Lane numbers in some posts...a California thing?

[SalisburySam]

I’ve seen several posts where posters described their driving experiences using lane numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). In decades of driving I’ve not seen this before. Since most of the posters report CA in their signatures, I’m assuming it’s a SoCal or CA thingie. So for the rest of us, which lane is #1? Right-most or left-most?

 

[insaneoctane]

I don't know the origin, but I know CHP uses it out here in California. #1 is the left most, or "fast lane"

 

[Wennfred]

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assigns the numbers from left to right. The far left passing lane is the number1 lane. The number of the slow lane (closest to freeway onramps/offramps) depends on the total number of lanes, and could be anywhere from 2 to 8.

 

[doubleatheman]

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assigns the numbers from left to right. The far left passing lane is the number1 lane. The number of the slow lane (closest to freeway onramps/offramps) depends on the total number of lanes, and could be anywhere from 2 to 8.

Yeup Caltrans. I guess its always seemed normal to me to number the lanes this way, but I've had my nose buried in Caltrans standards the last 5 years of my life so its my norm.

 

[Triplett]

Numbering the lanes 1, 2, 3 etc starting from the far most left lane has been around for decades. It's what cops and insurance companies use.

 

[Triplett]

sorry.....everywhere, not just California.

 

[SalisburySam]

Guess that cleared everything up...thanks to posters!

 

[RayK]

Have to number the lanes out here in CA. There's more lanes to describe than left, center and right.

 

[BerTX]

Have to number the lanes out here in CA. There's more lanes to describe than left, center and right.

Gawl-lee, why would y'all need all those lanes. We just use them for our tractors and occasionally a horse and buggy.

"With 26 lanes in certain parts, the Katy Freeway, or Interstate 10, is the widest highway in the world. It serves more than 219,000 vehicles daily in Texas. Built in the 1960s, Interstate 10 expands across a 23-mile stretch from its intersection with Interstate 610 to the city of Katy in Texas."

 

[jkoya]

Lane numbering is also listed in the California DMV Handbook....

 

[SDKoala]

I’ve seen several posts where posters described their driving experiences using lane numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). In decades of driving I’ve not seen this before. Since most of the posters report CA in their signatures, I’m assuming it’s a SoCal or CA thingie. So for the rest of us, which lane is #1? Right-most or left-most?

I lived in NC for a while (not exactly where you are, but in The Triangle) and I definitely remember lane numbering being used to describe traffic events on I-40. Not as commonplace as here, but not unheard of.

 

[mainecoon]

We got too many cars now. We need more than just 1-2-3 lanes. We need the Boring Co. to start making those holes underground so we can have layers of tunnel roads = no traffic

 

[Magnets!]

so does the carpool lane count as lane 1, then the passing lane as 2? or is carpool lane excluded from the counting?

 

[Big Dog]

Gawl-lee, why would y'all need all those lanes. We just use them for our tractors and occasionally a horse and buggy.

Elon needs to add cattle-drive mode as an Easter Egg. All the neighboring cars can turn into Longhorns and trucks could be represented as covered wagons!

 

[SDKoala]

so does the carpool lane count as lane 1, then the passing lane as 2? or is carpool lane excluded from the counting?

Excluded. It's just referred to as the carpool lane. In the instances of more than one carpool lane traveling in the same direction, I've heard the traffic reports on the radio refer to carpool lanes as right or left. eg, "There's a broken down vehicle on the right carpool lane on the southbound 15." I don't think I've ever heard carpool lanes get designated by number when there's more than one.

And I don't know of anyone in So Cal that calls the #1 lane, the "passing lane." Yes, I'm aware of traffic laws and that the #1 lane is supposed to be used only for passing, but that never happens in practice here. To the ire of many, it's pretty much used as a regular travel lane.

 

[Magnets!]

Excluded. It's just referred to as the carpool lane. In the instances of more than one carpool lane traveling in the same direction, I've heard the traffic reports on the radio refer to carpool lanes as right or left. eg, "There's a broken down vehicle on the right carpool lane on the southbound 15." I don't think I've ever heard carpool lanes get designated by number when there's more than one.

And I don't know of anyone in So Cal that calls the #1 lane, the "passing lane." Yes, I'm aware of traffic laws and that the #1 lane is supposed to be used only for passing, but that never happens in practice here. To the ire of many, it's pretty much used as a regular travel lane.

Well I was either going to refer to it as the passing lane or fast lane, neither which quite fits I agree but it got the point across. I'm in SoCal as well. Now that I know it is #1 lane regardless of carpool lane or not, I shall call it #1.

 

[SammichLover]

Gawl-lee, why would y'all need all those lanes. We just use them for our tractors and occasionally a horse and buggy.

"With 26 lanes in certain parts, the Katy Freeway, or Interstate 10, is the widest highway in the world. It serves more than 219,000 vehicles daily in Texas. Built in the 1960s, Interstate 10 expands across a 23-mile stretch from its intersection with Interstate 610 to the city of Katy in Texas."

To be fair we've got issues with drivers being able to count that high, here.