TRAFFIC: Drivers Get Extra Lane During Rush Hour with "Zipper" Barrier-Transfer Machines

SAN DIEGO - Commuters on Interstate 15 will have some company in between rush hour commutes.
Caltrans is studying the durability and performance of its Barrier-Transfer Machines, also known as "zippers."
Each BTM moves concrete dividers that separate the Express Lanes one lane over. During April, two BTMs will move the barriers two lanes over, giving three lanes in the direction of the rush hour commute.
Express Lane drivers will have the benefit of having three lanes instead of two. Drivers going the other direction will be limited to only one Express Lane.
Full Story at 10 News: www.10news.com/...

[@stephenwilliams4501]

Whatever your opinion, you have to admit that the guy or gal who conceived this device was definitely thinking outside the box.

[@chaz706]

It's a good idea. Essentially getting more use out of the same amount of road. It's like expanding the high way without building more lanes. That being said though: I'd hate to be the guy in that zipper machine. 8 Miles per hour? Ugh.

[@chaz706]

***** Yeah... That... is... true... but... it... is... so... damn... *slow*...

[@the80386]

10 dollar says it was a guy. or a group of guys rather.

[@dannelson8556]

It was first developed in 1985.

[@johnwillyn]

how do you even think a gal could do that?

[@Kg277]

The eternal drift.

[@fzklan7535]

Watching this video 9 years later. Life is definitely easier thanks to this machine. Glad they saw its value.

[@blamudia8474]

that drift tho

[@candidfellow]

what's the purpose of adding tho after your sentence?

[@blamudia8474]

***** its life....

[@candidfellow]

+LoneWolf [D] Legacy have you ever watch Dateline to catch a predator?

[@blamudia8474]

***** Please use proper english because the sentence u just wrote is NOT a correct sentence in english language

[@candidfellow]

+LoneWolf [D] Legacy if you ever watch Dateline, and you saw the Internet predator thing, you'll understand, what they do is, they set guys up with a model, know what I'm sayin'?

[@arsailman]

They've been using these on NY bridges for many years, and they work well in relieving congestion...

[@jamesfrench7299]

Sydney imported one of these exact machines from the states for use on a one kilometer section of Victoria Rd ( a main arterial road).It seems the then Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA) deemed it the best solution when tbey opened up a second bridge of traffic lanes a few years ago. We call it the zipper as well.This is the first time I have seen one operating.

[@Doubledunk]

James French Didnt know this, what part of victoria rd has these concrete barriers?

[@jamesfrench7299]

The section between the Gladesville Bridge and the Iron Cove Bridge in Drummoyne.

[@nonamewhodis]

Serious question: did they retrofit it somehow for lefthand traffic? Or it just works the same way but facing oncoming traffic?

[@caryhuff8924]

What a great invention.

[@noway5471]

The French just had a common middle lane, later called the "suicide lane" - that was exciting !

[@ycnexu]

Genius. That's what progress looks like.

[@atexnik]

This is regression, in fact. People should avoid using cars that much. Car centric cities are no go.

[@NebraskaGonvilleJones]

It’s the very opposite. Progress would be to have sensible public transport in the US

[@benchoflemons398]

@@atexnik or maybe you should let people choose. If people choose to live in areas with car centric transit then let them be. You can go to an area with alternative transit means.

[@lynnleigha580]

This video is old but that is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Wow

[@mikewest712]

I guess the only worse color to paint this thing would be grey.

[@zeffery101]

Good news!! its still going on. Im not sure the exact times, but when in the mornings till maybe noon, it is 3 lanes southbound and it is usually 2 lanes north and southbound after that. I haven't seen 3 lanes northbound. It is only for the express lanes though.

[@Michael-st9ky]

There is no 3 lane northbound, its because the zipper can only shift the lane divider one lane over at a fix configuration. It doesnt turn around or dissemble to configure other options.

[@plumbingstuffinoregon2471]

Hes just gotta let everyone know he drives a Prius.

[@aegiseurobeat4559]

Typical Prius owner for you. It doesn't help that they're in California either.

[@eugenexu4053]

Auckland has been using these barrier moving machines on auckland harbour for years

[@Syaudah]

i think in my country, there will be more traffic jam because we all will slow down to see how the machine works . i'm from Malaysia btw

[@generalnonsense1243]

Human ingenuity. What a marvelous and mesmerizing machine!

[@manioso]

The best system for road usage and maintenance.

