Two city councillors want vehicles to zip through construction zones instead of sitting idle.
Matt Allard and Ross Eadie are asking the city to study the merits of the "zipper merge" system.
In a construction zone where a lane is down, drivers would take turns merging at the point of the merge.
“A zipper merge is a change in driver culture. It would ask Winnipeggers to use both lanes when there’s a construction zone and wait to merge. So merge at the last possible moment. So, once you’re close to the barricade, you take turns to merge,” said Allard.
“Some of the statistics indicate a 40 per cent reduction in the lineup, and there also seems to be some benefit in traffic flow. Instead of the start-stop effect that you see in one line, you have a systematic exchange in the traffic flow,” said Allard.
CAA Manitoba said this system has proven effective in other cities too.
“In Minnesota, I know they’ve been doing this very well for a couple years and they actually have very big signs that say ‘merge here, take turn,’” said Liz Kulik of CAA Manitoba.
Coun. Allard brought the motion to council Wednesday.
He’s asked that the public works department research its benefits and provide recommendations.
He hopes the city will be able to start an educational process for drivers to learn how to zipper merge.
