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pretend you're the traffic/roadway Czar of your community with unlimited power. what would you change? How would the streets look different?
I'll go first.
the furthermost right lane on each side of every major arterial would be a bike/bus lane.
Trees planted in a median in the middle of the streets. more trees along the sidewalks.
speed limits tweaked down to 35 mph. (except freeways) heavy fines for speeders (like $500)
some streets in the center cities would be car-free. some on street parking would be eliminated in favor of wider sidewalks and trees, street furniture.
traffic calming measures would be plantings and art in the medians, things that would make the environment more pleasant or comfortable. I'd make all the pavement a lighter color/rubberized so as not to trap so much heat.
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I'd get rid of all on street parking in the downtown area.
Imagine the implications.
1.) Raise driving ages--18 for women, 25 for men. 2.) The state will hold a co-title to every motor vehicle and can confiscate said vehicle for a number of traffic offenses. 3.)All cars will have black boxes, with wireless modems that can download all vehicle speed information to a central database. Yes, I sound like a fascist--when it comes to motor vehicle use, I will happily admit to being one. Want your civil rights? Don't drive!
Czar? Unlimited Power?
OK. Y'all stay off the road while I'm using it!
Appearing "be realistic" is not a goal here.
I'd simply ban cellphone use. Another near miss this week...
Appearing "be realistic" is not a goal here.
So, what would you do, if you were Tsar, HH?
($20 says he says something like, "I would change nothing except enforce the idea that bikes have the same rights as cars.")
1.) Raise driving ages--18 for women, 25 for men. 2.) The state will hold a co-title to every motor vehicle and can confiscate said vehicle for a number of traffic offenses. 3.)All cars will have black boxes, with wireless modems that can download all vehicle speed information to a central database. Yes, I sound like a fascist--when it comes to motor vehicle use, I will happily admit to being one. Want your civil rights? Don't drive!
That's some mighty fine goose-steppin you've got going there.
Love how you equate civil rights with driving.
the unlimited power part was just to not put any limits on your imagination. I don't want any scary dictatorship scenarios, please... :D Thanks, Feldman, but it's about the streets and how you would change them. carry on.
I'd make all the pavement a lighter color so as not to trap so much heat.
Just an aside, heat trapping is as much a function of what the pavement is made from as its color.
Light colored cement (PCC) freeways traps and retains more heat than near black rubberized asphault.
The rubberized asphault gets a higher surface temp in the day, but cools more quickly and has a lower temp at night. It stores less heat.
The dark color is better for eye fatigue too.
Al
Appearing "be realistic" is not a goal here.
HA! :roflmao:
I'm pretending I have Unlimited Power. (said in best "God Voice" heavy on the reverb)
I am not pretending to be realistic.
Pretending to be realistic is only for those of you with Limited Power.
:D
I'd put a mister that activates at every red light.
Al
The no cellphones idea is great. The no street parking downtown is great.
I'd get rid of all one-way streets (no real reason, I just hate one-way streets).
I'd charge a twenty-dollar toll to drive into the city.
I'd knock down all freeways/interstates leading into the city. They create choke points, divide neighborhoods, and create dead zones in cities.
I'd get rid of buses, but I'd bring back the trolly system, or some sort of efficient and comfortable modified trolly/light rail thing - whatever fits in the best.
And free coffee for bike commuters.
I'd knock down all freeways/interstates leading into the city.
How will interstate traffic get thru quickly?
Building bypasses destroys more land and often creates more spread out development.
No need to answer in order to keep the positive/fun vibe going, just thinking out loud.
al
How will interstate traffic get thru quickly?
Building bypasses destroys more land and often creates more spread out development.
No need to answer in order to keep the positive/fun vibe going, just thinking out loud.
al
As Czar, I'd have my minions figure it out. I'd say something like, "You... minion! Figure out this interstate traffic thing, now!" :D
I didn't know that about the rubberized asphalt, thanks Al.
Step number 1; require all drivers to pass a real driving test before they can drive.
Step 2; Enforce the friggin' speed limits with severe penalties.
Az
Step number 1; require all drivers to pass a real driving test before they can drive.
Step 2; Enforce the friggin' speed limits with severe penalties.
Az
Institute the policies I outlined in this thread. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=36698&pp=30 PLEASE DON'T REPLY TO THAT THREAD
I'd charge a twenty-dollar toll to drive into the city.
Welcome to London ;)
Lots of good ideas. We can refine them to make them more workeable and realistic.
