Road Safety & Vision Zero Plan

[raptor]

My theory is that commuters of all forms have an ingrained frustration with the extreme inefficiency of getting around by pretty much any mode. Cyclists ride like maniacs/don’t respect the rules of the road that apply to them as well; transit riders are forced to commute with an ancient and insufficient network, and pedestrians are forced to interact with hostile drivers.

When it comes to vehicular traffic, the inefficiency is due to endless construction-related delays, gridlock/extreme traffic, road closures, etc etc. It just take so damn long to drive anywhere in this city. And so, drivers are always frustrated and this makes them prone to taking risks. Running that red, blocking that intersection, gunning it down empty roads, because it is just so damn hard to get around by car in this city. And then of course this risk-taking leads to serious accidents and the plague of deaths we are experiencing now.

By laying the blame on horrible infrastructure in this city I’m not absolving drivers of any blame for reckless driving. I’m saying that we need to be clear of what is the source of this now regular aggressive driving culture in this city, and then focus our efforts on fixing that source.

To me, we need a massive infrastructure investment campaign to improve all forms of our mobility infrastructure. Better roads. More and protected bike lanes. More transit lines. More sidewalks. Controlling the goddamn construction in this city.

We need to make it easier to get around so drivers don’t need to be so aggressive!

A simple congestion charge would fix most of the problems above

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

The insanity has higher risks depending upon the time of day and the age of the humans in the vicinity. Agrees,. the general landscape should be improved as a priority in both infrastructure modifications and enforcement on all commuter types. But many school zones with obviously large areas of areas of small children are a disaster during rush hour and the need a heightened enforcement on drivers should be a greater priority during these hours. Its crazy In my area, and no enforcement ever.

I think spot enforcement of one type of zone is counterproductive - it doesn't tell drivers that good driving behaviour is required at all times, but only near schools. It's like announcing the location of photo radars kind of useless.

AoD

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

My theory is that commuters of all forms have an ingrained frustration with the extreme inefficiency of getting around by pretty much any mode. Cyclists ride like maniacs/don’t respect the rules of the road that apply to them as well; transit riders are forced to commute with an ancient and insufficient network, and pedestrians are forced to interact with hostile drivers.

When it comes to vehicular traffic, the inefficiency is due to endless construction-related delays, gridlock/extreme traffic, road closures, etc etc. It just take so damn long to drive anywhere in this city. And so, drivers are always frustrated and this makes them prone to taking risks. Running that red, blocking that intersection, gunning it down empty roads, because it is just so damn hard to get around by car in this city. And then of course this risk-taking leads to serious accidents and the plague of deaths we are experiencing now.

By laying the blame on horrible infrastructure in this city I’m not absolving drivers of any blame for reckless driving. I’m saying that we need to be clear of what is the source of this now regular aggressive driving culture in this city, and then focus our efforts on fixing that source.

To me, we need a massive infrastructure investment campaign to improve all forms of our mobility infrastructure. Better roads. More and protected bike lanes. More transit lines. More sidewalks. Controlling the goddamn construction in this city.

We need to make it easier to get around so drivers don’t need to be so aggressive!

It doesn't help, but I would disagree with the central premise - people drive like maniacs even at suburban subdivisions during the times when there are no traffic delays (in fact that's when drivers use the road like a freaking highway way above speed limits). The current sad state of affairs is just ingrained bad driving habits enabled by little expectations of enforcement.

Or just sit and observe - how many times have you seen drivers on the right lanes butting out and trying to rush the turn before the pedestrians even had a chance to step ahead when the light turns green? I am fairly certain pedestrians have the right of way on this one.

AoD

 

[OneCity]

I think spot enforcement of one type of zone is counterproductive - it doesn't tell drivers that good driving behaviour is required at all times, but only near schools. It's like announcing the location of photo radars kind of useless.

AoD

There are areas of greater consequences from complacent drivers during different times of the day and in specific locations. Its not to say we should be heightening enforcement other times and locations but these specific areas need far greater enforcement until better solutions of infrastructure design that will take people where they need to go efficiently and safely are implemented in the coming decades.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

There are areas of greater consequences from complacent drivers during different times of the day and in specific locations. Its not to say we should be heightening enforcement other times and locations.

I am not going to fall into the "think of the children" mode of policy-making in this case.

Complacent? How about rule-breaking - or better yet, illegal?

AoD

 

[OneCity]

I am not going to fall into the "think of the children" mode of policy-making in this case.

Complacent? How about rule-breaking?

AoD

Yes rule breaking and complacent. If you don't think school zones specifically during drop off, rush hour periods are at a greater risk of incident than we simply see things very differently.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Yes rule breaking and complacent. If you don't think school zones specifically during drop off, rush hour periods are at a greater risk of incident than we simply see things very differently.

