Legislation backed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation> would allow drivers to use the shoulders of highways to avoid traffic> congestion.>

Among the ideas being explored to unclog urban highways across the> state, the DOT wants the ability to open up the shoulders of> Interstate 40 and other heavily traveled roads to buses -- and> possibly cars -- as a substitute for a high-occupancy vehicle lane.>

Other states allow such maneuvers already, such as on Interstate 66 in> Maryland.

This is one of the most shortsighted and idiotic suggestions I've> heard coming from NCDOT.

This is a stupid idea and I hope that saner and more rational minds> come to the same conclusion.

Legislation backed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation> would allow drivers to use the shoulders of highways to avoid traffic> congestion.>

Among the ideas being explored to unclog urban highways across the> state, the DOT wants the ability to open up the shoulders of> Interstate 40 and other heavily traveled roads to buses -- and> possibly cars -- as a substitute for a high-occupancy vehicle lane.>

Other states allow such maneuvers already, such as on Interstate 66

Maryland. Extra areas have been built along the highway for drivers

stop in an emergency.>

"Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't," said Joseph Hummer, a> civil engineer and traffic expert at North Carolina State University.> "You want to put this in a place where there's severe congestion --

have that -- and where you have enough buses or high-occupancy> vehicles to justify it, and we might be building up to that.">

Hummer noted that the DOT would first have to incorporate the added> turnoffs so drivers who stop to change a tire or for another

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This is one of the most shortsighted and idiotic suggestions I've> heard coming from NCDOT. Unless they are proposing building another> shoulder outside the current shoulder, all this is going to do is> cause motorists to feel that shoulder driving is acceptable on ALL NC> interstates when congestion takes place. I've seen it done> infrequently already when someone is too impatient to wait for the> queue to get to an off ramp, and it always causes problems for> everyone.>

This is a stupid idea and I hope that saner and more rational minds> come to the same conclusion.>

John Lansford, PE> --> The unofficial I-26 Construction Webpage:> http://users.vnet.n­et/lansford/a10/

i agree. Someone in Georgia recently proposed this for the Atlanta area.> Last Friday, a few days after reading this, i was on GA-400 at 1:45pm.> Traffic was normal Friday stop-and-go, the go being up to 10-15mph. An> ambulance came thru with its lights on and siren wailing... the inner> shoulder on GA-400 is very narrow, so cars were scrunching over to let him> on along that. The outer shoulder currently doesn't exist because they're> rehabbing those for express bus service. A full five minutes later, i had> made it about a mile, and the ambulance was about 1/4 mile ahead of me. I'd> hate to have been the guy in the ambulance or one of his friends/family.>

Legislation backed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation> would allow drivers to use the shoulders of highways to avoid traffic> congestion.>

Among the ideas being explored to unclog urban highways across the> state, the DOT wants the ability to open up the shoulders of> Interstate 40 and other heavily traveled roads to buses -- and> possibly cars -- as a substitute for a high-occupancy vehicle lane.>

Other states allow such maneuvers already, such as on Interstate 66 in> Maryland. Extra areas have been built along the highway for drivers to> stop in an emergency.>

"Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't," said Joseph Hummer, a> civil engineer and traffic expert at North Carolina State University.> "You want to put this in a place where there's severe congestion -- we> have that -- and where you have enough buses or high-occupancy> vehicles to justify it, and we might be building up to that.">

Hummer noted that the DOT would first have to incorporate the added> turnoffs so drivers who stop to change a tire or for another emergency> wouldn't get hit.>

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This is one of the most shortsighted and idiotic suggestions I've> heard coming from NCDOT. Unless they are proposing building another> shoulder outside the current shoulder, all this is going to do is> cause motorists to feel that shoulder driving is acceptable on ALL NC> interstates when congestion takes place. I've seen it done> infrequently already when someone is too impatient to wait for the> queue to get to an off ramp, and it always causes problems for> everyone.>

This is a stupid idea and I hope that saner and more rational minds> come to the same conclusion.>

To make a long story short, the> ONLY thing Massachusetts does is put up a sign saying that driving on> the shoulder is allowed during rush hours. THATS IT! They did not> TOUCH the striping.