Driving in Grand Forks

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

I looked back several years and did not see a one-place-fits-all thread for driving, traffic, construction, etc., so have at it, boys and girls!

Saw this at the Herald's website just now, http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4092767-police-beefing-traffic-enforcement-gateway-drive

Quote

A traffic study showed only 45 percent of motorists drove within the speed limits, and almost 5 percent of drivers—about 180 of 3,778—drove 54 mph or more in the 40 mph zone, the news release said.

There are only a couple of possibilities here:  (1) people are scofflaws, or (2) the posted speed limits are too low.  Don't know about you, but I vote (2).

Gateway/Hwy 2 is, in addition to being a designated U.S. highway, a divided, limited access arterial road with smooth pavement, a level surface, wide shoulders, raised median, and good visibility.  In other words, it's good for 45-50 mph, easy.

I always understood that traffic data tending to show a disproportionate amount of speeding was used to evaluate speed limits and (gasp) sometimes even raise them to conform with reality.  Yet, the GFPD's knee-jerk response here is to "beef up traffic enforcement on Gateway Drive."

I'm shaking my head at this one.  Revenue over common sense?  Thoughts?

[sprig]

GF is small and easy to get around.  What's the hurry? 

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

2 minutes ago, sprig said:

GF is small and easy to get around.  What's the hurry? 

Can't speak for folks heading east, but westbound drivers are just trying to vent the rancid Simplot vapor out of their cars.

[Cratter]

Not surprising, as pointed out that area is basically a transition from highway speeds to "city limits".

5% very low number. It's not a residential area not sure there is "potential risk to the community".

Increased enforcement will last a couple weeks til everyone knows it's an enforcement area, speeding tickets will drastically decline and the Police will move on.

I'm still dumbfounded how two cars going down cherry street (or any residential area) at 25 MPH (and of course people speeding that are late to work or school)  both meet at uncontrolled intersections (no stop or yield sign means keep on trucking) is safe. Seems like disasters waiting to happen.

[The Sicatoka]

Speed is an issue. Gateway in GF is one that gets me as posted too slow. When Veterans in WF was new it was posted at 35 mph. That was too slow. Even now with new business around it it could still be 40 mph. Then 19th Ave N in Fargo, that's 50 from the interstate to the airport turn, but then down to 40 to the NDSU. Why? There's no cross traffic because there are no side streets for that mile. Or east Century in Bismarck, and on and on ... 

To me there is a worse issue out there than speed or uncontrolled intersections: People have started interpreting a yellow light as "gun it" and are running red lights. I've seen it in Bismarck and it's really bad in Fargo. It's not great but not as bad in GF. My advice in any of those place is when the light goes green for you, then look and go. 

[sprig]

12 hours ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Can't speak for folks heading east, but westbound drivers are just trying to vent the rancid Simplot vapor out of their cars.

There is that. Could sell new cabin filters for all cars at either end of that stench. 

Have never understood simplot or the stock yards in fargo placed on the upwind side of prevailing winds.

Since I'm seldom on gateway,  not even sure what the speed limit is. 

Seems like traffic is too fast to get back on from a business like,  for instance,  Suburu/Kia.

 

 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Everyone in Grand Forks drives too slow... or maybe I'm really impatient. Most likely a combination.

[Fetch]

Yeah their going to get me going both ways from Stamart to Airport

[Cratter]

13 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

 Then 19th Ave N in Fargo, that's 50 from the interstate to the airport turn, but then down to 40 to the NDSU.

I have trouble getting up to speed there. It's such a short distance and the bumps fly me out of my seat.

[NoDakFan]

On 8/12/2016 at 8:28 AM, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Everyone in Grand Forks drives too slow... or maybe I'm really impatient. Most likely a combination.

The way everyone up here takes turns. I can't believe how slow everyone takes them.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

9 hours ago, NoDakFan said:

The way everyone up here takes turns. I can't believe how slow everyone takes them.

Yup, slow motion turns are pretty common. It's a great way to get rear-ended.

[Siouxperman8]

My daughter calls GF the 'Land of No Acceleration'

[tnt]

On 8/12/2016 at 9:28 AM, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Everyone in Grand Forks drives too slow... or maybe I'm really impatient. Most likely a combination.

I agree totally.  On South Washington and 32nd avenue south the speed limit is 40, yet I find both lanes are blocked by people going 30.  You seldom see people actually going the speed limit. I remember Tim Hennessy interviewing some women's softball players from Oregon, and they said they can't believe how slow people drive here.  I have heard the same from other new people that come to town.  Also, it takes 10 minutes to get anywhere in town, so can we please just put down the phones and wait to text until we get to our destination.  

[The Sicatoka]

11 hours ago, NoDakFan said:

The way everyone up here takes turns. I can't believe how slow everyone takes them.

 

1 hour ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Yup, slow motion turns are pretty common. It's a great way to get rear-ended.

I have a different beef with how people take turns:

You do not need to swing left to turn right (or swing right to turn left)! Your Kia isn't that big; and honestly, neither is your F-150 if you knew how to drive. Wait an extra quarter-second and then turn, or better yet, actually turn the wheel instead of taking that huge radius glide path of a corner. Trust me: you won't twist the wheel off the steering column with an extra 1/8th of a turn. 

