most people do not know how to properly merge. Stopping your car dead in it's tracks is not the way to merge, When you do this, it backs everyone up behind you creating a dangerous situation. Learn how to use your gas and brake pedal!

I posted this over a year ago - of course nothing happened. Failure to yield doesn't make enough for the police to write tix - even though it's at least as much of a public safety threat as speeders. Post was removed as some 'moderator' deemed this wasn't a valid issue. The yields signs on both sides of the bridge entrances/exits are ignored regularly by many drivers and the police do NOTHING.

Obviously the $$$'s earned by police agencies for writing tickets for failure to yield doesn't compare with speeding violations or seat belt use violations or this would not be an issue. Because if it were, the police would sit there and write about 500 tickets a day to this very hazardous situation. I too wrote this up quite some time ago and ultimately it was removed for reasons I cannot comprehend. If you're coming down the ramp and the sign says YIELD it means yield whether or not you're merging into the rte 9 traffic or staying in the lane, which would have you looping back to rte 9 in the other direction.....both sides of this rte 9/44 & 55 interchange have this issue. --- Unfortunately I've seen a Dutchess Co Sheriff do the exact same thing....even the police can't drive!

The left hand ramp off southbound route 9 going to 44/55 (or route 9 north) is poorly designed. Today I was behind someone who completely stopped even though there was room to safely merge. I assumed he would merge, but instead he stopped. Luckily I hit the brakes in time. Then he did not merge until both lanes were empty. I regret the use of my horn to show my displeasure, but I wish drivers would not stop completely when it is possible to merge safely. I drive all over upstate in my job, and these looping ramps are one of my "watch this carefully" areas.

Simple solution to make crazy Rt9/44 junction safe: Separate lanes of Rt 9 with flexible posts at the merge sites. Vehicles in left lane must yield to traffic entering from the left. This is the modern roundabout principle of yield to enter an intersection and accelerate out. It would reduce confusion and improve traffic flow.