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Crackpipe posted:Boston has an library devoted entirely to mass transit. It's open to the public 5 days a week, and very few people know it's there. FISHMANPET posted:NYC has a transit museum in an old unused subway station in the Bronx. Apparently you can have kid's birthday parties there? I feel like that would be the coolest thing ever. I'll have to check both of these out next time I end up in the cities.
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Jul 5, 2011 13:15
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When I visited New york I'm pretty sure the museum was in Brooklyn! The talk of temporary bridges reminded me of Hogarth Flyover in London:   http://www.cbrd.co.uk/photo/hogarth-flyover/ explains this history better than I do, but basically this was built in 1969 as a temporary measure, as a massive ringway was due to be constructed over the roundabout as well in a few years time. 40 years later, there is no intention to do anything about it all.
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Jul 5, 2011 15:10
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modig posted:In Eugene, OR they are in the process of replacing a bridge on I5. They built a temporary bridge, and are using it currently. Then they plan to build a permanant bridge and tear down the temporary one. Isn't that a giant waste of time and money? Why not just build a new permanent bridge? It looks like they built the temporary bridge without doing an Environmental Impact Study, which is generally a huge deal and runs into tons of problems and takes forever. So they can't just leave the temporary bridge up because they didn't follow the required legal procedures for a permanent bridge.
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Jul 5, 2011 15:24
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noblergt posted:When I visited New york I'm pretty sure the museum was in Brooklyn! Yeah, I said Bronx because I'm apparently brain dead, it's in Brooklyn.
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Jul 5, 2011 16:18
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There are plenty of reasons why they build a temporary bridge and it is done often. In Milwaukee they built a temporary bridge early last year prior to Zoo Freeway reconstruction which has yet to commence. The main reason there was to replace a bridge that was severely deteriorating. Final interchange plans still need to be approved so this is an interim solution.
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Jul 5, 2011 18:43
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noblergt posted:That looks shabby as gently caress; can't believe it's still standing.
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Jul 6, 2011 01:21
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So what I'm gathering is that building the temporary bridge was probably a good call given the situation. But building a temporary bridge wouldn't be the normal procedure if they had enough time. So the mistake that was made was letting the old bridge get as bad as it did without starting a replacement earlier?
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Jul 6, 2011 02:48
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noblergt posted:When I visited New york I'm pretty sure the museum was in Brooklyn! I'd love to get some plans/inspection reports of that thing and run some of my structural analysis programs on it to see how it holds up.
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Jul 6, 2011 03:01
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modig posted:So what I'm gathering is that building the temporary bridge was probably a good call given the situation. But building a temporary bridge wouldn't be the normal procedure if they had enough time. So the mistake that was made was letting the old bridge get as bad as it did without starting a replacement earlier? Yes, probably due to funding. We have to replace every bridge sooner or later, so wouldn't it make sense to have some kind of revolving bridge replacement fund? Unfortunately, what we're stuck with (at least in Connecticut, likely throughout the country as well) is strictly reactive. We can make preliminary plans for replacement 20 years out, but no real money goes into the project until it's on the verge of collapse.
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Jul 6, 2011 03:46
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Cichlidae posted:Yes, probably due to funding. We have to replace every bridge sooner or later, so wouldn't it make sense to have some kind of revolving bridge replacement fund? Unfortunately, what we're stuck with (at least in Connecticut, likely throughout the country as well) is strictly reactive. We can make preliminary plans for replacement 20 years out, but no real money goes into the project until it's on the verge of collapse. Speaking of bridges, I have a question about inspections. Do very high bridges, like the Arrigoni for example, have some sort of walkway on the underside so they can inspect underneath? Or do they go out in a boat and use binoculars or something? I may be wrong, but I think I remember you saying that it was the result of an inspection that put the current project into motion. I guess while I'm writing, I was curious about one other thing, not sure if you will know about this or not. The bridge that the Arrigoni replaced back in 1938 was a lot lower to the river. I assume it was built higher to allow ships to pass underneath. Do that many ships sail in this area anymore that would need a high bridge? Just curious.
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Jul 6, 2011 09:18
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Not that it's related, but I saw a sailboat passing under the SF Bay Bridge yesterday that made me do a double take. drat thing looked like it was close to scraping the bottom, and there's 220 feet of clearance under the bridge. I think it might have been the Oracle America's cup catamaran, and their website lists a mast height of 223 feet for their previous model. I can't imagine there are many bridges with that kind of clearance.