(1) NO parking on downtown streets. Phase it out over the course of a few years, and in those ares where it is 'impossible' to acccomplish, be like Singapore and auction off the few spots remaining to the highest bidder.
(2) Congestion fee: with all cars soon to have GPS and other things, your fee should depend upon the amount of time you spend in the central zone AND how deeply you penetrate it.
(3) I would close streets to traffic and have pedestrians only zones (as in NO BIKES, folks...i said pedestrians on a rotating basis, in different areas of the city at different times.
(4) I would get rid of buses and replace them with a subisidized network of smaller mini buses and cabs. The subisidies would be justified from the congestion savings as well as the fact that most users would probably be of lower/fixed incomes.
roughstuff
Free pie at every corner. That is all.
The no cellphones idea is great. The no street parking downtown is great.
I'd get rid of all one-way streets (no real reason, I just hate one-way streets).
I'd charge a twenty-dollar toll to drive into the city.
I'd knock down all freeways/interstates leading into the city. They create choke points, divide neighborhoods, and create dead zones in cities.
I'd get rid of buses, but I'd bring back the trolly system, or some sort of efficient and comfortable modified trolly/light rail thing - whatever fits in the best.
And free coffee for bike commuters.
You forgot free donuts or pie with that coffee!:eek: For shame! Bad Cromulent, Bad!:eek: :D
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=278786
let's say you have one wish and *POOF* things would instantly change in your community. what would you wish for to make things better for cyclists in your community?
Not sure I would do too much. I don't like to be hated.
I would retire and ride my bike across the country.
Oh and lets pump a blog up.
Here's my blog BY Rando
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=286807
pretend you're the traffic/roadway Czar of your community with unlimited power. what would you change? How would the streets look different?
I would enforce the speed limits, red-light laws, stop sign laws, crosswalk blocking laws, and safe passing laws.
I would put more cops on bikes, and have them patrol important roads.
If the important roads were too narrow for this to be acceptable to everyone involved, I'd improve the roads.
But that's at the local level.
If I could have an effect at the state or national level I would:
1. Require license plates to be bigger, and mounted on both the front and rear of all cars and trucks.
2. Require car bumpers and other external parts to be made of a materials that include chemical tagents that can identify the make and model of a vehicle after a hit-and-run.
3. Require all cars and trucks to have black boxes that store all the vehicle's motions and driver actions prior to a crash.
4. Require re-testing of drivers every five years, including a road test and written test that includes questions about bicyclists and pedestrians.
5. In ten years, require all new cars to be equipped with an automatic braking system that engages if the driver is about to collide with another road user. This would also kick in immediately prior to an unlawfully close pass.
I'd hire Steve Goodridge and give him a huge budget.
Al
New Speed Limits for all Motor Vehicles:
35 MPH on all Interstate Highways.
25 MPH on all two lane state roads.
15 MPH on all county Commercial roads.
5 MPH on all Residential Streets and in School Zones.
ALL vehicles must be placarded with the owners' name , phone number and address on the doors.
Black Boxes in all motor vehicles.
GPS to track all motor vehicles.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) module in all tags/liscence plates.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ALL road shoulders, or lane margins (the width of pavement between the fog line and the kerb) will be declared "Bicycle Lanes". When the paved shoulder ends, or becomes less than 2 feet wide, a red octagonal STOP sign will be installed, with a white stop line on the pavement. Fifteen feet past said STOP sign a yellow diamond sign with the words "SHARE THE ROAD WITH BICYCLES" in black four inch high letters will be installed.
Every automobile must have a kill switch for the engine, on each left and right front fender, as well as a strip- switch on the front bumper. If the car bumps into something, or if someone slaps the red button on the fender, the engine will shut off for no less than ten minutes.
Velomobiles will be exempt from the 5MPH bumper rule. Velomobiles can have ~20 MPH bumpers, just like Trucks.
A weight limit of 900 pounds will be put in effect on all four wheel motor vehicles, with a limit on engine displacement set at 900 cc. ( Read: Buy a Quad. The car of the future is available now at your local Kawasaki dealer).
Red Lights will be supplimented by spike strips, which raise when the light turns red and lower when the light turns green.
High school students will NOT be allowed to drive a car to school. They must walk, ride the bus, or get a bike.
*****************************************************
State and Local governments that are in financial trouble can sell the roads to the Local Bicycle Clubs.
