Just read an article on a new turning maneuver that has been introduced in Melbourne for at this time one intersection. They are calling it the P Turn and means if you want to turn at this intersection you must go to the next one to U turn and come back to turn in. They are saying it reduces congestion at this intersection…my thoughts are that it is just probably moving it one intersection up.
I can see why…reduces the number of different turning light cycles, thus increasing the time for straight through traffic. A problem may be shifting the problem somewnere else… it could cause the overloading of the next intersection by the (u) turning traffic.
Doesn’t seem particularly innovative like a DDI is for example (which is not a solution for this problem anyway, but …). I tend to agree - it will just change how the problem looks and move it slightly - ETA’s probably won’t change, other than in the spin story …
It is imported from the USA (isn’t everything imported?) and it actually works.
One would think it just distributes the congestion but by removing a backup caused by a turn only lane they can alleviate the follow-on effects by re-timing the traffic signals. It is not a perfect solution but it is helpful in the overall picture, and most importantly it is possible to implement and only requires modest $$ to do so.
For right-side driving it looks more like a P than for us.
When I first obtained my drivers licence back in 1971 there were intersections in Melbourne GBD where you had to perform a similar turn . The reason being was to not impede trams by making a right hand turn in front of them .I think the intersections were any where there were tram tracks entering from all sides of the intersection . In those days and now we refer to them as "hook " turns ./
The only difference I can see is that we went from the left hand lane and parked in front of the traffic waiting to go through the intersection on the left of us , . Link below from VicRoads explains it . They are still required at some CBD intersections . They appear on the link after U turns if you scroll down . /
