Penn construction between NW 150th & 164th finished

[TheTravellers]

The construction is pretty much finished, but 30 MPH signs are still up, possibly as a speed trap (cops were out writing tons of tickets one night a couple of weeks ago), or just the contractors being lazy/sloppy, who knows around here...

Not sure if they finished it in the 120 working days that the project was supposed to take (according to OKC), but my god, they screwed up - it's 4 lanes (with turning lanes and one new light (which IMHO isn't needed now, but may be years in the future) until it gets within a couple of blocks of 164th, then it turns back into 2 lanes. How shortsighted/stupid/whatever do you have to be to do that? Yes, I know, it could be due to municipal boundaries, but damn, OKC, work with Edmond or the county or the state to go the extra few hundred feet and make it 4 lanes ALL THE WAY TO 164TH! I'm pretty sure that the widening of 164th between Penn and Western is going to be 4 lanes all the way from Penn to Western (it's an ODOT project), they're actually doing it the RIGHT way and planning ahead.

[corwin1968]

Just last night my wife was complaining about them not extending the 4 lanes all the way to 164th. It also looks like 164th westbound might not be 4-laned all the way to Penn. I was wondering if major intersections, like bridges, have their own crews and timelines that are seperate from the roadways.

[TheTravellers]

Just last night my wife was complaining about them not extending the 4 lanes all the way to 164th. It also looks like 164th westbound might not be 4-laned all the way to Penn. I was wondering if major intersections, like bridges, have their own crews and timelines that are seperate from the roadways.

Hmm, I'll have to look closer at 164th westbound, thought they were making it 4 lanes all the way to Penn, it's ridiculous if they're not. As far as intersections having their own crew, it appeared like the 164th/May intersection was rebuilt along with the rest of the road. Can't speak as to Western and 164th or 150th, that was about finished by the time we got here. Could be a possibility, though, just to get the roads done, then get another crew to do the intersections when the supporting roads are finished. Damn, I hope we've moved from there by then if that's the way they're going to do it!

[brownb01]

The construction is pretty much finished, but 30 MPH signs are still up, possibly as a speed trap (cops were out writing tons of tickets one night a couple of weeks ago), or just the contractors being lazy/sloppy, who knows around here...

Not sure if they finished it in the 120 working days that the project was supposed to take (according to OKC), but my god, they screwed up - it's 4 lanes (with turning lanes and one new light (which IMHO isn't needed now, but may be years in the future) until it gets within a couple of blocks of 164th, then it turns back into 2 lanes. How shortsighted/stupid/whatever do you have to be to do that? Yes, I know, it could be due to municipal boundaries, but damn, OKC, work with Edmond or the county or the state to go the extra few hundred feet and make it 4 lanes ALL THE WAY TO 164TH! I'm pretty sure that the widening of 164th between Penn and Western is going to be 4 lanes all the way from Penn to Western (it's an ODOT project), they're actually doing it the RIGHT way and planning ahead.

Heck...give them some time. The intersection has to be able to support the lanes. Right now the interesection doesn't support it in ANY direction. The 4 lane to the intersection will come with time. They are working on 164th now...once that gets closer to completion we'll see the intersection expand. This isn't new...this is what they did on May as well.

As far as the stop light...it's probably to slow people down more than anything.

I love watching the idiots flying by now with the 30mph zones. People are just freaking stuipd. They go flying by, risking a ticket and then I am right behind them at the stop light. I never understand the hurry up and get to a stop light thing.

[SkyWestOKC]

I love watching the idiots flying by now with the 30mph zones. People are just freaking stuipd. They go flying by, risking a ticket and then I am right behind them at the stop light. I never understand the hurry up and get to a stop light thing.

I speed up and get to a signal if I am going to be the first one to the intersection. If there are already cars sitting at the intersection, I don't get in a hurry. In a hurry, my mindset is getting there fast, and the quicker the signal knows you are there (tripping the sensors) the sooner it will give you a green light. Ever drive at night when there are only a handful of cars? The first person to touch the sensors gets the green first. It's frustrating getting beat to the sensor by perpendicular traffic by a matter of seconds and then having to stop instead of keeping the green. That's at night, but the signals use pretty much the same "priority" system at night as they do during the day. In the daytime it doesn't trip as fast because there is traffic everywhere, but it still knows you are there.

[TheTravellers]

I speed up and get to a signal if I am going to be the first one to the intersection. If there are already cars sitting at the intersection, I don't get in a hurry. In a hurry, my mindset is getting there fast, and the quicker the signal knows you are there (tripping the sensors) the sooner it will give you a green light. Ever drive at night when there are only a handful of cars? The first person to touch the sensors gets the green first. It's frustrating getting beat to the sensor by perpendicular traffic by a matter of seconds and then having to stop instead of keeping the green. That's at night, but the signals use pretty much the same "priority" system at night as they do during the day. In the daytime it doesn't trip as fast because there is traffic everywhere, but it still knows you are there.