The Bicycle Clubs will charge truck companies for using the roads in the form of tolls and permits. Truckers will be encouraged to form convoys, and they will be required to post their schedules online, so any cyclist can know when the truck is coming. Truck schedules will be forwarded to cyclists by text-messaging if they request it.
( Note: the author is about to take a break to have a slice of pizza.)
(I'm back from my pizza break).
Continued:
Speed of cars will be controlled by GPS. Cars will NOT be able to exceed the posted speed limit.
To encourage children to ride bicycles, teachers will not be allowed to give more than one hour of homework.
Every night is pasta night. Carbo-loading for tomorrow's ride will be encouraged.
Police will be issued bicycles, special police-issue bikes that can fire TOW missiles at any car exceeding the speed limit.
You must ride a bicycle to be eligible to run for the office of President of the United States (this already went into effect before the last election).
• No right turns on red
• Square off all intersections and highway ramps
• Convert a % of congested lanes/roadways to “Lexus” lanes so people who need to get somewhere fast can do so as long as they are willing to pay for that privilege. The extra money can be used for mass transit and hiker/biker facilities.
(I’m tried of subsiding the over use of cars.)
• Parking pricing should favor the short term user not the daily commuter or at least have a flat hourly rate so both pay the same.
• Government should not carte blanche supply free parking to employees but the cost should match what the public sector has to pay in the local neighborhood.
• Intersections on major heavy traffic roads would have bollards that would raise when the light turned red (like England’s bus/bike lane video.) No more running red lights, strongly discourages grid lock as well as keeping the crosswalk and bike lane free of cars.
That’s what first comes to mind for phase one. :D
wow... looking forward to phase 2!
http://www.google.com/maps?q=Tempe,+AZ,+USA&ie=UTF8&z=18&ll=33.363832,-111.893756&spn=0.002092,0.003616&t=k&om=1
You mean square off the street like square this sucker off.
The streets work the way they are--the controls on motorized occupants need tweaking.
Sci Fi theater: pretend you're the "Traffic Czar"
Rando, this truly is Sci-Fi theatre... ;)
But I like the sound of it... "Traffic Czar... Traffic Czar..."
:D
Someone appoint me. I'm ready!
"You, lady in the SUV driving the speed limit. Here's 12 tickets to the ballgame for your team."
http://www.google.com/maps?q=Tempe,+AZ,+USA&ie=UTF8&z=18&ll=33.363832,-111.893756&spn=0.002092,0.003616&t=k&om=1
You mean square off the street like square this sucker off.
I ride thru this very Spooey every day
http://www.kurumi.com/roads/interchanges/spui.html
http://www.azdot.gov/TPD/ATRC/publications/research_notes/PDF/501RN.pdf
Al
My program for high-schoolers: No more free student parking; parking is to be sold at the highest prevailing local rate (downtown Portland parking rate for Vancouver high schools, for instance.) Full phys-ed credit for any student walking or cycling to school, school-issude cyclometers and pedometers paid for by driving students' parking fees.
Man some of you guys are very creative.
1) Huge tax breaks for people who ride bikes, or commute to work by bike. Drive up gas prices to $5.00 a gallon. (it'll be there anyway in a few years, so WTF). Penalties to every employer in the country who dont encourage employees to commute by bike, or provide secure enclosed parking facilities for bikes, or dont have state inspected showering facilities and dressing rooms with lockers when you get to work.
2) Nationwide maximum speed limit of 45 mph on all non interstate roads. All interstate roads will have a separate bike path divided by trees no less than 300 ft from the thruway, interconnecting to all rest areas and exits. Bike paths will also have their own rest facilities every few miles. Interstate bike paths will be strictly enforced by state troopers on small motor bikes. Maximum speed limit of 20 mph on flat sections, and 50 mph on descents, passing slower bikes cautiously. All riders will stay in the right of all interstate bike paths and intracity bike paths, unless passing. Wheel sucking is allowed, providing its a joint agreement with the other riders. (dont want to slow up any tight pace lines)
3) All retail stores nationwide must allow bike riders to bring their bikes into the store with them, or provide secure enclosed bike parking on site. When I say secure, I mean armed security with a water fountain.
4) A billion dollar grant to every state to improve all primary and secondary roads with safe bike lanes. Harsh penalties to states who dont comply by 2010.
5) Fererally funded nationwide campaign advocating citizens to ride and commute by bike. Show big billboards with fit people of all ages on their bikes, smiling, drinking gatorade.
