General > General Technical Chat
some USA states replaces trafic lights with flags
tom66:
--- Quote from: james_s on September 13, 2022, 10:21:51 pm ---You'd think that, however for whatever reason living in a dense city tends to be far more expensive, it never made any sense to me but you can typically get a detached house in the suburbs for the price of a smaller condominium in a high rise in the city. To each their own but I like the suburbs, they tend to be isolated from the hustle, bustle, noise and crime of the cities, and it's not a big deal to take a car to a park & ride or city center. The USA is huge and spread out so you pretty much need a car anyway, it would take hours to get from one city to another by transit, the way it's set up the bus only really works to go between the city and the suburbs or from one part of the city to another. There are parks in many of our suburbs, there's one just around the corner from my house. I can also walk from here to the downtown area of the small city I live on the edge. In practice I usually drive though because if I go somewhere I'm often picking up a bunch of stuff I don't want to carry or I'm in a hurry. I can walk in 45 minutes or I can hop in my car and get there in 5. I will say I can't stand those cookie cutter developments where all the houses are identical. My suburb is from the era where there were dozens of plans to choose from and most of the houses are different. There is one other on my street that is identical but a mirror image of mine but the rest are different. There is no HOA so the houses are all different colors with all different landscaping, I like it.
--- End quote ---
But that's the problem: Cars are necessary for many, but we don't have to make them necessary for everyday life. I don't think you'll ever get Americans to willingly give up their cars, but if they could walk to the shops, or get to work on a train, then there would be massive secondary benefits. You'd have less air pollution, a generally healthier population (I think the US health department recommends 30 minutes of light exercise per day - walking to and from the metro station compared to driving easily provides that) and people would be happier - there's a lot of evidence to show how stressed driving makes people. Road fatalities would also be lower and it'd be more pleasant to drive when you need because everyone is there for a reason rather than driving because there is no viable alternative.
A 45 minute walk isn't the worst case, there are many suburban developments (identikit style or not) that have no or virtually no pedestrian destinations for hours of walking. We should be building mixed-zone cities. It doesn't mean doing away with single family homes, but it does mean that the idea of one single family home after another will disappear as a concept. Instead, it will be a mix. You will have higher density homes, single family homes, condos, and businesses all in one area.
tooki:
--- Quote from: SilverSolder on September 13, 2022, 12:36:32 pm ---
A real issue in the US (some states, at least) is that it is only relatively recently that pedestrians have the right of way in pedestrian crossings (without lights).
Drivers are simply not used to that, and you often see cars bombing through crossings when they should have stopped... thankfully, pedestrians are wise enough not to walk out unless they see the cars are stopping, but still....
--- End quote ---
I don’t think it’s ever been the case in USA that pedestrians didn't have the right of way at unsignaled crosswalks. But it’s so poorly enforced that many drivers think they have automatic right of way. (That of course begs the question of what the point of a crosswalk would be…)
strawberry:
soon batman will begin using cars like he doent have superpowers
SilverSolder:
--- Quote from: james_s on September 13, 2022, 07:49:47 pm ---
--- Quote from: SilverSolder on September 13, 2022, 12:36:32 pm ---
A real issue in the US (some states, at least) is that it is only relatively recently that pedestrians have the right of way in pedestrian crossings (without lights).
Drivers are simply not used to that, and you often see cars bombing through crossings when they should have stopped... thankfully, pedestrians are wise enough not to walk out unless they see the cars are stopping, but still....
--- End quote ---
Do you happen to know which states? To my knowledge pedestrians have always had the right of way, although that doesn't mean some idiot drivers are going to be paying attention and actually yield to them.
--- End quote ---
It is definitely relatively recent in CT. 2021?
" The newly enacted law requires drivers to slow down or stop under the following limited circumstances:
If the pedestrian is within any portion of the crosswalk;
If by stepping to the curb at the crosswalk entrance, the pedestrian indicates an intent to cross by raising a hand or arm to oncoming traffic; and
If the pedestrian signals an intent to cross by moving any body part or extension of a body part into the crosswalk including a leashed dog, stroller, wheelchair, cane or walking stick.
This legislation was enacted in part because of the increase in pedestrian injuries and fatalities occurring in crosswalks. It has been estimated that there was a 55% increase in the number of pedestrian deaths for the 10-year period ending in 2018."
Rick Law:
--- Quote from: tom66 on September 14, 2022, 06:53:51 am ---[ ... ]
But that's the problem: Cars are necessary for many, but we don't have to make them necessary for everyday life. I don't think you'll ever get Americans to willingly give up their cars, but if they could walk to the shops, or get to work on a train, then there would be massive secondary benefits.
[ ... ]
A 45 minute walk isn't the worst case, there are many suburban developments (identikit style or not) that have no or virtually no pedestrian destinations for hours of walking.
[ ... ]
--- End quote ---
America is very different from Europe (where I have spend a good amount of time) and presumably England. Many live outside of large cities (> 100K residence). I had spend some time in places where you wont see a soul in a 45 minutes walk. Even the nearest police station was around 30 minutes drive away. If you don't own a car in those places, you don't get to do anything.
In my State, we do have pedestrians always having the right of way on city/town roads. Highways (and county roads) are exceptions. Whenever exceptions are posted, the posted rules would be the ones to follow.
This pedestrians always having right of way is good and bad. It encourages jaywalking making accidents more likely.
Now the electronics related part: I would not be surprised if someday your phone will ring/vibrate telling you that you crossed outside of designated crossings and with a link to pay your jaywalking ticket...
Unrelated but will benefit you to know:
Towns are always looking for $. New drivers and visitors to the USA be aware, driving through small towns, good to look out for speed traps and stern traffic law enforcement (such as, intruding on to the solid-white line that marks separate lane from road shoulder or turning without turn signal types of minor things). Traffic tickets are significant revenue contributor for some small towns. You could fight the ticket, but court dates/time would be very early like 7:30am or some such. So, instead of taking a morning off from work and wake up way earlier than usual to drive hours back to that town to fight the darn ticket, you simply pay it.
Very often, you are going through a town with 20 or 25 MPH zone. As you are leaving town, you see a big 50 MPH sign a hundred feet or so ahead right after the traffic light. The light turn green and you see the 50 MPH sign just ahead, so you accelerate out of the traffic light accordingly. As you past the sign, a traffic cop pull you over... Well, 50 MPH doesn't start until after the sign, so, you are still at the 20/25 mph limit. The cops knows many would begin accelerating to the next sign (50 MPH) exceeding the 20/25 posted well before reaching the sign. That is a revenue collection spot for them.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version