Grist digs deeper into the Virginia Speed Hump murder - showing how the street configuration of the suburban neighborhood may have contributed to the rage, and why it's unlikely to see more neighborhoods like it in the future.
See Planetizen: Virginia Speed Bump Leads to Neighborhood Activist's Murder.
Was the homicide an extension of road-rage caused by the installation of the speed hump? Grist transportation reporter Sarah Goodyear notes that if the neighborhood was constructed in more of a grid layout, there would not have been a need for the traffic calming sought by the victim.
"A Google map view of Field Master Drive, where Carr (the victim) lived, shows a typical suburban pattern of cul-de-sacs and quiet residential streets, with a couple of major roads slicing through. Field Master Drive looks like a main route between two of those larger arterials...
It's a development style that has been shown to increase congestion on the main roads and speeding on the few side streets that provide some connection, rather than leading to a dead end. Streets like Field Master Drive.
Just last year, the state of Virginia announced it would not maintain streets in new subdivisions unless they were laid out with a design that links homes, stores, schools, and other destinations. The aim is to encourage a different style of development, one that would have fewer traffic jams, better access for emergency vehicles, and more walkable neighborhoods."
Thanks to Daily Grist
FULL STORY: Virginia man is murdered after dispute over traffic calming
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