Expect to see more construction zones with signage telling drivers to use the zipper merge technique this summer in Regina.
Last year, the provincial government added the driving maneuver to the Saskatchewan Driver’s Handbook. Now it’s the city that’s pushing drivers to utilize the zipper.
“It’s good driver practice and etiquette to let people in, share the road,” said Norm Kyle, the city’s director of roadways and transportation.
“Everyone pays taxes for the roads so they should all have equal right to use it.”
Zipper merge signage will be up at Dewdney Avenue for roughly the next two weeks for construction between Elphinstone Street and Albert Street.
Kyle said they’ll be looking at putting up more signage throughout the next few months in work zones, which could include Arcola Avenue and Ring Road.
He maintains it’s one of the most efficient ways to get vehicles moving, but understands it may be a relatively new concept for many drivers in Regina.
“(When) you get to places where there’s more traffic and more congestion, the drivers just instinctively know that, ‘hey, use as much of the road as possible’ and then share it when you need to get in,” Kyle said.
He believes the key is to educate drivers through signs, whether it directly says ‘Zipper Merge’ or something along the lines of ‘Share the Road’ or ‘Merge Ahead.’
Kyle thinks Regina drivers will eventually get more comfortable with the zipper merge concept the more times they drive through it.