Dedicated Right Turn Lanes

[rte66man]

Why does OKC seem to have an aversion to installing dedicated right turn lanes when reworking arterial intersections? Pick any intersection that has been built/rebuilt in the last 10 years and you won't find these. Tulsa has plenty of them and they really help improve traffic flow. It can't always be a ROW or cost factor.

[bombermwc]

I can't think of too many intersections around town (away from the interstates) where there isn't one already, that a right turn lane would really do that much to help flow. If you don't have to wait more than one stoplight to get through the intersection, then it's not really a problem, its just impatience.

[bchris02]

Why does OKC seem to have an aversion to installing dedicated right turn lanes when reworking arterial intersections? Pick any intersection that has been built/rebuilt in the last 10 years and you won't find these. Tulsa has plenty of them and they really help improve traffic flow. It can't always be a ROW or cost factor.

I agree. Charlotte and just about any other city has them as well. I think it goes back to the fact that OKC's engineers are set in their ways in terms of road design. It isn't just right turn lanes either. From what I've heard, they are still using a guideline book that was used in Los Angeles in the 1950s. OKC really needs to update its infrastructure guidelines, at least in major thoroughfares. I really like what Edmond and Norman are doing with their newer streets and wish OKC would follow suit. The best city streets in OKC are ODOT-maintained and not city maintained.

[rte66man]

I can't think of too many intersections around town (away from the interstates) where there isn't one already, that a right turn lane would really do that much to help flow. If you don't have to wait more than one stoplight to get through the intersection, then it's not really a problem, its just impatience.

I can't speak for MWC but it is terrible on the north side. For example, NW 63rd and May, any intersection and Memorial west of US77, NW Expressway and any arterial (except NW 63rd), et al. I cannot agree with your opinion that dedicated lanes wouldn't help overall flow. If that was the case, then why do so many other cities use them extensively?

[bradh]

The OP is patently false. They are working on it. There was a dedicated project to add one at N. Portland and NW 10th a few years ago.

[rte66man]

The OP is patently false. They are working on it. There was a dedicated project to add one at N. Portland and NW 10th a few years ago.

One out of a hundred makes my post false? They only added ONE right turn lane out of a possible 4 at that intersection. While I would like to think that there is a comprehensive plan to systematically address this issue, my intuition tells me that OKC is only addressing intersections where the screaming is the loudest. For example, OKC is spending big bucks on beautification of major intersections along NW 23rd. I would have thought they might have at least considered adding dedicated right turn lanes, but I find no evidence of such. A very unscientific survey on my part indicated that westbound traffic on 23rd turns north on MacArthur at a high percentage. Maybe the ROW would cost too much?

[jompster]

10th and Portland actually has two right-turn lanes... one from WB 10th onto NB Portland (a continuation of the merge lane from I-44) and one on NB Portland onto EB 10th. I have to agree that they do help. I grew up in Tulsa and was baffled when I moved here and there were very few of them. I notice daily that the right lane is full of people waiting to turn right, and while the lanes mostly relieve impatience, one could argue that impatience is a big cause of bad driving. If you have a dedicated right-turn lane, those people can move over and get out of the way so there is less traffic backed up and waiting for the light. But... having grown up with them in abundance, of course I'm going to be in favor of them. I can understand people who disagree, just don't know why they would.

[Scott5114]

One thing that I'd like to see more of in the OKC metro is the right-turn slip ramps (the little ramps that let you "cut the corner" when turning right). These are excellent for keeping traffic flowing when there's not space for a full right-turn lane. I lived in Springfield MO for a year—they have tons of them—and when I moved back I really missed them.

[bombermwc]

I can't speak for MWC but it is terrible on the north side. For example, NW 63rd and May, any intersection and Memorial west of US77, NW Expressway and any arterial (except NW 63rd), et al. I cannot agree with your opinion that dedicated lanes wouldn't help overall flow. If that was the case, then why do so many other cities use them extensively?

FYI - I don't live in MWC, I live in OKC.

[TheTravellers]

Any place that there's a McDonald's or 7-11 (or On-Cue), there should be a dedicated right turn lane for it...

[gopokes88]

I'm still amazed at the lack of left turn lanes. It's dumbfounding. 63rd at the OnCue has become a nightmare just driving straight because someone is trying to turn left.

[rte66man]

Any place that there's a McDonald's or 7-11 (or On-Cue), there should be a dedicated right turn lane for it...

A perfect example of my gripe is Western in front of Top Golf. OKC is going through all the trouble of widening Western for a NB left turn lane and traffic signal but ZILCH for SB traffic. It seems logical to assume a great deal of traffic will be coming off the Kilpatrick to go there, but no right turn lane at either Memorial or the new signal.

[ljbab728]

I'm still amazed at the lack of left turn lanes. It's dumbfounding. 63rd at the OnCue has become a nightmare just driving straight because someone is trying to turn left.

