Jaywalking decriminalization, 100 years after the auto industry made it a crime

Post by recursive » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 5:33 AM UTC

tantalor wrote: post #293

BrandoElFollito wrote: post #120

I cannot get to the site (blocked for EU) but the rule in France is two way. The driver must not enforce its priority when there is someone crossing the street at a place they should not. The price is high. A pedestrian can cross anywhere but has priority only on a zebra crossing. They are however expected to use a zebra crossing if there is one less 50 m away. It may cost you 11€ if you do not. The reality is of cou…

> driver must not enforce its priority... pedestrian can cross anywhere but has priority only on a zebra crossing If drivers have priority ("right of way" in USA) but cannot enforce it, then they don't really have it, do they? It's easier to just say pedestrians always have right of way.

Post by mschuetz » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 5:46 AM UTC

twblalock wrote: post #195

ericmcer wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Car free cities are super obtainable but seem like a total impossibility. We will never trade safety, health and solitude for convenience.

I don't think car-free cities are easily obtainable. I can't think of one that currently exists. Even cities with world-class mass transit, e.g. Tokyo and London, are full of cars, and taxis are still a better option for some trips -- even though there are also surface trains, subways, and buses to choose from. In those places, step 1 has already been solved: convince the population that mass transit is desirable and…

Post by adrianN » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 5:58 AM UTC

dcolkitt wrote: post #341

teloli wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh man, am I glad to be European. Walk to the bar, cycle to work, take the tram if it rains. American cities built for cars are just so sad.

Except, the difference is mostly a stereotype that isn't held up by the data. In France, 70% of commuters travel by car and only 3% by cycling.[1] That's less car-centric than America for sure. But Americans have a misguided notion that all Europeans live in quaint pedestrian-friendly town centers that look like Prague or Copenhagen. Mostly because we tend to spend our European tourism in the dense centers of the cap…

Post by owowow » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 6:04 AM UTC

AmpsterMan wrote: post #345

what2build wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parking structures are: 1) an eyesore 2) poor use of space in dense urban areas Sure let’s reduce urban housing supply cause suburbanites need to drive into town for a little culture. Bringing the noise, smog, and road rage along! Or build culture out there and bike or walk. Omg. It’s insanely toxic, and the epitome of first world entitlement.

I'd prefer for there to be a more market incentive to build parking garages than a mandate for commercial/offices to have to all have their own parking, or effectively subsidized free street side parking. Think of all the surface area used up by cars parking on the street; pave that over with a sidewalk and allow bars/restaurants to set up shop there. That's what I would like.

Post by owowow » Tue, Dec 22, 2020, 6:08 AM UTC

lmm wrote: post #338

howlgarnish wrote: post #325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That layering takes place only in the densest urban core, primarily around significant train junctions. In the rest of the sprawl, there's no separation, some parts of residental greater Tokyo (particularly those still using pre-war streets) don't even have sidewalks.

Tokyo's residential neighbourhoods without pavements are great - it makes the whole road a shared space rather than one that belongs exclusively to cars.