Quote:
Originally Posted by RED_PDXer
Auxiliary lanes DO increase traffic capacity. Imagine if SE Division Street had a third lane for left turning vehicles. The third, auxiliary, lane is not a through lane, but does take turning traffic out of through lanes, allowing through movements to proceed uninterrupted. More traffic capacity is thus provided without vehicles blocking the roadway all or some of the time. CRC's argument that providing 3 through lanes is not increasing capacity is totally bogus and all traffic engineers should recognize that.
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Technically, from a traffic engineering standpoint, auxiliary lanes
do not increase capacity. They
do improve operational efficiency. Thus, when the argument needs to be made that certain highway improvements will not increase capacity (there are various reasons why this argument would need to be made - opposition like we're seeing to this project is just one), auxiliary lanes are a way around that. I understand what you're saying, though.