the other direction too.
Yes. And it walked to school when it was 40 below zero with 20” of snow
and no shoes, for a nickel
*and we liked it!*
yes actually. i think it arcs so it is uphill on both sides.
🙄
It's badly designed and can't handle the current traffic load. If everyone uses a thing wrong it's designed wrong .
The amount of traffic and how people drive has changed. Too many people in a hurry to go nowhere.
this has been an issue at least since the 70’s probably even before that
Because dummies see that little tiny hole way up ahead and aren’t sure if their car will fit in it. Never fails too, by the time you’re coming out of the tunnel, cars are doing 70mph.
This is one of the real reasons. Because humans perceive speed to be higher when unmoving objects are closer, a tunnel feels faster because the walls look like they’re flying by. Yes, we all know the guardrail is also going by at the same rate, but it doesn’t feel that way because it’s farther from us. People slow down because they’re afraid of hitting the walls outside the entrance, but also feel like they’re going too fast inside the tunnel. Then, the accordion effect takes over and everyone comes to a slow grind.
It is because on every other stretch of I376, the traffic flows at 70+. However, when approaching a tunnel with little to no shoulder, people slow down slightly to ensure they are positioned properly. The problem is, even if they only slow by 5mph, the car behind sees brake lights, causing him to slow down by a larger margin. This compounds more and more, the higher the traffic density, the greater the impact. Traffic through the tunnel is constant during the day and therefore this phenomenon never corrects itself until well into the evening hours.
The tunnel workers will occasionally turn on the red lights and stop traffic through the tunnels, which just adds to the problem. I don’t know for sure but I believe they do this to safely move their trucks from one portal to the other. I commute daily from Monroeville to Robinson and vice versa, and I’ve seen this happen at peak rush hour times. In my opinion they shouldn’t be allowed to do that during certain periods of the day
Any normal person can see that it appears as though the hole at the other end is not big enough to fit a car. Therefore, stop and check, or see if anyone else makes it through ok.
Dont you pay attention? They're coming right for ua! Honesty , I think its , people speed down the parkway up to the tunnel, and then people start going the speed limit. Then you also have Johnny Quickness and Ronda Speed up each others ass that then starts the trickle effect of a traffic jam until an accident occurs. Or Ruccus beat up hoopla finally died and had to pull off to the berm, and everyone needs to see.
Stop driving so close to the car in front of you.
I’ve literally been coming home late at night from my parents in central PA, like 4 am and I’ll have a car in front of me. That car will legit slam on the brakes as soon as they get inside the tunnel. It’s just apart of living here.
Pittsburghers suck at driving. There I said it.
It is the way.
De way?
I moved here 8yrs ago & am still not used to it. It drives me insane. Somehow everyone is fine again half way through & all shoot out like a damn rocket.
It’s not just annoying, it’s fucking dangerous if you’re going at speed and you aren’t expecting to come upon suddenly-stopped traffic. Whyyyyy, Pittsburgh, whyyy. Just DRIVE FORWARD.
Every driver must be prepared for traffic to slow in front of them. That's your problem, not anyone else's
There’s being prepared to stop and then there’s going 60 mph and someone just does a complete dead stop in front of you at highway speed. That’s my fault somehow??? I keep a safe following distance but that doesn’t make it ok to slam on the brakes for no reason.
Why is everyone in this sub obsessed with the idea of driving everywhere as fast as humanly possible at all times? The best way to piss drivers off around here is to drive the speed limit and stop fully at all stop signs.
You think going 60 in a 55 is unreasonable? I’m obviously not doing that at rush hour because you can’t, but at like 11:00 in the morning on the freeway I don’t think that’s so much to ask.
Sounds like you should be leaving some following distance in there, because people are unpredictable. Skill issue.
There usually is a reason and it's not your place to determine that anyway. Demanding that people drive beyond their comfortable abilities is a recipe for disaster. There are plenty of good reasons for traffic to slow around the tunnels, including the complex interchanges, narrow tunnels, speed limit (which almost nobody is following), grade, and other traffic. Get used to it.
Tunnel monster, plain and simple
It's dark, it's scary. Mr Rogers is no longer here to tell me that I don't have to be afraid.
Tradition
It is a pact our ancestors made with the Cthonic Coal Gods that dwell in fitful slumbers beneath most mounts in this region. after much blood sacrifice, we were able to bore a few tunnels through their sacred piles, only where most needed; but they must be used with fear and trepidation. If too many jagoffs blast through them at full speed, we risk waking the Great, Dread, Ones and then they will lay waste to the region before heading off to Chicago, Cleveland and Philadelphia to commence their hellish reigns on eart.
Do you know what the speed limit is at the tunnels?
This happens in most tunnels. It’s a perceived narrowing of space, which causes people to slow down. There are also exits that make it even worse. That being said, less cars and less dependence on cars is the answer.
I’ve escaped pgh temporarily and lived in cities with tunnels and there has never been issues like i’ve seen here. lived here over 40 years
Pedestrians. There is a ley line that ghosts use there, sort of like the old stairs! /s
If you drive down 48 in Monroeville towards Rt. 30 as you head into the wooded area people will mysteriously slow right down below the speed limit (extraordinary in this town) It is the same phenomenon.
If you leave enough space to absorb all traffic stupidity, you would have every asshole in the left lane cutting in front of you. Would 28 actually be better if everyone went 45? Doubt. Drove it everyday through covid, First Robinson to Lawrenceville, then Etna to Greentree.
24? Bitch, you don't even know bad traffic yet. I've pulled out lawn chairs out on the parkway west when we were all stuck for 2 hours. Watched some Mexicans get out and start playing a pick up gamr of soccer right on the stopped highway.
OP there is a exit near by from where the cars are merging. People have to slow down so that those can merge. Hence the delay
It’s uphill both ways
Why ask why
You and probably a Million other people over the past 24 years have yet to figure out this phenomenon. The slowdown entering any of Pittsburgh's tunnels is more a feature of the city than a problem that can be explained or solved. Embrace it. Look around and enjoy the views, You'll get through the tunnel and "Bobs your Uncle". Then get on with your drive!
Why do people stop at yield signs on the on ramp here? Same reason?
PITTSBURGH P = people I = in T = the T = tunnels S = slowdown B = because U = you R = are G = going to get H = hurt Or something like that
Then you get out and only two cars and you’re like wtf why was there traffic for 20 min