IN THE PATROL CAR.
HE'S CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED
BRATE AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.
Laurie: TONIGHT DRIVERS ARE
TELLING US THE SITUATION HAS
GONE FROM BAD TO WORSE ON
I-KNIFE NOW THAT THOSE PLASTIC
POLES FOR THE 95 EXPRESS LANES
ARE UP IN BROWARD COUNTY.
LOCAL10 INVESTIGATE JEFF
WEINSIER IS LIVE IN DANIA BEACH
TOLL US MORE ABOUT THIS APPARENT
HIGHWAY HAZARD.
JEFF.
Jeff: LAURIE, THEY MADE
THINGS WORSE.
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HEARING OVER
AND OVER FROM BROWARD COMMUTERS,
ESPECIALLY RIGHT HERE NORTHBOUND
ON I-95 AS YOU APPROACH GRIFFIN
ROAD.
WHO IN THE WORLD DECIDED IT WAS
A GOOD IDEA TO MAUK A LANE MAKE
A LANE MERGE IN THE FAST LANE?
HE TELLS A TROOPER ANOTHER
DRIVER UNEXPECTEDLY MERGED RIGHT
INTO HIM.
DRIVERS NOW HEADING NORTHBOUND
ON I-95 APPROACHING GRIFFIN ROAD
ARE SEEING THIS SIGN.
AND THEN IN 900 FEET ONE OF THE
FAST LANES SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS,
FORCING HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC IN
THAT LEFT LANE TO ABRUPTLY MERGE
TO THE RIGHT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMEBODY IS
BRAIN.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING ABOVE
THE SPEED LIMIT AND IT CREATES A
MAJOR ISSUE.
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE SOME
PSYCHOTIC'S IDEA OF A MERGE.
Jeff: THIS NEW MERGE PART OF
ADDING EXPRESS LANES INTO
BROWARD COUNTY.
DRIVERS STAIH THE LANE DROP
CAUSES A BOTTLENECK.
THERE'S NOW A WALL OF TRACK OF
AS YOU APPROACH IT.
THIS IS NEW TRAFFIC WHERE THERE
WAS NO DAILY BACKUP BEFORE.
TRAFFIC.
MORE TRAFFIC NOW.
IT'S JUST JAMMED UP.
NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY.
IT USED TO BE THE 5:00 RUSH
HOUR, 9:00 IN THE MORNING BUT
NOW IT'S JUST ANY TIME.
Jeff: DRIVERS WE TALKED TO
SAY SINCE THE PLASTIC POLLS FOR
THE EXPRESS LANES WENT UP IN
BROWARD, THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC HAS
GONE DOWN.
MANY DRIVERS NOW SIT AT A
STANDSTILL IN THOSE GENERAL
PURPOSE LANES WHILE THE EXPRESS
LAWNS ARE MOSTLIY EMPTY.
AND WE SPOTTED SEVERAL DRIVERS
ALREADY LANE DIVING.
LANE DIVING HAS CAUSED FATAL
CRASHES IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY.
THEY JUST CUT IN AND DON'T
EVEN LOOK.
I'VE BEEN CUT OFF FOUR TIMES.
I SEE MORE ACCIDENTS.
Jeff: THE NUMBER OF CRASHES
IN THE AREA OF THIS LANE DROP
HAS DOUBLED IN THE PAST FOUR
MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, ROAD
RANGERS HAVE RESPONDED TO 101
CRASHES NORTHBOUND FROM STERLING
ROAD TO 595.
IN THE SAME AREA THE YEAR BEFORE
THERE WERE 54 CRASHES.
THERE WAS ALSO A LANE DROP
SOUTHBOUND ON 95 RIGHT BEFORE
IVES DAIRY ROAD.
YOU SLOW DOWN BECAUSE YOU'RE
NOT SURE IF YOU SHOULD GET TO
THE LEFT TO GO TO IVES DAIRY
ROAD OR IF YOU SHOULD EXIT FROM
THE RIGHT.
Jeff: A PROVIDED THE PRIVATE
ENGINEER SAID PART OF GOOD ROAD
DESIGN IS NOT TO DO SOMETHING
THAT IS UNNATURAL TO THE DRIVING
PUBLIC, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT
THE MEDICAL CARE RIGHT IN THE
FAST LANE IS.
AS THE DESIGNER OF THIS,
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT
THERE THAT ARE MAD AT YOU.
Jeff: ENGINEER JOHN OLISON
WORKED WITH A TEAM DESIGNING 95
EXPRESS LANES IN BROWARD IT.
DOES TAKE A LITTLE GETTING
USED TO.
Jeff: AS FAR AS THAT LANE
DROP?
THE LANE DROP DOES NOT CAUSE
TRAFFIC.
IT JUST IMPEDES THE FLOW,
DOESN'T IT?
WHEN THERE'S ONE LESS LANE,
YEAH, THAT COULD CERTAINLY I'M
IMPEDE THE FLOW.
THE GOAL, THOUGH, IS TO GET
CARS FLOWING AND NOT TO
INTERRUPT THE FLOW SO WHY IS
THAT A GOOD IDEA?
THAT'S THE WAY A FUNNEL
WORKS.
THAT'S THE WAY YOU'RE GOING TO
OWE GET SOME DISRUPTION WHERE A
LANE -- WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN
YOU HAVE ONE LESS LANE.
SO THE LANE DROP I GUESS IS
MY POINT IS NOW CAUSING MORE
TRAFFIC.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE LANE
DROP IS CAUSING MORE TRAFFIC.
OKAY.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT
MEANS.
Jeff: DRIVERS WE TALKED TO
DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY SEE.
I FEEL IT WAS A REALLY BAD
DECISION.
HATE IT.
I PREFER TO STICK TO US-1 NOW.
Jeff: THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT
OF TRANSPORTATION TELLING US
THEY'VE ONLY RECEIVED ABOUT A
DOZEN COMPLAINTS AND THEY WILL
BE MONITORING THE SITUATION OUT
HERE CONTINUOUSLY WE ARE NOT
DONE DEBT YET.
COMING UP TONIGHT AT 11:00 WE'LL
TAKE YOU DOWN TO MIAMI-DADE
COUNTY TO THE EXPRESS LANE.
LAWMAKERS ARE NOW CALLING FOR
THOSE POLES TO COME DOWN.
LISTEN.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE POLES
OUT.
I THINK THAT THOSE FLEXIBLE
POLES CREATE AN INHERENTLY
DANGEROUS CONDITION.
DO THEY REALIZE THERE'S A
PROBLEM HERE?
I THINK THAT FDOT ABSOLUTELY
REALIZES THERE'S AN ISSUE.
AT LEAST THEY'RE HEARING FROM
THE PUBLIC.