[@fayizalshehei2257]

Thanks for those who make our lives easier

[@buzzcagney8957]

What happens if a car is directly behind the zipper? How do drivers unaware of the zipper know to not drive directly behind?

[@e.b.9952]

This is on the Golden Gate Bridge, too!

[@chithead415]

"its like a giant slow moving vehicle in traffic"

[@georgerascon1825]

Rob G 🤦🏻‍♀️ that's exactly what it is 😩😂

[@eatmyskids]

Except that it only moves when traffic is not at peak, and adds a lane in the heavy side for peak time. So it's not in traffic at rush hour, an extra lane is. In Chicago they have what they call the reversibles, two lanes that go in either direction. Before rush hour they block off the incoming end, and follow the traffic out to open the other side

[@Michael-st9ky]

If you look closer it doesnt impede traffic at all

[@wristocrat]

@@Michael-st9ky it doesn't impede it significantly at least

[@theunknownguy265]

He has the best drifting skills

[@Riverbend1752]

Like every other thing that adds lanes to roads, this will work in the short term but not in the long term. That's just basic economics.

[@TheFiddleFaddle]

Saw one of these on the road in Oahu today...pretty cool. Good video, right up until "Check out the GoPro on my Prius everybody!" :-/

[@batmandude1282]

Do you remeber when the zipper broke down?

[@RayanMufti]

This video is over a year and a half now, I wonder what the decision was but wouldn't be easier and simpler to put two permanent dividers and use it as a car pool lane one way in the morning and the reverse way in the evening?!

[@Numlocq]

Nah. That will never work. People won't pay attention and they'll drive down the lane in the wrong direction and cause a catastrophe. Personally, I think the zipper truck is a great idea. They just need to find a way to make it move faster.

[@SIMcityplayer2002]

They do have one-way streets in the UK which go towards 'town' (city centre) ipad the morning rush hour, and go the other way at evening.

[@Numlocq]

I know, I live in Hackney

[@jackiegoodwin4488]

Ed Gein Sure it`ll work. We have them in BC. They`re called `counter-flow`lanes. You can`t drive down them the wrong way, there are arms that open and close at either end which would prevent some numpty from going the wrong way.

[@djkonflikt713]

They do work. We have them everywhere in Houston. They're called single HOV lanes. The have gates on each side, in the morning the lane goes inbound (towards downtown) and in the evening it flows outbound (away from downtown)

[@AlexanderChipliev]

Пока в России дороги имеют россиян, в загнивающей Америке научились на ходу менять конфигурацию дорог, с помощью специальной машины для автоматического распределения полос.

[@СанёкФролов]

У нас хоть бы покрытие хорошее сделали , щебёнкой выбоины подсыпают ... стыдоба ...

[@Put-in-shepherdofthecursed]

Грех сравнивать. Смешно

[@pietrocannata1341]

I figure this out 60 years ago , believe it or not. Going to the beach as a child ,I could see all the cars were going on 2 lines while the others to lines were completely free from traffic

[@puddlejumper3259]

Yeah the hard part isn't the idea. It's figuring out a good way to make it happen. You didn't do any of the legwork. And flexible lanes have been a thing for a long time. You're not the first guy to have the idea. There's about a dozen different implementations of this concept.

[@SunnyWu]

I think in Canada they just have lights to control stuff like this... Why not just do that?

[@augustuscurnow]

It might pose too much a hazard to have only a light control what direction cars drive in, especially if it is on a freeway with no barriers to seperate flow of traffic. In Seattle, we have an entire express bridge that periodically changes directions to alleviate traffic. It goes underneath two bridges and has I think 3 lanes? I don't remember well, but there are physical gates to barricade oncoming traffic from entering at a wrong time. Even then, that is a whole bridge dedicated purely to traffic flow. I think this situation may be more efficient.

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

10 News Prius, good job!

[@aliakl6705]

great idea ,,,,how he would deal with the signs,,,,im a Eng. i would tell he will difidently will have a problem with med road trafice sign,

[@AssertiveAngel]

Puerto Rico has had these since at least 1995...

[@simonkraemer3725]

Cool infrastructure project, but aren't two lanes enough for a freeway? (Random European, who barely drives cause public transit and biking is everything to him)

[@Michael-st9ky]

Come to California! Sometimes 6 lanes arent enough.

[@atexnik]

​@@Michael-st9kythe paradox is more lanes = more traffic jam.

