Will These Road New Road Signs Really Make Us Feel Any Better?

At certain times of the year, I end up in other parts of New England quite a bit. And the further south you travel, the more you start to see different forms of technology to keep traffic humming along. There are often more Trans Pass lanes, more signage, things like that.

One time, coming into Massachusetts from New Hampshire, I noticed there was a digital sign displaying the rate at which traffic was moving and predicting how long it would take to get through the toll. It said like 12 minutes, or whatever. From the distance I was at, that indicated traffic was moving quite briskly, and I didn't really have to fear sitting forever at a toll.

Now, because I'm kind of a Negative Nelly, I also thought about how full of anger and stressed I would feel if I looked up at that sign and saw a huge number like, 45 minutes. I'm kind a Stage 5 traffic freaker-outer, and I should probably be in therapy for how angry I get at traffic. And sadly, I am not remotely the only one. I'm not exactly rude about it. I don't flick people off and honk a lot, but I swear very loudly when I'm alone.

There's a part of me that feels like if I saw one of these epic wait times, it would just push me over the edge. Hahaha. Well, it would certainly push me off the highway, and I'd either get out my phone or the map, or whatever, and start planning some sort of escape. So maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it is doing it's job, by forcing me off the road and into calmer traffic. Obviously, I'm barely suited for highway travel.

Plus, we'll have to see how it works. According to a story from WMTW TV-8, there will be real-time data collected from passing cars, to get an accurate view of the traffic flow. So it has the potential to be really helpful. You'll just have to open your mind to the possibilities. And the Maine DOT is naturally excited about the plan too.

However, if you want to see a man screaming and crying in his car because he hates waiting forever at tolls, keep your eyes peeled for my RAV4.