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Jul 6, 2011 09:41
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porkfriedrice posted:Speaking of bridges, I have a question about inspections. Do very high bridges, like the Arrigoni for example, have some sort of walkway on the underside so they can inspect underneath? Or do they go out in a boat and use binoculars or something? I may be wrong, but I think I remember you saying that it was the result of an inspection that put the current project into motion. They close a lane and use a cherry picker to reach around from the top. Cheap and simple, if a bit limited in mobility. porkfriedrice posted:I guess while I'm writing, I was curious about one other thing, not sure if you will know about this or not. The bridge that the Arrigoni replaced back in 1938 was a lot lower to the river. I assume it was built higher to allow ships to pass underneath. Do that many ships sail in this area anymore that would need a high bridge? Just curious. There used to be quite a few, mostly bringing oil or coal upriver. That 10-foot clearance on the Arrigoni can probably fit a good-sized tanker going up toward Hartford. These days, there's no traffic that size. The Coast Guard still requires us to keep that 100 feet clear, which is why we're doing all of our work from above (building platforms underneath the deck to work which don't encroach) instead of trying to work from below. Fewer permits, too. EDIT:  100-page party challengeTo celebrate 2+ years of learning about traffic engineering, when the thread hits 100 pages, I'll throw a transportation-themed party in the Connecticut area. Anyone interested? Cichlidae fucked around with this message at 00:07 on Jul 7, 2011 |
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Jul 6, 2011 12:35
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Depends on when and where, but I'm always up for a party. And speaking of bridge replacements, quote:Officials are predicting backups of 32 miles in each direction over the July weekend, and as long as 50 miles under their worst-case scenario. Surface streets in the area, many of which snake up and down windy canyons, will be jammed.
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Jul 7, 2011 14:37
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Cichlidae posted:
Haha, this is the best. Wish I weren't in CA!
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Jul 7, 2011 17:43
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Chiclidae, there's a New Haven road meet coming up on the 23rd. Why wait for a hundred pages when you can join road enthusiasts in two weeks? 
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Jul 7, 2011 18:04
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GWBBQ posted:Depends on when and where, but I'm always up for a party. I've been dying to play the "week-long traffic jam in China" card the next time someone complains about waiting 90 seconds for a green light. Doesn't make their complaints any less valid, but it's fun to watch them try to think of a reply. kefkafloyd posted:Chiclidae, there's a New Haven road meet coming up on the 23rd. Why wait for a hundred pages when you can join road enthusiasts in two weeks?
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Jul 8, 2011 01:41
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Cichlidae posted:I'll actually be down there next Friday to get a tour of the Q-bridge project, so it's not out of the question. Is this a goon thing, or just a roadgeek meet-up? Road geek meetup. The usual suspects that I've known for a while.
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Jul 8, 2011 05:17
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Cichlidae posted:Heck yes. That's thousands of vehicles per hour that won't be using the roads. We're finally taking a cue or two from the Europeans: the latest revisions to the MUTCD suggest bike lanes should be painted a separate color from motor vehicle pavement. You could use a different surface instead of painting.  We use this surface for a couple of roads in our county, I forget what significance the roads have... Its a reddish color.
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Jul 8, 2011 13:35
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Bumming Your Scene posted:You could use a different surface instead of painting. That is the default colour and material for bicycle paths in the Netherlands.
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Jul 8, 2011 16:27
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You guys might like this thread about building a bridge over at reddit.
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Jul 8, 2011 18:11
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Bumming Your Scene posted:You could use a different surface instead of painting. It's the color of the aggregate. When an asphalt pavement starts to wear, the color of the aggregate becomes the main color. In most areas, the stone is a white/gray color but some areas of the country have a reddish stone and some use quartzite which can be purple.
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Jul 8, 2011 19:45
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Neutrino posted:It's the color of the aggregate. When an asphalt pavement starts to wear, the color of the aggregate becomes the main color. In most areas, the stone is a white/gray color but some areas of the country have a reddish stone and some use quartzite which can be purple. Unfortunately, we don't have an easy way to put aggregate color in our specifications. It's much easier just to use StreetPrint or a similar system, since bike paths will last much longer than the rest of the road.
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Jul 9, 2011 00:11
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Neutrino posted:It's the color of the aggregate. When an asphalt pavement starts to wear, the color of the aggregate becomes the main color. In most areas, the stone is a white/gray color but some areas of the country have a reddish stone and some use quartzite which can be purple. Some of the older roads in the North-East of the UK are red for this reason. It's a bit odd when you first see it, but I think they look better than the black ones. More than you ever really wanted to know here.
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Jul 10, 2011 09:28
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HR posted:Dear Mr. Cichlidae: Well guys, it's been a good run. You can't keep a good man down, but in the meantime, if anyone's looking for a traffic engineer...
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Jul 14, 2011 21:25
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Cichlidae posted:Well guys, it's been a good run. You can't keep a good man down, but in the meantime, if anyone's looking for a traffic engineer... That sucks dude, I'm sorry. Any plans?
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Jul 14, 2011 21:27
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Cichlidae, that sucks. I've read your thread ever since you posted it, was a wild ride!
