Variable Speed Signs 520

I love seeing the nice new electronic signs saying 40 MPH when I am stopped on 520.  Have yet to see any realistic values on the signs.

Social Engineering Lanes - 520

The so called High Occupancy Vehicle lanes are very expensive social engineering efforts. The concept as put in place by WSDOT on 520 fails miserably. After a few more studies they may notice that the current 520 floating bridge is only two lanes in each direction. Funneling three lanes into two will alway create problems. Now they have variable speed signs - yesterday they were saying (right to left) 55, 40, 40. The traffic in the two general purpose lanes was traveling at about 25-30 MPH - backed up by the HOV lanes merging at the last possible second into the general travel lanes.

Until they have a complete HOV lane system, they should require 4 or more passengers to use the HOV lane (formerly called the shoulder). 

The ramp from Montlake to 520 westbound

This ramp is notorious for near collisions. Most of the users of this ramp believe that all drivers on the 520 should stop and allow them to merge at whatever speed they think reasonable. They play the game of: "if I don't look then you will stop to let me in". The concept of yielding is not taught at the UW.

Those dark windows don't make it Ok to use your cell phone

Yesterday, on a trip from Seattle to Issaquah on I-90, I counted 18 drivers using their cell phones. They were easy to spot - they were the ones who were driving over and under the speed limit and basically disrupting the flow. I noticed many had tinted windows, who do they think they are fooling?