I speed up to get to a signal and be the first one there going my direction. I try to get out from behind all the drivers that are using a cell phone and/or going 10 MPH under the speed limit, so I don't have to stay behind them all the way to the next light, and the next, and the next. Time at red lights can accumulate and since they're so completely untimed here in OKC (in most areas), I try to get ahead of the pack (that apparently just loves their cars so much that they like to spend hours a day in them by driving ridiculously slow) so I can at least have a chance of hitting the next light green. Slow drivers blocking both lanes in one direction and red lights can almost double my commute time...

[TheTravellers]

Heck...give them some time. The intersection has to be able to support the lanes. Right now the interesection doesn't support it in ANY direction. The 4 lane to the intersection will come with time. They are working on 164th now...once that gets closer to completion we'll see the intersection expand. This isn't new...this is what they did on May as well.

As far as the stop light...it's probably to slow people down more than anything.

I love watching the idiots flying by now with the 30mph zones. People are just freaking stuipd. They go flying by, risking a ticket and then I am right behind them at the stop light. I never understand the hurry up and get to a stop light thing.

So they did the 164th/May intersection at a different time than the May construction? I don't remember it that way, it all seemed to be finished at pretty much the same time (maybe the intersection was done a few weeks after May was competely finished, but that's still approximately the same time), so I don't think that's how that project happened, sorry. And putting stop lights in to slow people down is so completely the wrong reason to put a traffic light in (see the MUTCD)!

[sooner12]

It does almost seem like they haven't finished the construction just so they can write more speeding tickets. I live right off this intersection and they have done very little work over the past week, but I see someone pulled over almost everytime I drive through there.

[brownb01]

So they did the 164th/May intersection at a different time than the May construction? I don't remember it that way, it all seemed to be finished at pretty much the same time (maybe the intersection was done a few weeks after May was competely finished, but that's still approximately the same time), so I don't think that's how that project happened, sorry. And putting stop lights in to slow people down is so completely the wrong reason to put a traffic light in (see the MUTCD)!

Not true. Intersection took much much longer. Heck...I don't think it's even done now. If so, it was very recently.

[brownb01]

I speed up and get to a signal if I am going to be the first one to the intersection. If there are already cars sitting at the intersection, I don't get in a hurry. In a hurry, my mindset is getting there fast, and the quicker the signal knows you are there (tripping the sensors) the sooner it will give you a green light. Ever drive at night when there are only a handful of cars? The first person to touch the sensors gets the green first. It's frustrating getting beat to the sensor by perpendicular traffic by a matter of seconds and then having to stop instead of keeping the green. That's at night, but the signals use pretty much the same "priority" system at night as they do during the day. In the daytime it doesn't trip as fast because there is traffic everywhere, but it still knows you are there.

Doesn't work one mile at a time. I was still behind the same car when we got to 122nd. He speed off at the green lights...I catch him at the next red. It's kinda fun.

[SkyWestOKC]

I am aware it is per intersection. But the sooner the sensor gets tripped, the sooner it will turn green. I arrive at 15 signal lights per day. If I can cut off 15 seconds from each one, I save an extra 4 minutes in my car. Or, extrapolated out to a year, a full day (24.3 hrs) of extra time. I don't like being in my car longer than I need to. And actually, sometimes getting to the light earlier than someone else does result in my being able to make it through the light as the other car gets the red. Happens everyday at 3 or 4 lights that I come to in a row. The way they have them timed, I know I have to go 55 in the 45 and be one of the first 3 cars in that lane (that were at the previous light with me) to make it through all of the lights in that row. The people behind me going 45 end up having to stop at one of the lights, and miss the timing for the next few lights. I did used to go the speed limit in that "zone" until I discovered I can shave off 5 minutes of my driving time by going a little faster, but not a wreckless speed. So, that gives me an extra 5 minutes of cushion to be on time, plus time saved at other lights.

[ljbab728]

I am aware it is per intersection. But the sooner the sensor gets tripped, the sooner it will turn green. I arrive at 15 signal lights per day. If I can cut off 15 seconds from each one, I save an extra 4 minutes in my car. Or, extrapolated out to a year, a full day (24.3 hrs) of extra time. I don't like being in my car longer than I need to. And actually, sometimes getting to the light earlier than someone else does result in my being able to make it through the light as the other car gets the red. Happens everyday at 3 or 4 lights that I come to in a row. The way they have them timed, I know I have to go 55 in the 45 and be one of the first 3 cars in that lane (that were at the previous light with me) to make it through all of the lights in that row. The people behind me going 45 end up having to stop at one of the lights, and miss the timing for the next few lights. I did used to go the speed limit in that "zone" until I discovered I can shave off 5 minutes of my driving time by going a little faster, but not a wreckless speed. So, that gives me an extra 5 minutes of cushion to be on time, plus time saved at other lights.

