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Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

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Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#241

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

So you are telling me the local NIMBY who protests new homes is actually the auto industry in disguise?

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#242
post #11

If you cross the street "near" a red traffic light, that costs you 5€ in Germany. If you admit that you did it intentionally, the ticket price doubles. Happened to my wife some years ago when walking to a bus stop on the other side of the street. How did the cop know that it was intentional? She remarked that there was no car in sight, neither left nor right, on a straight road in town. Oh, and what's the definition…

> How did the cop know that it was intentional? She remarked that there was no car in sight, neither left nor right, on a straight road in town. Not to be nitpicky, but if that were the case, wouldn't she have seen the cop?

Cops don't have to be in cars

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#243
post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve heard several times but never verified that trees aren’t planted on boulevards anymore because of automaker lobbying. Something about drunk drivers might hit them. As if driver preference, even drunk drivers, should supersede the public interest.

I've also read that drivers drive faster on streets without trees than those with because they feel more open

The same is the case with islands between lanes. The lanes aren’t actually smaller, but they feel smaller because the space looks like it’s contracting.

And they’re much nicer in a neighborhood than speed humps

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please be more charitable. I legitimately looked. All I found were biased pieces calling them beg buttons. I'm asking for an unbiased source calling them that. It seems the real term is a pedestrian call button.

The CBC is pretty objective and unbiased in their reporting : https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/councillor-takes-steps... I’m sure you’ll find a way to disqualify that also, but well. By the way this was like the fourth result on a ddg search, there are many more if you care to actually look and read.

Yeah, I mean, they're quoting a politician to get the term. Ergo my stance that it's heavy spin.

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#245

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

Don't forget how transportation has been one of the key areas of conflict for racial integration and has been used again and again to ensure that black and brown people did not have access to certain areas of cities. Robert Moses being the most egregious direct example, but Plessy v Ferguson enshrining racist segregationist laws around transportation which then provided precedent to spread to other segregationist law…

In India, we have segregation based on cast. In cities, the caste based segregation is not very visible though local politicians usually have much better idea. The government used to do income based segregation or its employees: low income group or LIG homes, HIG homes, etc.

Is racial segregation was by design (100% non Whiltes) or just happed due to economic factors (majority of non whites happens to be in this category)?

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#246
post #166
post #11

If you cross the street "near" a red traffic light, that costs you 5€ in Germany. If you admit that you did it intentionally, the ticket price doubles. Happened to my wife some years ago when walking to a bus stop on the other side of the street. How did the cop know that it was intentional? She remarked that there was no car in sight, neither left nor right, on a straight road in town. Oh, and what's the definition…

The law in the UK has just changed to explicitly give priority to pedestrians already crossing the road, particularly in the context of a car turning off a main road and finding pedestrians crossing the road.

Good luck finding a UK driver that knows this, or even a pedestrian! I've had people shout at me for legally crossing a junction while the driver of a vehicle decided I was at fault, because... vehicular mass?

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#247

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

Can you point to a book or other resources that support this claim? Interested in learning more. Always looking for another reason to hate cars as a New Yorker

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#248
post #247

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

Can you point to a book or other resources that support this claim? Interested in learning more. Always looking for another reason to hate cars as a New Yorker

I'm reading "The Geography of Nowhere" right now, it covers much of this in a reasonably entertaining fashion, although its not chocka-block with references.

It does make some predictions that haven't dated well though (like hitting peak oil in 2023)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geography_of_Nowhere

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#249
post #247

Automakers are also directly and/or indirectly responsible for the destruction of American local mass transit and the dysfunctional regression in urban planning* towards inefficient suburbanization. * It wasn't unplanned. It was the purposeful design of city planners who failed to take into account unintended externalities including gridlock, pollution, and cost.

Can you point to a book or other resources that support this claim? Interested in learning more. Always looking for another reason to hate cars as a New Yorker

Strong Towns hy Chuck Marohn

Re: Automakers invented the crime of jaywalking (2015)

#250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or that the infrastructure is cheaper

Oh now I know you are a troll. It would be cheaper to build level intersections with traffic lights. Why then are billions spent on wide freeways, exchanges, overpasses when it’s road over road but when it’s about pedestrians then sure, do whatever is cheapest because they’re already on foot, how much of a hurry can they be in?

I'm not a troll. What do you think is cheaper - an overpass or a foot bridge?
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