Radical Traffic UNcontrol

[77Univega]

-- Bike Forums friends,

This post is by Stokell from another thread. "Naked Streets" (nothing to do with nude cycling)

"Wouldn't it be great if we naked streets in Canada and the USA?
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...id=970599119419

I'd love to hear the opinion of others on this subject."

[77Univega]

--WHOA.. TRY THIS LINK AGAIN:

www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1105614487492&call_pageid=970599119419

[norton]

Excellent! I have noticed this improvement at certain intersections when the traffic lights go out....& its contrary when the cop shows up to direct traffic!

It seems to me it fits right in with Vehicular Cycling, also....See & be seen...eye contact...less bike lane markings..... What do you think, Serge? :)

[AndrewP]

I wonder how car parking is controlled. I think this concept would work best if only off-street parking were allowed.

[eubi]

For someone who has lived his entire life (so far) in southern Californa, that article was unbelievable.

I can see it working in Europe, but the US? I wonder...

Our "ME FIRST" mentality will have to change a bit.

[77Univega]

For someone who has lived his entire life (so far) in southern Californa, that article was unbelievable...

-- Yes, I lived in LA County for sixteen years and I see what you mean.
The laws would have to change so that psychotic people don't get driver's licenses. I'm afraid that won't happen in my lifetime.

['nother]

To quote a reply that was made to me in another thread (wherein I jokingly proposed that we have no speed limits), "Yeah, that worked well in Montana. Except for all those people that ended up dead."

I don't necessarily disagree with the idea of "naked" streets; in fact it might be kind of fun. But I can't imagine removing the entrenched mindsets in place throughout the U.S. Okay, maybe in a corner of Berkeley . . .

[Allister]

Such a system seems to rely on people being aware of their surroundings, and being prepared to not always act in their own interest. I don't think Brisbane is ready for that kind of responsibility.

"People are perfectly capable of manoeuvring around each other in the same way they are when they walk down the street."

This is what worries me. Take a walk down Queen St mall and count the number of dazed and confused pedestrians blundering around and you'll realise that 'perfectly capable' is not a phrase that is particularly apt. It's less of a problem with peds because they're only travelling at 4km/h or less, but give these people the same freedom in a car, and boom.

Still, it'd be worth trying I guess, if only to highlight what a pigheaded, ignorant, selfish bunch Queensland motorists are.