Skywest, if you regularly exceed the speed limit anywhere on purpose, that is reckless and you deserve a ticket if you're caught. Saving you 5 minutes isn't worth possibly causing a wreck. You can leave home 5 minutes earlier in the morning or get home 5 minutes later in the evening and everyone will be safer.

[SkyWestOKC]

What is more dangerous/reckless; an alert driver going slightly faster than the posted limit (minus school zones, I don't speed in those), or a distracted driver who is going 10 mph under the speed limit?

[ljbab728]

What is more dangerous/reckless; an alert driver going slightly faster than the posted limit (minus school zones, I don't speed in those), or a distracted driver who is going 10 mph under the speed limit?

I don't see the relevance in that question. Neither one are safe drivers. Debating which is better is pointless. You have to realize that other drivers who obey the speed limits try to base their driving and reaction times based on the assumption that other drivers are doing the same. When that doesn't happen, accidents occur. There is no legitimate reason to drive over the speed limit unless there is some kind of immediate emergency. Getting to work or home on time doesn't qualify.
TheTravellers and I have already had this same discussion recently in the thread in the Underground section about this same intersection. He likes to speed also.

[TheTravellers]

Not true. Intersection took much much longer. Heck...I don't think it's even done now. If so, it was very recently.

BS. May/164th intersection was done just a few weeks later (if that long) than May between 150th/164th. Lights have been up and functional for weeks, if not months. I can't go back and find the exact date because I posted it on okctalk before the crash and it was lost in the crash, I'm pretty sure. I drive through there every day, so I know this as fact.

[TheTravellers]

What is more dangerous/reckless; an alert driver going slightly faster than the posted limit (minus school zones, I don't speed in those), or a distracted driver who is going 10 mph under the speed limit?

Personally, I believe the distracted driver is more dangerous. I drive when I drive, I don't talk on the phone, I don't eat in the car, sometimes I talk to my passenger (if I have one), I usually leave my radio on one station (The Spy), all I do is drive. I drive far ahead of my bumper and pay damn near complete attention to what's going on behind me, in front of me, and on the side streets for as far as I can see. Not many people do that, and it's entirely possible that the horribly dangerous speeders (like me and SkyWest) are actually paying more attention to driving than the idiot smoking, drinking, eating, and talking on the cellphone is. It's also entirely possible that horribly dangerous speeders are *not* paying attention and the idiot smoking, drinking, eating, and talking on the cellphone *is* paying more attention than the speeder. The first scenario is much more likely than the latter one, though, IMHO.

[ljbab728]

Personally, I believe the distracted driver is more dangerous. I drive when I drive, I don't talk on the phone, I don't eat in the car, sometimes I talk to my passenger (if I have one), I usually leave my radio on one station (The Spy), all I do is drive. I drive far ahead of my bumper and pay damn near complete attention to what's going on behind me, in front of me, and on the side streets for as far as I can see. Not many people do that, and it's entirely possible that the horribly dangerous speeders (like me and SkyWest) are actually paying more attention to driving than the idiot smoking, drinking, eating, and talking on the cellphone is. It's also entirely possible that horribly dangerous speeders are *not* paying attention and the idiot smoking, drinking, eating, and talking on the cellphone *is* paying more attention than the speeder. The first scenario is much more likely than the latter one, though, IMHO.

Being a careful considerate speeder is still illegal and dangerous no matter who may be driving worse. IMHO

[brownb01]

BS. May/164th intersection was done just a few weeks later (if that long) than May between 150th/164th. Lights have been up and functional for weeks, if not months. I can't go back and find the exact date because I posted it on okctalk before the crash and it was lost in the crash, I'm pretty sure. I drive through there every day, so I know this as fact.

100% incorrect. I live 1/2 a mile from the intersection and drive through it multiple times a day. The main
road construction was completed MONTHS before the intersection!

[TheTravellers]

100% incorrect. I live 1/2 a mile from the intersection and drive through it multiple times a day. The main
road construction was completed MONTHS before the intersection!

Not sure if this will ever be settled since it's a "he said/he said" situation now and there is no easily obtainable proof of when the May road construction and the May/164th intersection was finished. I drive through there almost every day and have for about 18 months or so, and I remember it quite differently than you do.

[brownb01]

Not sure if this will ever be settled since it's a "he said/he said" situation now and there is no easily obtainable proof of when the May road construction and the May/164th intersection was finished. I drive through there almost every day and have for about 18 months or so, and I remember it quite differently than you do.

maybe we just have different idea of what complete is. I don't consider it complete until all the orange cones are gone, all the lines painted and intersection fully operational. There were still large orange cones in the intersection in June. I know because I have a bill from a body shop that repaired the damage from one I hit. Just south of the intersection on May, and all the way to 150th..there were no cones, and the interection at 150th was fully operational. This was not the case for the intersection at 164th. It was still being worked on in June.

anways...doesn't really matter. 164th and Penn is being done the extact same way. no work currently on the intersection...but it will come.