[@atexnik]

Exactly. But USA is heavily car addicted country, you can barely see someone walking around on foot.

[@sayn1474]

In India, we don't need lanes. We drive where our hearts desire

[@iheartlreoy8134]

Sayn14 and you shit in the street

[@the80386]

that's why indian road system is so inefficient

[@Z0MGH4X]

With how slow it moves rush hour would be over by the time it reaches an end.

[@ekramomar6801]

احب اقول للأخ jedhboy ان شوارع اليمن أحسن بمليوون مررة مافيها مطبات أو تكسيرات روح عدن وشوف كيف شوارعها وربي تفتح النفس من ايام الاحتلال البريطاني وحتى الان لازالت بالنظام الاوروبي

[@Bmywudt2]

They should still have vehicles at the back and front to minimize any accidents.

[@sunnyspeed-studio]

so it requires 2 drivers?

[@S30Uploads]

pretty cool, i seen these in san diego first at the coronado bridge

[@assholecritic7466]

The Auckland Harbour Bridge Motorway is a good example for this.

[@khalid01234]

8 miles par hour !! I think that is not sufficient if the Highway much longer.

[@paulwilliams5208]

it is best to adjust the lanes for the flow & not end up like Californias I5 22lanes

[@JordanMSeverns]

hardhat lady is very confused

[@awadhta]

إبتكار مبدع و بأقل تكلفة... لديهم بيئة مشجعة على التفكير و الإبداع... الحرية و الديمقراطية سببها...

[@وليدفهد-ي5ص]

هاذي الحركة تصلح بين مخرج 33 ومخرج 27 الصباح يحطونها باتجاه الشمال والعصر يحطونها باتجاه الجنوب ،، بس بنردد يالليل مطولك ،، ليت الرياض كلها مثل مخرج 11 وااااو

[@ryanh3285]

So the barrier is just layed there and not fixed?

[@jctiah]

How is this different than what was on the Coronado bridge?

[@arjunmangal5281]

What happens if that express lane is busy??? You gonna add another line???

[@NGNEER98]

+ArJuN Mangal opposite sides are usually busy at different times. For example in the mornings busy is the direction from urban areas to city centre when everyone is going to work/school etc and in the evenings its the opposite.

[@Michael-st9ky]

@@NGNEER98 depends on the city. Dallas Fort-worth could be busy on both sides at rush since you have two large cities.

[@sparkymike83]

during rush hour traffic, the express lane is the slow lane.

[@Aliensleek]

Paying to use the roads again that we all already paid for with taxes. That makes sense.

[@Lunavii_Cellest]

So a more complicated splitsstrook or transated from dutch a rushhour lane.

[@georgewashington8338]

I guess people in the middle east want one of these lol

[@i_3z]

الاخ اللي يقول جاي من اليسار مسرع اصلا اذا جاي مسرع ما راح ياثر وجودها عليك لانها بتفك لك مسار جديد واذا انت عالجهه الثانيه فهي من بدري مقفله المسار واذا تجاوزتها تلقى مسار اضافي

[@binmzoi5374]

ابداع ياعمي وناس تفكر.. وفيه ناس شايله هم البلد والشعب ..ماهوب في بعض الدول اللي انت خابر سرق في سرق كلن يفكر كيف يرفع حسابة??

[@salehalhamdan1303]

Drift &slide it's amazing شعب أتقن معنى الحياه والنظام

[@frooha40com]

اصلا ديرتنا مافي زيها بالحضاره والتطور والمعمار والشوارع ارتب واحلى منها مافيه اصلا ماذكر مرينا بشارع مكسر اللهم لك الحمد

[@ff555ff]

موجوده عندنا في تقاطع الشميسي مع العليا العام

[@GangstaOOluv]

Too much fun for a work,, drifting andnsliding to the side the whole highway hahahaa

[@sukuvar]

excellent...solution...

[@mikesanders2861]

A test? We do know the capacity of 3 vs 2 lanes.

[@ChadKovac]

Where I live they are taking lanes and making them pay lanes.

[@forgetok]

يازين مهندسينهم تفتح النفس وتجيك افكار تهول مو حنا وين ماتلتفت تشوف وجيه تجيب الهم

[@Aotearoa_Kiwi]

This technology has successfully been used in other parts of the world for many years.

[@Rocky_Intertidal]

Chris Christie liked this.