6) Nationwide licensing and registration of all bikes, with mandatory insurance coverage. All bikes will display state issued metal bar code tags under the seats instead of big ugly license plates. Police will have special bar code scanners to read bar codes that will show who you are. This will help cut down on bike theft. So if you're dressed like a punk, riding a $3000 Italian bike, you could be pulled over.
Believe me, I could go on with this. :eek:
Speed of cars will be controlled by GPS. Cars will NOT be able to exceed the posted speed limit.
I like that one.
I'd have HEAVY enforcement of all traffic law, and instead of fines for those caught breaking of the law, I'd religate those drivers to drive a smaller and slower class of vehicle.
That way, the worst drivers would be driving mopeds and the best drivers SUVs.
:)
Lots of good ideas here.
My push would be for surface rail commuter service. I think it's unreasonable to think that folks will commute by bike much more than five miles. So, to get people out of cars, a reasonable alternative needs to exists.
The state should re-take all existing abandoned rail lines (and they criss-cross the metro areas and the state here in MD) and construct a commuter rail system. For the first five years, the fair to ride the train would be zero. The entire rail system would be financed by a tax on motor fuel (diesel would get a discount) and a on a sliding-scale tax on motor vehicles so that the larger the engine, the higher the tax. Small displacement scooters, mopeds and bicycles would not pay any sales tax.
Man some of you guys are very creative.
Believe me, I could go on with this. :eek:
Please do.... :D
Equip every car with a computer which will enable a drive by wire to automatically control the car. That way, spontainious wolf packs and traffic jams will be avoided. Cars in the city grid will be controlled to drive in formation to eliminate stops and backups. This will allow the road to be used more efficiently. A majority of the roads will be dedicated to smaller vehicles, i.e. bicycles, segways, other personal (and slow) transportation devices and pedestrians. These roads will not have cars on them and will have timed crossings of the car roads to avoid traffic jams.
In other words: most of the streets are only for cyclists and pedestrians. Arterials are for cars and in the city, the cars will either be remote controlled or "flock" with only on board computer input and sensing other cars around them. Actually, having a computer and sensors to detect all other road users and "flock" with those road users would be better than external remote control. The layout of the city with stoplights, timings and all that can be downloaded into the computer and the cars would just flock together and automatically take into account slower road users and traffic signals. We could even eliminate lanes that way. Do it well enough, and a pedestrian or cyclist can just enter the roadway and the cars will just flock around the cyclist or pedestrian automatically, efficiently, and safely.
Cars would be required to cede right of way to bicyclists at all times. Passing a bicycle would be forbidden as would honking or yelling at them.
Equip every car with a computer which will enable a drive by wire to automatically control the car. That way, spontainious wolf packs and traffic jams will be avoided. Cars in the city grid will be controlled to drive in formation to eliminate stops and backups. This will allow the road to be used more efficiently. A majority of the roads will be dedicated to smaller vehicles, i.e. bicycles, segways, other personal (and slow) transportation devices and pedestrians. These roads will not have cars on them and will have timed crossings of the car roads to avoid traffic jams.
In other words: most of the streets are only for cyclists and pedestrians. Arterials are for cars and in the city, the cars will either be remote controlled or "flock" with only on board computer input and sensing other cars around them. Actually, having a computer and sensors to detect all other road users and "flock" with those road users would be better than external remote control. The layout of the city with stoplights, timings and all that can be downloaded into the computer and the cars would just flock together and automatically take into account slower road users and traffic signals. We could even eliminate lanes that way. Do it well enough, and a pedestrian or cyclist can just enter the roadway and the cars will just flock around the cyclist or pedestrian automatically, efficiently, and safely.
This may actually come to pass... bits and pieces of this sort of system are are being tested now in various places... such as the high speed test bed on Hiway 15 here in San Diego where several years ago driverless autos were tested at freeway speeds to see how well they could drive together and avoid obstacles. DARPA's autonomous driver challange in the Mohave desert is working toward creating a driverless vehicle... the next challange is for vehicles to work in an urban environment. Closer to the consumer, are the self parking vehicles introduced in the past year or so. Some Scientists are predicting some limited self driving autos will be available to the consumer by the year 2020.
Ummmm........mmmm power!!!!.....No cell phones or coffees while driving!! Fix all pot holes over 6" deep and 12" wide. Finish off the local bike route. Put a diamond lane on all big routes. No sales taxes on bicycles (The first $750). Signage on the road showing that bikes have a right to the road........wait, signs that read that bicycles have MORE rights than cars!!! MUUUUHAHAHAH!!!