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Jul 14, 2011 21:31
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Cichlidae posted:Well guys, it's been a good run. You can't keep a good man down, but in the meantime, if anyone's looking for a traffic engineer... If I find any traffic stuff posted when I'm looking for a job, I'll post it up. I think Caltrans is hiring. nm fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Jul 14, 2011 |
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Jul 14, 2011 21:46
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renraku posted:That sucks dude, I'm sorry. I've got 6 weeks before I have to go, so if I'm lucky, they'll postpone or cancel the layoffs. My job's 80% federally funded, so it actually costs the state considerably more to pay my unemployment than to keep me working, even with benefits factored in. All in all, 844 DOT employees are getting laid off, out of about 3000. It's much more retribution than budget-balancing or "shared sacrifice." If I actually get laid off? Take some time off, then start looking for a job overseas. I've always wanted to live and work in Europe; maybe this is the chance I've been waiting for. Baronjutter posted:Cichlidae, that sucks. I've read your thread ever since you posted it, was a wild ride! I'll keep things going, at least until August 25. I'm going to tour the in-construction Q-bridge tomorrow, so I'll have some good photos to post. nm posted:As a fellow government employee getting the boot (today), I can say good luck.  
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Jul 14, 2011 21:52
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Come up the road to Massachusetts, chum. We could really use more good people.
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Jul 14, 2011 22:17
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Cichlidae posted:Well guys, it's been a good run. You can't keep a good man down, but in the meantime, if anyone's looking for a traffic engineer... Just before turning the computer on I was watching a news report on WFSB about the layoffs, and saw that the DOT would be the hardest hit when it comes to job cuts. I immediately wondered about you and was planning on asking you how things were on the job front. You beat me to it.  Good luck Cichlidae. This thread was actually the reason why I joined SA. I Googled something about Route 11 and found your posts about it. Thank you for answering mine and everyone else's questions, it was always interesting.
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Jul 14, 2011 22:21
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kefkafloyd posted:Come up the road to Massachusetts, chum. We could really use more good people. I'll certainly look into it if things get rough. I've got a friend in MassHighway, though, and he's making about $20k/year less than me. porkfriedrice posted:Just before turning the computer on I was watching a news report on WFSB about the layoffs, and saw that the DOT would be the hardest hit when it comes to job cuts. I immediately wondered about you and was planning on asking you how things were on the job front. You beat me to it. The funny thing is that Route 11 has a better chance of getting built now than it has in a decade. My bosses are looking at traffic volumes to see whether putting tolls on it could support the cost. They will be more or less handing out surveys, asking people whether they would drive on Route 11 if the tolls were $X, or $Y, or $Z... From that information, they get a revenue curve, and find what price would be best. Get everyone in your town to say they'd LOVE to drive on it, no matter the price, and you can bet the darn thing will get built.
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Jul 14, 2011 23:06
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kefkafloyd posted:Come up the road to Massachusetts, chum. We could really use more good people. Please come to MA and fix our roads.
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Jul 14, 2011 23:06
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Inspector_71 posted:Please come to MA and fix our roads. I will give you the best drat roads in the country. (Gotta put that on my résumé.)
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Jul 14, 2011 23:39
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Cichlidae posted:I will give you the best drat roads in the country. (Gotta put that on my résumé.) Come back to Phoenix and make the best roads better Best of luck, that's a poo poo situation to be in.
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Jul 15, 2011 00:06
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IOwnCalculus posted:Come back to Phoenix and make the best roads better Roads, I can do. Your drivers are, unfortunately, incorrigible. I'm sure I'll be fine, the timing is just rough. My wife's still got student loans and we're about to move into a larger apartment with a 1-year lease.
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Jul 15, 2011 00:12
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nm posted:As a fellow government employee getting the boot (today), I can say good luck. I'll be joining you all next week, probably! Sorry about your job, Cichlidae. With your knowledge and training, though, I'm sure you'll get a new job swiftly. Europe sounds like a good idea too...
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Jul 15, 2011 02:03
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I'm really sorry to hear that. This has been a really great thread. Maybe you could move to Denmark and rid us of our clover-leaf motorway exchanges. Unfortunately you'd probably need to learn Danish first... anyway, here's the relevant authority.
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Jul 15, 2011 03:07
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Come to LA and help make 30/10 happen. (and not suck)
Crackpipe fucked around with this message at 03:12 on Jul 15, 2011 |
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Jul 15, 2011 03:09
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It's really, really, really pathetic that we can find a trillion a year to blow poo poo up, but we are laying off DOTs all across the nation while our roads crumble and our bridges collapse. A GODDAMNED SHAME!
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Jul 15, 2011 03:45
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Next you're going to suggest we tax yachts slightly in order to pay for things like a functional government. You communist.
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Jul 15, 2011 04:01
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