Roundabouts would like a word. Properly designed ones don't need to dramatically lower speeds and are more efficient. And can easily be made pedestrian friendly. It doesn't have to be either or.
this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2023
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Can they though? What does a pedestrian friendly roundabout look like? The ones I’ve seen seem outright hostile.
I tried to find data but it doesn’t seem well studied. Since standard road design is so horrifically unsafe, unless it is substantially better it does not seem worth redesigning the intersection. I’d rather see that money go into something that has a proven benefit.
Further reading: https://streets.mn/2017/11/17/are-roundabouts-safer-for-pedestrians/
Crosswalk bridges. Something used in not just roundabouts.
Crosswalk bridges are pretty hostile to pedestrians. They need to be at least 4 meters/12 ft high, to accommodate standard lorries. Nobody likes climbing high stairs on every crossing. Even worse for wheelchair users.
If only we'd invented some sort of sloped surface. Maybe call it a "ramp"?
Scaling a 4 meter high ramps on every intersection sounds like a fucking nightmare
Yes, because no one anywhere has ever built a ramp that made sense.
You're intentionally being obtuse.
It doesn't matter how much sense your ramp makes, it still needs enough height to allow trucks to pass under it. That's a lot of height to gain. Any sensible ramp would be very long and take up a lot of space, and be very impractical to have to scale at every intersection.
I live I nthe Netherlands. The Dutch road system has a very good reputation. And I agree, I love our infrastructure. I hope it is an example for the rest of the world.
When I started driving myself, I loved to drive fast on the highway. I arrived supper annoyed at my destination as I had to evade near exidents ndue to people texting or just not paying attention. When I started to drive slow, making sure I wasn't blocking others, I arrived calm and only 10min later then when I was speeding all the time. Also, most traffic jams happen because eof speeding people. They break more, which causes jams. In a traffic jam, try to maintain a constant speed, while barely breaking, keeping a lot of room in front of you. This helps solve traffic jams, of everyone would do this.
Same experience as you, when you drive slow and calm you find you arrive more calm and relaxed. Less traffic as well and most times there is the added benefit of not being stuck at the next red as it turns green before you get there.
I mean it’s pretty obvious from the headline, but the goal is to compromise if you’re to have any meaningful volume of transportation.
We’ve already compromised too much by allowing cars in cities at all. If you are going to drive around innocent bystanders it needs to be done in a safe manner. Saving a minute on your commute is insignificant compared to a life.
I do like the Las Vegas approach where pedestrians have a completely separate infrastructure. Its very easy to get around and i find vehicle traffic is fairly efficient for that sized city.
I mean most cities have this, don’t they? Sidewalks vs car lanes. Or what do you mean by this?
There are sections of permanent elevated walkways and a network of bridges completely separating pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Just walk over the streets, no waiting for lights. Its pretty cool.
Oh wow interesting. If I ever go I’ll have to take a look. Sounds expensive but if it works it works I guess.
What’s your definition notion of speed? This one major street in my town was restricted from two lanes down to one through lane with turn lanes. They also reduced the speed limit and adjusted traffic lights.
Result: much safer AND you reliably get through in less time. No stop and go, no weaving or merging, just slow and steady winning the race