And there's a schmuck sub-class in these folks, namely, those who are on a two-lane road and turning left and rather than moving toward the center paint so you can get by on the right they move to the right so you can not get by them. I asked someone about that behavior one time. The answer? "I don't like being passed on the right." "You'd rather be rear ended?" 

[geaux_sioux]

I'll be honest I usually don't notice these types of things unless it's a Sunday or a blue hair driving. I do drive pretty fast though so maybe it's all going on behind me.

[UND-1]

I know this is going to sound bad but on the city cross-streets like 17th Ave S and 24th Ave S, people literally drive 25 mph.  And they are always in front of you all the way from Washington to 42nd Street S.  Takes like 10 mins to get across town.  

I now just shoot up to Demers and fly across town.  Demers is the best.  

[dmksioux]

So many issues with drivers in GF.  One pet peeve I have is people turning onto two lane roads.  So many people cross lanes, so If I'm turning right, and driver is coming towards from the opposite direction and turning left, 9/10 they do a "wide turn" and go strait for my lane.  Do they not teach how to stay in your lanes in Drivers Ed anymore?

As for the speeds on Gateway to the airport, they need to up the speed limit.  People, including myself, drive as fas or faster on DeMers between Washington and 42nd street.  Never see police patrolling for speeders on that stretch.  

 

[90siouxfan]

I would think the fact that for several months of the year ice and snow make things slippery and that makes speed an issue very quickly.

[I Ranger]

22 minutes ago, dmksioux said:

So many issues with drivers in GF.  One pet peeve I have is people turning onto two lane roads.  So many people cross lanes, so If I'm turning right, and driver is coming towards from the opposite direction and turning left, 9/10 they do a "wide turn" and go strait for my lane.  Do they not teach how to stay in your lanes in Drivers Ed anymore?

As for the speeds on Gateway to the airport, they need to up the speed limit.  People, including myself, drive as fas or faster on DeMers between Washington and 42nd street.  Never see police patrolling for speeders on that stretch.  

 

This is my biggest pet peeve and I see it all too often. Drives me crazy!

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

44 minutes ago, 90siouxfan said:

I would think the fact that for several months of the year ice and snow make things slippery and that makes speed an issue very quickly.

This stuff happens all 12 months of the year, from June to September included unfortunately. 

It's more than understandable if the weather is bad.

[Brucesky02]

I think you guys are forgetting how bad it used to be in Grand Forks. 10 years ago, driving across town took almost twice as long. Some time in the late 2000s, they implemented a state of the art system that uses upgraded signal computers, cameras, and a central computer system to create more efficient traffic flows. I can't find the study any more, but I remember reading that it shaved something like 8 minutes off the average time from Gateway to 32nd on Columbia.

They are always evaluating traffic patterns and accident records. Gateway used to have an even lower speed limit until they upped it a few years back. If you think a road needs a higher limit, your best bet is going to be to contact your council member or just go right to the city traffic engineer, Jane Williams, to make your suggestion - Jwilliams@grandforksgov.com

I agree on the winter/summer discrepancy. It almost feels like GF needs two sets of speed limits posted - one for November-March and another for April-October. As for the bad drivers...they aren't much better anywhere else you go.  

[90siouxfan]

1 hour ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

This stuff happens all 12 months of the year, from June to September included unfortunately. 

It's more than understandable if the weather is bad.

I was referring to the drivers that complain about others that drive to slow or corner too slowly, I wonder if they have much experience on ice. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

27 minutes ago, 90siouxfan said:

I was referring to the drivers that complain about others that drive to slow or corner too slowly, I wonder if they have much experience on ice. 

I know, I'm just saying the slow driving/turning happens in the summer months as well.

38 minutes ago, Brucesky02 said:

I think you guys are forgetting how bad it used to be in Grand Forks. 10 years ago, driving across town took almost twice as long. Some time in the late 2000s, they implemented a state of the art system that uses upgraded signal computers, cameras, and a central computer system to create more efficient traffic flows. I can't find the study any more, but I remember reading that it shaved something like 8 minutes off the average time from Gateway to 32nd on Columbia.

They are always evaluating traffic patterns and accident records. Gateway used to have an even lower speed limit until they upped it a few years back. If you think a road needs a higher limit, your best bet is going to be to contact your council member or just go right to the city traffic engineer, Jane Williams, to make your suggestion - Jwilliams@grandforksgov.com

I agree on the winter/summer discrepancy. It almost feels like GF needs two sets of speed limits posted - one for November-March and another for April-October. As for the bad drivers...they aren't much better anywhere else you go.  

I had only been driving a couple years in 2006 so I don't remember 10 years ago that well in comparison but you're probably right 

[siouxjoy]

I have a theory that a lot of the very slow drivers (on 32nd especially) are Canadians that don't know how to convert kph to mph. 

 

 

 

It still drives me crazy, but I am a little less angry when I encounter it, since I myself don't know how to convert mph to kph. 

[Fetch]

11 hours ago, siouxjoy said:

I have a theory that a lot of the very slow drivers (on 32nd especially) are Canadians that don't know how to convert kph to mph. 

 

 

 

It still drives me crazy, but I am a little less angry when I encounter it, since I myself don't know how to convert mph to kph. 

At my age u don't want to know any of that