Some transportation writers seem to believe that the interests of drivers and those of nondrivers are irreconcilable. For example, I just searched on google.com for websites using the terms “traffic calming” and “anti-automobile” together, and found over 60 such sites. But in fact, the interest of pedestrians in calmer, more walkable streets sometimes intersects (pun intended) with the interests of at least some motorists.
Some transportation writers seem to believe that the
interests of drivers and those of nondrivers are irreconcilable. For example, I just searched on google.com for websites using the terms "traffic calming" and
"anti-automobile" together, and found over 60 such sites. But in
fact, the interest of pedestrians in calmer, more walkable streets sometimes
intersects (pun intended) with the interests of at least some motorists.
In parts of my city, surface streets are eight or nine lanes
wide, and shops are typically set back at least a couple of dozen feet from the
street. Obviously, such streets are not
particularly safe for pedestrians. A
wide street takes more time to cross than a not-so-wide street, and every second
spent crossing streets and parking lots is another second that a pedestrian is
exposed to automobile traffic.
But does that mean that such wide streets are "pro-driver", and that critics of such street design are "anti-auto"? Not
necessarily. If you are a long-distance
commuter passing through an eight-lane street, you may think that the wide street is a good
idea, because it allows you to drive through the neighborhood more quickly.
But if you actually want to drive
to a shop or restaurant near the eight-lane street, you may find a narrower street more convenient. Suppose you want to drive to a restaurant on
the left side of the street. On a two-lane street, you don't have to worry
about getting into the appropriate lane to make a turn- you just get to the
store and turn left. But on an
eight-lane street, you have to plan your trip by getting in the center lane, and
then risk your life making a left turn across several lanes of high-speed traffic.
And if you don't know whether
your restaurant is on the left or right side of the street, Heaven help you,
because if you are driving 45 miles per hour to keep up with the traffic, you
probably won't be able to find your restaurant in time to figure out which lane
you need to enter. Ordinances requiring
buildings to be set back behind 20 or 30 feet of greenery or parking lots make
navigation even more difficult, because street numbers are often invisible when
buildings are far from the street.
Thus, decisions about street
design are not always simple "pedestrian vs. driver" conflicts; different
drivers have different interests. The
interests of a driver searching for a neighborhood destination, or of the
shopkeeper who wants to attract drivers to that destination, are not always the
interests of a driver who wants a speedy commute to exurbia.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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