Everyone should have to ride around on a bicycle to appreciate the other side. I see so many complaints about cyclists not obeyong the rules while the same people ignore people doing the same and worse in cars.
That NY intersection looks like on I was stuck at in NYC on our last trip. One good driver won't fix it. It would need a cultural change or an officer in the middle of the intersection.
Fascinating. As a British person who drives, I am completely used to (and I accept) a level of technological enforcement of good driving behaviour which will probably seem madly authoritarian to the average USA driver. The vast majority of our box junctions and traffic lights and local road and motorway speed limits are subject to objective camera control (and police patrols on faster routes) with heavy fines and cumulative points on your driving licence for many offences - so you can lose your licence if you are a repeat offender. It makes for careful and sometimes "anxious" driving - but it has dramatically improved UK road safety. Plus we actually close our school roads to cars at certain times - you have to walk your kids to school. Without all this surveillance and potential punishment, our drivers would be equally selfish and dangerous, we aren't any nicer behind the wheel, just forced to drive better!
I just read a series in @Reality Tunnels about American car culture - fascinating reading about how the car lobby changed our perception of who owns the road, how cars were the original social media, and how car culture has isolated us.
I think getting behind the wheel and having that psychological and physical barrier between them and the outside world makes them do things they otherwise wouldn't do.
Automated enforcement will have to find a way to deal with the plague of forged and counterfeit temporary tags I see in my area. Local authorities are aware of it but see above about diminished patrol enforcement. Short of pulling folks over and confiscating unregistered vehicles I'm not sure what to do about that.
As someone who does 40% walking, 40%biking, 20% driving in a dense urban environment people get actively more aggressive and violating traffic rules if they are on a scooter or e-bike with a throttle. Way more self endangering than a danger to others like if they were in a car, but totally undermining of the idea that more e-bikes will improve driver behavior or especially tensions between different modes of transport. At the intersection by me I usually see 6 illegal right on red by cars, but 2-3 gas delivery scooters running the light turning left or going straight across using the bike lane per day, car doing that only once every few weeks.
Engineering is absolutely the most important of the Safety Es. I respect Strong Towns, but Enforcement is crucial. Speed and red light cameras have a proven safety track record.
Everyone should have to ride around on a bicycle to appreciate the other side. I see so many complaints about cyclists not obeyong the rules while the same people ignore people doing the same and worse in cars.
That NY intersection looks like on I was stuck at in NYC on our last trip. One good driver won't fix it. It would need a cultural change or an officer in the middle of the intersection.
Fascinating. As a British person who drives, I am completely used to (and I accept) a level of technological enforcement of good driving behaviour which will probably seem madly authoritarian to the average USA driver. The vast majority of our box junctions and traffic lights and local road and motorway speed limits are subject to objective camera control (and police patrols on faster routes) with heavy fines and cumulative points on your driving licence for many offences - so you can lose your licence if you are a repeat offender. It makes for careful and sometimes "anxious" driving - but it has dramatically improved UK road safety. Plus we actually close our school roads to cars at certain times - you have to walk your kids to school. Without all this surveillance and potential punishment, our drivers would be equally selfish and dangerous, we aren't any nicer behind the wheel, just forced to drive better!
I just read a series in @Reality Tunnels about American car culture - fascinating reading about how the car lobby changed our perception of who owns the road, how cars were the original social media, and how car culture has isolated us.
I think getting behind the wheel and having that psychological and physical barrier between them and the outside world makes them do things they otherwise wouldn't do.
That statistic on red light running is scary!
Automated enforcement will have to find a way to deal with the plague of forged and counterfeit temporary tags I see in my area. Local authorities are aware of it but see above about diminished patrol enforcement. Short of pulling folks over and confiscating unregistered vehicles I'm not sure what to do about that.
True. NYC estimates 5% of their violations are ghost/illegal plates.
As someone who does 40% walking, 40%biking, 20% driving in a dense urban environment people get actively more aggressive and violating traffic rules if they are on a scooter or e-bike with a throttle. Way more self endangering than a danger to others like if they were in a car, but totally undermining of the idea that more e-bikes will improve driver behavior or especially tensions between different modes of transport. At the intersection by me I usually see 6 illegal right on red by cars, but 2-3 gas delivery scooters running the light turning left or going straight across using the bike lane per day, car doing that only once every few weeks.
I would just add that street design should make the speed limit feel natural. This podcast shaped my thinking on speed cameras: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/9/18/the-arguments-for-speed-cameras-and-why-they-dont-hold-up
Engineering is absolutely the most important of the Safety Es. I respect Strong Towns, but Enforcement is crucial. Speed and red light cameras have a proven safety track record.
I'd be happy to have both good engineering and enforcement!