Movable barriers

Movable barriers from Barrier Systems Inc have gone onto extra bridges in the Philadelphia area to support reversible lane arrangements. We’d previously written of users enthusiasm for movable barriers (MBs). Most people who get’em like ‘em.

But some people try them and don’t like them, we recently discovered. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area two apparently key officials say MBs are more expense and trouble than they are worth. On I-30E, the Thornton they have MB on each side of the central median so they can ‘steal’ a lane for contra-flow during the rush hour. They told me that they regard MBs as a useful interim device for a few years of operation, but if the money’s available they prefer to go with fixed barrier and gates.