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Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

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Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#31

Post by Xylakant »

chrisseaton wrote: post #3
valiant-comma wrote: post #2

When these articles show up now and again, it’s not clear to me why the various impacted cities don’t choose to ban through traffic. Some articles have implied that this is not possible. Los Altos did this a while back[1]. Is there a legal issue the communities surrounding Los Angeles want to avoid, that Los Altos simply took the risk on? [1] https://slate.com/business/2017/06/suburbs-finally-figured-o...

> it’s not clear to me why the various impacted cities don’t choose to ban through traffic Can you physically turn the streets into cul-de-sacs? Where I live a lot of domestic streets are cul-de-sacs presumably to prevent too many people driving past.

You can install what’s called “Modal Filters”: A series of barriers that lets pedestrians and cycles pass, but blocks cars. This slightly inconveniences local traffic, but blocks through traffic.

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#33

Post by sosodev »

It seems to me that Waze isn't the problem. I've seen very similar problems where I live. When the freeway gets backed up, as it inevitably does, traffic spills out into awfully designed city streets.

I once got stuck in small neighborhood for 2 hours while the freeway was backed up and that was before Waze existed.

In Southern California we have massive urban sprawl most of which is filled with cul-de-sacs within cul-de-sacs. Waze isn't the problem it's just exacerbating it.

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#34

Post by chillwaves »

parsimo2010 wrote: post #14

The comedian Pete Holmes has a bit about Waze that is extremely relevant to this article: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuDCxQdsbmc

Not often you see Conan upstaged. Great bit, appreciate the sentiment of enjoyment over efficiency. I have been seeing that reflection more and more lately.

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#35

Post by paggle »

Can't this just be banned? "It is illegal for any individual or corporation to offer a driving route that uses streets designated as "Local" when the travel distance using streets marked as "Express" is shorter. Violators will be assessed a fine of $1000 per route offered."

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#36

Post by wlesieutre »

notatoad wrote: post #12
nradov wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It turns out than bans on through traffic aren't legally enforceable. The signs are merely advisory.

A "no thru traffic" sign may not be legally enforceable, and it's certainly difficult to enforce just from a practical perspective. But physically making the street not be a through street is possible. Just plop down a couple of Jersey walls and you're done. Check out how Vancouver made semlin, grant, and gravely forcibly "no thru traffic" here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DFVJNDF2DftbFzpv9

My hometown did this in the late 90's, added three barriers across intersections to cut a neighborhood in half. Here's someone recently suggesting removing them to alleviate traffic on the main north/south road (under construction for the last two years or so), but I doubt anything would happen to them:

https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/community/state-colle...

Traffic bound for North Atherton (bottom left of map) has to go down to the intersection with Park instead of taking Allen.

Easy enough to take a bike through them, I used to ride that way regularly in to campus. But I think it's worked well to not have cars shortcutting through the neighborhood at high speeds.

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#38

Post by taurath »

Not talked about here - that the upper (and middle) class intentionally built their communities to be minimally accessible to keep the riffraff out. That of course making the traffic hell that people are trying to get away from. Nobody can live near where they work because they can’t afford it. Traffic is as much a housing and economic problem as it is an engineering one.

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#39

Post by soup10 »

beowulfey wrote: post #22
someguydave wrote: post #11

If the government wants to be the big daddy of traffic control then it should also build sufficient lanes to keep the roads moving.

It’s generally accepted that more lanes does not equal less traffic, and can often lead to the opposite effect due to the effect of induced demand [1]. I personally believe providing multiple alternative transport options is more effective but obviously that’s a matter of opinion... [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand

By that logic we shouldn't upgrade internet infrastructure either.

Re: Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”

#40

Post by lemmox »

Synaesthesia wrote: post #27
lemmox wrote: post #24

I had no idea Waze was powered by anon crowd sourced map editors. If anybody here is doing it, what's the motivation? Personally I'd never disclose my shortcuts or free parking spots.

Google maps and Apple maps traffic is cross sourced anonymously too

Interesting, so you're suggesting that the Google and Apple navigation apps are also crowd-sourced social networks like Waze? If that's true I wonder why Waze is singled out for these types of articles.
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