From casual observation, that's not where the risk is manifesting itself thus far.

AoD

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

There are drivers who want to do the right thing (i.e. wait for pedestrians and cyclists to pass) but they are pressured by the idiots who are always in a hurry and who are behind them swearing, honking, riding their back bumper and using hand gestures to get them to move quickly.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

There are drivers who want to do the right thing (i.e. wait for pedestrians and cyclists to pass) but they are pressured by the idiots who are always in a hurry and who are behind them swearing, honking, riding their back bumper and using hand gestures to get them to move quickly.

If all it takes are honks from the back to not do the not just right, but legal thing, I am not sure if they have legs to stand on. It isn’t an option. And acquiescing to this type of aggressive behaviour just validates it’s utility for the offender on the road.

AoD

 

[OneCity]

There are drivers who want to do the right thing (i.e. wait for pedestrians and cyclists to pass) but they are pressured by the idiots who are always in a hurry and who are behind them swearing, honking, riding their back bumper and using hand gestures to get them to move quickly.

We cant pinpoint one cause Even the most cautious drivers, cyclist or pedestrian can have a quick highly consequential lapse. We live in a high stress society with a growing dependency on the smartphone. It only takes a bit of traffic, one late meeting, or a family emergency to change the behaviour instantly. Just as sad as distracted drivers there is a large number of pedestrians walking with their heads down in their phones, earphones on and completely oblivious these days. While it has to become urgent to start taking action, It will take decades to change infrastructure to be safer, faster, more convenient and reliable. The car is not going anywhere for many practical reasons in our current landscape, so we need to enforce the laws better in the meantime. It will least instill a form of consequence which can only help take away complacency that exists in commuters of any walk of life.

 

[TrickyRicky]

Good solutions are needed. Driving and cycling and pedestrian culture needs to improve but I think we need to dial back the hyperbole of say that article about how dangerous Toronto streets are.

Vision zero is really a process not a destinaton. You will never have no acidents or fatalities but that is no excuse to not improve safety and try out new ideas.

In fact, I would say efforts to say encourage cycling and walking are at times intrinsically at odds with the objective of improved safety.

Back in the day when I took a few transportation design courses I recall a design equation where one of the variables was number of deaths per km. That always stuck with me because it’s cold logic reminds us that there are hard choices to make, people responsible for making those hard choices, and consequences to ALL possible alternatives.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Central London’s New Aldgate Square Opens


From link.

Another visit to London and once again another impromptu walking tour of the public realm with charming and insightful Iain Simmons the Assistant Director of City Transportation for the City Of London. This trip I was there to take a look at the Bike Superhighways and what using a bicycle to get around feels like, but after our interview, Iain took me around to several recent projects, including the just-opened-the-day-prior new project called Algate Square.

You can look thru the details of the project here, a $25 million pound mission to make like in Central London more efficient for all modes of travel but specifically to make the pedestrian and public space lives of people better and healthier. The final design removed many lanes of traffic

It seems to be a continual on-going quest to take on projects like this in the central businesses district. The quality of the pavers and design are exceptional. London seems to be slowly taking back real estate from the car either by making new car-free spaces, designing areas that make vehicles go slower or having shared-space arrangements with treatments to make vehicles aware there is heavy pedestrian or bike use.

 

[allabootmatt]

London has done a lot to make the city more pedestrian and especially cyclist-friendly. The cycle superhighways are pretty amazing. But there's a very long way to go. The six-way Bank junction, which has to have more pedestrians than just about anywhere this side of Shibuya, is almost absurdly dangerous; same for Old Street roundabout just up the street. As everywhere, rolling back the unquestioned dominance of the car is a huge project.

The quality of the public realm is almost uniformly exceptional, though.

 

[pstogios]

In one hour, Toronto drivers blocked this downtown intersection at virtually every red light

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...ntersection-at-virtually-every-red-light.html

FINALLY, someone realizes the ultimate source of the ridiculous behaviour of drivers, cyclists, transit riders and pedestrians alike, is the horrible infrastructure we have in this city.

People’s nerves are fraying because it is so g*damn difficult to get around in this city, and there is next to ZERO enforcement of the rules of the road.

 

[W. K. Lis]

In one hour, Toronto drivers blocked this downtown intersection at virtually every red light...
People’s nerves are fraying because it is so g*damn difficult to get around in this city, and there is next to ZERO enforcement of the rules of the road.

They are busy... busy giving parking tickets on side residential streets, supervising construction sights, having union meetings, and filling out forms.