If you're talking about going West on 63rd before reaching NW Expressway, I agree it can be a problem. It's not reasonable, however, to expect the city to bear the cost of reconstructing a major street to accommodate one new convenience store. That would require widening the street at no small expense. If the store were required to foot that bill, I would have no problem with it.

[turnpup]

I'm still amazed at the lack of left turn lanes. It's dumbfounding. 63rd at the OnCue has become a nightmare just driving straight because someone is trying to turn left.

I make that turn frequently and am always worried that I'll get hit from behind. I make it a point to engage my left-turn signal earlier than usual so people will have an opportunity to go around me and not have to stop and wait. They do have a dedicated right-turn area (too short to call it a lane, IMO) on the entrance from NW Expressway westbound, which helps somewhat for people coming in that way.

[gopokes88]

If you're talking about going West on 63rd before reaching NW Expressway, I agree it can be a problem. It's not reasonable, however, to expect the city to bear the cost of reconstructing a major street to accommodate one new convenience store. That would require widening the street at no small expense. If the store were required to foot that bill, I would have no problem with it.

It is absolutely reasonable to expect the city to bear the cost of turn lanes on streets that have a lot of places to turn left. Like 63rd. Or May north of 63rd.

[bradh]

It is absolutely reasonable to expect the city to bear the cost of turn lanes on streets that have a lot of places to turn left. Like 63rd. Or May north of 63rd.

May from 63rd to Britton is hell

[ljbab728]

It is absolutely reasonable to expect the city to bear the cost of turn lanes on streets that have a lot of places to turn left. Like 63rd. Or May north of 63rd.

Not it that area it's not, especially when the store was added long after the road was built. That store is really the only place with any significant left turn traffic. The expenses to the city are not justified. There are numerous examples of arterial streets with block after block of continuous places you can turn left into. It would be wonderful if all of the arterial streets had left turn lanes at everyone of them, but that just isn't realistic without millions and millions of dollars of widening and complete reconstruction of all arterial streets. That could be an eventual goal but it just not something that's in the cards currently.

[bombermwc]

agreed ljbab

[MagzOK]

I think the lack of good road planning here in OKC is very conducive to road rage. Red light running? Some of that is caused by all the congestion as well. Sitting in gridlock only to see the light change ahead of you two or three times? When you finally get to that light and it's changing to red for the fourth time no wonder you'll see 2-3 cars running it. Want to turn right on Memorial from May Ave? At rush hour you may go through three signal changes before you get to the intersection and then you're stuck behind one yahoo that's in the right lane but waiting to proceed forward. This is one of many places the city could go in and put a really long dedicated right-only lane as there's nothing there. Yeah you'll have a right-of-way issue, but it'd be worth the cost. Minor intersection modifications like this would go a long way in reducing road rage and congestion. Anyway, the congestion is the only thing I truly don't like about OKC. Want to see excellent management of congested traffic? Go to the north Dallas suburbs and see how they may be gridlocked, but the gridlocks are moving due to long dedicated right and left turn lanes, medians, and timed traffic signals during peak hours. Okay okay, rant over. Hahaha!

[MagzOK]

May from 63rd to Britton is hell

Yes I think in the highest volume areas it is in the best interest of it's citizens to bear the cost of doing so. And May Ave in this area is a prime example.

[catch22]

Traffic congestion in OKC?

Lol.

[bchris02]

This is one of many places the city could go in and put a really long dedicated right-only lane as there's nothing there. Yeah you'll have a right-of-way issue, but it'd be worth the cost. Minor intersection modifications like this would go a long way in reducing road rage and congestion. Anyway, the congestion is the only thing I truly don't like about OKC. Want to see excellent management of congested traffic? Go to the north Dallas suburbs and see how they may be gridlocked, but the gridlocks are moving due to long dedicated right and left turn lanes, medians, and timed traffic signals during peak hours. Okay okay, rant over. Hahaha!

This is one thing that frustrates me about the roads in OKC. Not considering the poor quality of many suburban roads that desperately need repaved, the design itself is very outdated. I have heard the city of OKC is still designing its roads based off an old guide that Los Angeles used in the 1950s. I think the city needs a massive infrastructure upgrade in key corridors and that should include updating the roads to modern design standards. Edmond is doing it and I think OKC proper needs to take note and invest in its existing infrastructure before doing any additional widening on the suburban fringe. The entire area around Memorial Rd between May and Western should be a priority.

[bombermwc]

I'm sorry, but using Edmond for an example of how to do anything is a fail for my book.

Magz complaint on the lights is a HUGE one for me too. The lights are all operating as an island and need to be part of a connected system with logic behind it. We've spent millions for traffic light linking work and when you ask the city about it, all they say is "it's in it's infancy". And I'm thinking, after 6-7 years, we're in the infancy still?!?!?!?!

We need to start investing in some smart infrastructure, but that means we as the citizens have to pay for it. I'm willing to put in a gas tax to help with roads. If we want these things done in the city, then we need to cough up the cash to pay for them too.