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Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

collegetowns.substack.com

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Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#11

Post by munchler »

> I captured two drivers ripping through red lights in that short span

Video actually shows two cars entering the intersection on yellow lights, which is legal. The rest of the article seems similarly exaggerated.

----

Edit: For those who disagree, please be aware that the stop lines are out of frame, so both cars are already in the intersection before they're visible on the video. You can get a better picture of what the intersection actually looks like here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/L37hZyvXs8BeWmFE8

Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#14

Post by 1970-01-01 »

>The story focuses on a redesign of one intersection in this town. The case highlights how we’ve elevated the value of moving cars quickly at the expense of everything else, even in highly walkable areas.

We should all expect this kind of regressing in walking. Pedestrians and cyclists don't seem to understand how this always will be a car-by-default country due to lifestyle. Yes, there are several cities bucking the trend with exceptions, but those exceptions are either economically able to buck that car-first engineering trend and build massive bike and walking infra or they have exceptional transportation alternatives (train, bus, and subway).

Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#15

Post by moomin »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #6
rcpt wrote: post #4

> Drivers now do not want to get stuck at the light, so they are consistently running red lights Police stopped enforcing red lights all over California after covid. And getting cameras installed is a Herculean task.

The Texas government decided that red light cameras can't enforce the law. That's how car-brained we are. Muh privacy or something.

Ironically, the right to privacy was questioned by Alito when he helped nullify Roe v Wade. It will be "interesting" to see what other things we consider private aren't private in the eyes of this court. And even more "interesting" to see the converse.

Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#16

Post by hombre_fatal »

1970-01-01 wrote: post #14

>The story focuses on a redesign of one intersection in this town. The case highlights how we’ve elevated the value of moving cars quickly at the expense of everything else, even in highly walkable areas. We should all expect this kind of regressing in walking. Pedestrians and cyclists don't seem to understand how this always will be a car-by-default country due to lifestyle. Yes, there are several cities bucking the…

You think pedestrians and cyclists don't realize how car dominant we are?

Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#17

Post by giamma »

alkonaut wrote: post #5

Knew before I clicked: it's a flat 4-way intersection of two large-ish streets where there is ample space for something else. Hint: draw a small circle in the middle of the intersection and take down the damn stop signs.

We should aim at better drivers rather than better intersections, but bad drivers are everywhere.

Years ago I worked in a building on the side of a long straight road. The road ended with a blind curve to the right and 100m before the blind curve there was a pedestrian crossing.

Even though all drivers knew they would need to brake for the blind curve (it was visible and there were signs) the majority of them used to drive very fast and basically did not let people cross the road, only to push very hard on the brakes 10 meters beyond the pedestrian crossing.

Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#18

Post by ajmurmann »

rcpt wrote: post #7
alkonaut wrote: post #5

Knew before I clicked: it's a flat 4-way intersection of two large-ish streets where there is ample space for something else. Hint: draw a small circle in the middle of the intersection and take down the damn stop signs.

Are you talking about roundabouts? Those are a nightmare for pedestrians

With heavy mixed traffic it's a nightmare for everyone. If pedestrians have the right of way (as they should) and there are a lot of them the whole thing would likely become a permanent traffic jam with almost always one car waiting to turn blocking most of the circle.

Re: Making an intersection unsafe for pedestrians to save seconds for drivers

#20

Post by cosmotic »

munchler wrote: post #11

> I captured two drivers ripping through red lights in that short span Video actually shows two cars entering the intersection on yellow lights, which is legal. The rest of the article seems similarly exaggerated. ---- Edit: For those who disagree, please be aware that the stop lines are out of frame, so both cars are already in the intersection before they're visible on the video. You can get a better picture of wha…

Not only legal, but safer than slamming on one's breaks.
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