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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 27, 2016 - 10:40am PT
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So let me preface this by saying that I have not been to the Valley in several years. However, I had a great few days up in the Meadows climbing some fun stuff with my daughter and then drove into the Valley to spend Saturday and Sunday in the Valley. What an unpleasant mess. A gridlocked line of traffic from Bridalveil all the way to where the road to the Village and Curry split--all because some genius decided that all passenger vehicles must stay in the left so buses and emergency vehicles can drive in the right lane. I think I saw four mini-buses and one green dragon pass in that one hour we sat there. When and why did they implement this, and is there anyone's cage we can rattle to get them to rescind this? Sorry for the Monday morning gripe, but that made an LA commute seem pleasant in comparison.
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BFK
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 10:50am PT
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Byran
climber
Half Dome Village
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Jun 27, 2016 - 11:43am PT
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I think the reason for the one lane on S Side is that they want to throttle the rate at which cars can get into the east Valley. In general, there are more cars than parking spots around there and so traffic can become really congested as people drive around in circles looking for a place to park. Basically if they can keep the traffic backed up down valley, then it lessens the traffic in the east valley.
All the good nightclubs have a line to get in, and the best one has the longest line. Yosemite just wants to make sure everyone knows they're the best National Park.
We need self driving cars more than ever. Once you hit traffic, just program your car to drive endless circles around the loop, then get out and go for a hike.
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 27, 2016 - 12:02pm PT
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It's mostly done to keep open lanes for emergency vehicle responses.
Fire, rescue and LEO on weekends and big holidays.
Sorry ......
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Alexey
climber
San Jose, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 12:08pm PT
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If they want to throttle the rate at which cars can get into the east Valley, they would let to turn left to Sentinel bridge for cars that want to go back out of the park, but they force them to go to Curry Village. I thing they just want to scrue all Park Visitors, because they feel they own the Valley and they can do there whatever they want.
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WBraun
climber
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Jun 27, 2016 - 12:28pm PT
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NoT true.
The traffic problem this year has been astronomical.
Visitor use is up over 20% over last year also.
They have to keep emergency lanes open.
In the past we've driven on bike, pedestrian paths, against traffic on the loops, and all sorts of other crazy shenanigans like you wouldn't believe.
Nobody really wanted to create the one lane nightmare you see right now but basically that was the only viable solution for now.
Sorry ......
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 12:54pm PT
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Werner, I respectfully disagree. If they absolutely have to devote one lane exclusively for emergency services, then they're admitting that emergency access was subpar for all the years that they didn't have this policy in place, which is pretty much every year leading up to this one. Also, why would that lane be available for bus and tour group use if this is a major concern. More important, if it critical to have this access, they are making that far more difficult by creating a substantial, 20 minute bottleneck as the two lanes merge into one. That might have been the theory, but it's a bad one and any argument that it's working is absolute BS.
So who do I address my concerns to?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 12:57pm PT
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They have to keep emergency lanes open.
They shouldn't let people in who don't know they're supposed to pull over.
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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Jun 27, 2016 - 01:30pm PT
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Fat Dad,
An 20% uptick in visitors could be the answer to your supposition.
.......in the ultimate box canyon
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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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Jun 27, 2016 - 01:44pm PT
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It's a real hassle until it's your kid who breaks a femur and needs an evacuation.
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cragnshag
Social climber
san joser
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Jun 27, 2016 - 01:52pm PT
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4 lanes total should solve the problem. 2 in each direction all the way around the loop. While the equipment is there to build the roads, a parallel, but separated 8' wide paved bike path can be built so that cyclists don't have to compete with cars in the West end of the Valley anymore. This paved bike path can double as an emergency access lane
Then build a 5000 car parking garage with a grass roof so that you can't see it from up on the walls.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 01:56pm PT
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all the years that they didn't have this policy in place, which is pretty much every year leading up to this one. I recall this one lane thing was being used on peak summer weekends at least 2 years ago.
It's not hard for climbers to avoid the gridlock if you expect it - just plan ahead; do a full day climb and get on your climb early.
Or climb in the Meadows. It's summer.
Definitely not fun to get caught in the gridlock, though.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2827364/Parking-in-the-Valley
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Jun 27, 2016 - 02:00pm PT
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Five million people trying to visit three square miles in a three month block all via the same one way road...
There's a reason I don't go to The Valley after May or before September.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 27, 2016 - 02:01pm PT
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Ian,
Glad you and all the fat dads have my back. Gratifying. Thanks bro and all else wearing stretchy pants.
You can tell I have a bug up my ass about this. OK, so supposedly a 20% uptick in visitors over the previous year. However, visitation at national parks has been down in general, so we can probably infer that a 20% uptick is consistent with the normal number of visitors the park receives. Also, the claim that you're leaving a lane open is only true after where the single lane restriction is enforced. Before that, it's a parking lot and is counterproductive. I haven't heard any claims that emergency access has been impaired as a consequence of the earlier two lane system. Given that the only LEOs I saw were enforcing the lane closure, I don't see how that frees up more assistance where it's needed. In short, it doesn't seem like any consideration was given to whether the burden this created could be avoided by some other less restrictive means.
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dikhed
climber
State of fugue and disbelief
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Jun 27, 2016 - 02:04pm PT
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Five million people trying to visit three square miles in a three month block all via the same one way road...
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Jun 27, 2016 - 02:33pm PT
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I'm buying a bus based RV and putting life size photos of Asian's with cameras in the windows.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Jun 27, 2016 - 03:00pm PT
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There is a lot about how Yosemite is operated that makes me sympathetic to those who argue that the federal government is incompetent and can't be trusted. My left leanings are strained and rethought after every visit.
Then I go back to my corporate job and can't imagine that privatization can be the answer to anything.
Boils down to too many people. The park should not let in more people than the carrying capacity of the park. Either widen roads and add more parking or turn back visitors, anything else will not fix anything.
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Jun 27, 2016 - 03:03pm PT
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I doubt anything that costs money is going to happen anytime soon. They gotta go Zion eventually
vvvvvvvvv poking right back at you
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Byran
climber
Half Dome Village
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Jun 27, 2016 - 03:22pm PT
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I doubt anything that costs money is going to happen anytime soon. They gotta go Zion eventually
The problem with "going Zion" is that logistically, Yosemite is the opposite of Zion. Zion is a narrow slot canyon with plenty of wide open desert just a few minutes drive away. Yosemite Valley is guarded by miles of Lower Merced River Canyon - steep, narrow, V-shaped canyon prone to rockslides. Any sort of infrastructure needed to accommodate a park & ride system would need to be built out by Crane Flat or Yosemite West. That's a much longer bus ride. I sure wouldn't want to make that commute every day to go climbing.
Yosemite Valley is the place to build parking and accommodations. Wide U-shaped valley, with lots of natural fire-breaks. Let people in and give them a place to park their car and sleep until they leave. The lack of camping options in the Valley is a major contributor to the "commuter traffic" that happens every day.
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