1.) Raise driving ages--18 for women, 25 for men. 2.) The state will hold a co-title to every motor vehicle and can confiscate said vehicle for a number of traffic offenses. 3.)All cars will have black boxes, with wireless modems that can download all vehicle speed information to a central database. Yes, I sound like a fascist--when it comes to motor vehicle use, I will happily admit to being one. Want your civil rights? Don't drive!
If I may add to your last sentence.
"Want your civil rights? Don't drive because driving is not a right in this country. Abuse it and loose it"
This from someone who has been driving for 38 years and has- 0 tickets and 0 accidents.
<not braggin', just sayin'>
1.) Raise driving ages--18 for women, 25 for men. 2.) The state will hold a co-title to every motor vehicle and can confiscate said vehicle for a number of traffic offenses. 3.)All cars will have black boxes, with wireless modems that can download all vehicle speed information to a central database. Yes, I sound like a fascist--when it comes to motor vehicle use, I will happily admit to being one. Want your civil rights? Don't drive!
I agree with this. I am actually a staunch advocate of individual rights, but people have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt to not be able to handle the responsibility of operating a car. 45,000 people or so a year die in car accidents and people worry about things like SARS and bird flu :rolleyes: .
I also like the ideas that would make it difficult or very expensive to drive, but big time investment in mass transit would be necessary to offset the ridiculous rise in real estate prices in the inner cities that would accompany the reduction in driving. Galen's ideas about light rail use would seem to work well.
**EDIT: I was rash in my initial assessment that people have proven themselves unable to handle the responsibility of driving. What I really feel is that there have been so many that have proven themselves to be a danger to others on the road that I feel stronger measures are necessary to protect innocent people.
If I may add to your last sentence.
"Want your civil rights? Don't drive because driving is not a right in this country. Abuse it and loose it"
This from someone who has been driving for 38 years and has- 0 tickets and 0 accidents.
<not braggin', just sayin'>
Fine, but as the saying goes, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Let's also not let anyone over 60 drive.
Abuse it lose it, fine, have someone else who simply falls into the same group that you do abuse something and therefore you lose it is simply wrong. Just as wrong for age and gender as for race or ethnic background.
Man some of you guys are very creative.
3) All retail stores nationwide must allow bike riders to bring their bikes into the store with them, or provide secure enclosed bike parking on site. When I say secure, I mean armed security with a water fountain.
:
I think you are getting close to a major problem and the solution.
I would like to see that security guard when some idiot starts pluging the water fountain with a piece of chewing gum, and WHAM!!! , a good blow to the back of the idiot's head with a police baton.
I like that one.
I'd have HEAVY enforcement of all traffic law, and instead of fines for those caught breaking of the law, I'd religate those drivers to drive a smaller and slower class of vehicle.
That way, the worst drivers would be driving mopeds and the best drivers SUVs.
:)
For the life of me, i can't see why cars are engineered in many cases to easily exceed speeds of 80 MPH when such a speed would be inappropriate and dangerous even on an interstate.
I think it would be a great idea to have a device on an engine which, when disabled by a police officer in a chase or whatever, would make the engine stop. I am sure the details would have to be worked out, but it would cut down on car chases and fleeing pursuit.
I think as prices rise we'll have a multi-use transportation system. Walking short distances; cycling and small cars/mopeds/scooters for around town toolin' and shopping; a larger car for traveling long distances; trains and buses for long distances; commuter aircraft for longer intercity business and commercial travel, etc. This wouldn't be that big a change economically as people think.
roughstuff
I think it would be a great idea to have a device on an engine which, when disabled by a police officer in a chase or whatever, would make the engine stop. I am sure the details would have to be worked out, but it would cut down on car chases and fleeing pursuit.
I agree 100%, this is well within the boundaries of todays technology. Though there are a few challenged individuals who see this variously as; science fiction, Marxist, a drag net that punishes the innocent, and on and on it goes see Fatal Accident on Commute Route (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=292191).
Well, just RFID tag each car's computer with a unique code. The cop can read the RFID tag of cars in the vicinity and send a signal to the appropriate car based on the description of the car transmitted by the RFID signal. It could be doeable technology, but can you imagine the chaos if one of the police recievers were put into the wrong hands?
So, the technology is doeable, but not necessarily wise to impliment. In your previous version, HoustonB, where it really was a dragnet; this was doeable as well, but very, very much unwise to impliment.
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