I encountered a lane closure to install a new traffic light while returning to Nanaimo from Parksville. There were two or three signs indicating the right lane was closed well in advance of the closure site.
I stayed in the right lane and passed a line of at least 40 vehicles in the left lane so that I could merge at the closure. No, I wasn鈥檛 being a line crasher, but I was the only one in the right lane for 300聽or so metres.
This, known as the zipper, has been shown to be the most efficient way to merge traffic at slow speeds, yet it seems no one else is aware of it. Fill both lanes equally to the merge point and then alternate. We鈥檒l all get home sooner.
Dave Kirk
Nanaimo