[@LOSTTEMPLAR]

I see this thing on the next fast and the furious movie. San Fransokyo drift....?....

[@criticalthinker7822]

"Sitting sideways"

[@7omsi7or]

Nice... but about the cost?

[@ttxxxxxxtt]

مشاءالله هذا الشغل الي مايحتاج عماله ولا معدات ضخمه

[@silverclouds3]

كوين فيكتوريا.. الإملاء عندك يبي له صبات عشان ماتتلخبط الحروف وتتداخل على بعض 😝

[@MrMecatalin]

this won't work in my country because we need metal barriers between sides to stop idiots from jumping with the car over the axle of the road.

[@TheCaptainSplatter]

You guys got more public transportation options to make up for it instead I imagine. In America its car, car, oh and car.

[@arssh77]

اووووف يا سلاااام ، وعاشت التنميه طييط

[@user-jw2wj5gt1g]

كلام كثير وصار تطور كبير في التوسعه

[@randomchannel5386]

the gopro from my 10 news prius im dead

[@هاجسيفيراسي]

هذه المقاطع وغيرها من انجازات واخﻻص وتفاني من الحكومة للشعب في تلك الدول تزيد من غيضي وكرهي لبﻻدي المملكة المنهوبة السعودية

[@Sant_Lord]

Good job

[@0569995278]

مل هذا الشي صرنا نتمنا نشوفة ببلداننا بس للاسف الفساد طغى والنهب كثر حسبنا الله

[@putumban7738]

Multi track drifting?!?!

[@mohammedal-mutairi6363]

ذكرني بخريص الرياض، تطور احسن من ككدا

[@xXGoldenGloveXx]

why does she need a helmet?

[@juggolotus28]

she's special needs

[@bry120]

In Australia, they just use signs

[@johnd8892]

But more crashes causing injury and delays on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for instance.

[@alloronan]

Funny, had that in Australia for years.

[@YTN3rd]

We have lights above the road that indicate if the lane is inbound or outbound, not the moving barrier thou.

[@goldenone3489]

alloronan congratulations

[@AluVixapede]

DRIFT MEMES INTENSIFY.

[@edmoore]

American TV news really is horrendous.

[@MrTxt50001]

ياحبيبي شف مهندسة المشروع كيف تفتح النفس مو هندي تحصله في اول التحويله يشر بسرواله

[@Aaaaaaaaaaaa151]

اللي يقول عندنا مطبات تكس السيارات احب اقول له حنا اكثر ناس حوادث واكثر ناس تسرع واكثر ناس نوقف غلط واكثر ناس تقطع اشارات المرور واكثر ناس تفحط واكثر ناس متخلفه الخ

[@Nicole-il6dm]

يا عم إحمد ربنا إن عندكم طرق نضيفة أصلاً وأمال إحنا في مصر نعمل ايه ... بس بقي .. كفاية بطران نعمة

[@XINSIDE2009]

Нам до такого жить да жить...

[@نوافالسويلم-ش9س]

نفس بسعوديه عندنا يحطون صبات وبعد خمس شهور ان ماصدمنها انوخرها عن اطريق

[@koutaku9203]

日本でも導入してほしいですね 事故はまだしも、混雑が原因の渋滞が緩和しそう

[@MyBader7070]

صح كلامك يا عمروو...😂 اللهم لا حسد، كل شيء عندنا ع النظام وماشي تمام. لبية وديرتنا الي مافيه زيها😁

[@turkieid318]

كوين فكتوريا . الله من زين الاملاء

[@sadayukinaga9363]

DEJA VU I HAVE BEEN IN THIS PLACE BEFORE

[@t55141010]

هذي مو صبه هذي بلاستيك وحنا متهورين ما يردنا غير الصبه هههههههه

[@umangshinde3347]

It should be provided in India

[@MaximkoKiev]

Загнивающий запад))) А как же депутату по встречке теперь валить?)))

[@SporkPlays212]

It's in a permanent drift

[@mal7onaif]

شي عجيب بصراحة ناس فاهمة

[@csmith6237]

The only bad thing is I don't think this would stop an out if control truck from veering into the opposite direction

[@tardigrades3184]

M U L T I T R A C K D R I F T I N G

[@johnkeating2828]

why is that girl wearing a hard hat?? she's never stepped foot on a construction site

[@saloom0022]

حنا تبي حفريات ومطبات وصبات وشوراع كلها حفر مستعدين مايقصرون