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[donquijote1954]

'The old ways of traffic engineering - build it bigger, wider, faster -
aren't going to disappear overnight. But one look at West Palm Beach
suggests an evolution is under way. When the city of 82,000 went ahead
with its plan to convert several wide thoroughfares into narrow two-way
streets, traffic slowed so much that people felt it was safe to walk
there. The increase in pedestrian traffic attracted new shops and
apartment buildings. Property values along Clematis Street, one of the
town's main drags, have more than doubled since it was reconfigured.
"In West Palm, people were just fed up with the way things were, and
sometimes, that's what it takes," says Lockwood, the town's former
transportation manager. "What we really need is a complete paradigm
shift in traffic engineering and city planning to break away from the
conventional ideas that have got us in this mess. There's still this
notion that we should build big roads everywhere because the car
represents personal freedom. Well, that's bullshit. The truth is that
most people are prisoners of their cars."'

Roads Gone Wild

How to Build a Better Intersection: Chaos = Cooperation

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.12/traffic.html?pg=1&topic=traffic&topic_set=
http://committed.to/justiceforpeace

[donquijote1954]

Hey, when it comes to walking, you are the bottom of the food chain.
Walking, it turns out, is dangerous to your health...


Walking in L.A. Deemed Risky Business
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Christine Ahn on Dec 12, 2004, 21:49

LOS ANGELES - Nobody walks in L.A. -- and for good reason.

A nationwide study issued Dec. 2 found walking to be the most dangerous
way to travel in Los Angeles, and the country at large. According to
the Surface Transportation Policy Project's report entitled Mean
Streets 2004, "America's streets are growing meaner for
pedestrians."

Although the L.A. region, which also includes Riverside, Orange, San
Bernardino and Ventura counties, was rated the 20th most dangerous in
the U.S., it was highlighted as a "bright spot" for its significant
improvements in pedestrian safety.

L.A. is the fifth most-improved metro area, as pedestrian fatalities
have dropped 18.6 percent over the last 10 years. Salt Lake City leads
the nation with a 44.2 percent decline in deaths, while Orlando was
found to be the most dangerous place to walk.

While L.A.'s improvements are a step in the right direction, locals
are troubled -- but not necessarily shocked -- by the finding that
pedestrians account for about 21 percent of traffic deaths in an area
where less than 3 percent of residents walk frequently.

"Honestly, it doesn't surprise me," said 19-year-old Ndidi
Asianua of Los Angeles. "There are a lot of reckless, impatient
drivers in L.A. who don't give pedestrians the right-of-way, even at
crosswalks."

Nationwide, about 11 percent of traffic fatalities are pedestrians. A
total of 4,827 American walkers died last year while 51,989 have died
in the last decade. The STPP hopes that these numbers, along with the
finding that walking has become more deadly in the U.S. overall, will
spur government action.

"Nearly 52,000 pedestrian deaths over the last 10 years is a
staggering figure that demands that we do much more to make walking a
safer travel option," said STPP president Anne Canby in a press
release.

The study pointed out that less than one percent of federal
transportation funds were used on pedestrian safety over the last
spending period. In California, spending aimed at walkers broke down to
about 50 cents per person each year, well below the national average of
82 cents. Los Angeles spent a paltry 21 cents per person.

The Mean Streets study recommended that states aim to better protect
their walkers by taking such steps as improving crosswalks, enforcing
speed limits and promoting walking as a healthy mode of transportation.

[The Real Bev]

donquijote1954 wrote:

[Scott en Aztlán]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 22:14:48 -0800, The Real Bev
<bashley@myrealbox.com> wrote:

[Bill 2]

"donquijote1954" <nolionnoproblem@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1102993903.168755.313970@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

[fbloogyudsr]

"Bill 2" <asdf@asdf.com> wrote

[Bill 2]

"fbloogyudsr" <fbloogyudsr@nwlink.com> wrote in message
news:10ruql6o0mmqi85@corp.supernews.com...

[Guest]

fbloogyudsr wrote:

[donquijote1954]

Bill 2 wrote:

[Guest]

donquijote1954 wrote:

[Daniel J. Stern]

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004, donquijote1954 wrote:

[Mike Z. Helm]

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 22:14:48 -0800, The Real Bev <bashley@myrealbox.com>

[John Reiher]

In article <q896s0h4k1u4flmj7050jgscbbf6lnes7v@4ax.com>,
Mike Z. Helm <mhelm@not.known> wrote:

[Guest]

The car companies will not allow it? I believe you have the
wrong villain. The various governments are the ones that gets
those annual road taxes and fees from that privilege that support
the streets, highways and low cost public transportation. ;)


mike hunt



John Reiher wrote:

[John David Galt]

Please don't feed the troll.