April 11, 20232 yr Author Missed this one. America loves its cars to the hatred of everything else, including people... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 11, 20232 yr We need to get the Shoreway west of the innerbelt on future versions of this list: When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
June 11, 20232 yr This is not a good way to accomplish highway removal: I-95 collapse updates: All lanes closed in Philadelphia following large vehicle fire https://abcnews.go.com/US/portion-95-collapses-philadelphia-due-large-vehicle-fire/story?id=99993165 (I believe this is northeast of downtown Philly When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
June 19, 20231 yr Author Why don't we have GPS-based governors on cars? As one of the commenters noted, we already have them on e-bikes. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 19, 20231 yr 42 minutes ago, KJP said: Why don't we have GPS-based governors on cars? As one of the commenters noted, we already have them on e-bikes. Why do they need to be GPS based? That's not necessary for speed control, but it is for surveillance.
June 19, 20231 yr Author 14 minutes ago, X said: Why do they need to be GPS based? That's not necessary for speed control, but it is for surveillance. What's the point of a 75 mph universal governor on a 25 mph street? RTA trains have overspeed controls based on where they are on the track (curves, Tower City, end of track, even temporary work zones, etc). Shouldn't everyday people have similar geographically based speed limits on their cars given our relative lack of training and many changing real-world conditions along streets? "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 19, 20231 yr 56 minutes ago, X said: Why do they need to be GPS based? That's not necessary for speed control, but it is for surveillance. Not to mention the problems that might arise from tunnels, viaducts, heavy tree cover, tall buildings, etc. since GPS is satellite-based. Also cut-and-cover highway tunnels under slower city streets. Agree that 95 mph is far too high anywhere, though.
June 20, 20231 yr I'm trying to figure out why there is so much more extreme speeding in the past 5-7 years. Every time I'm on an interstate someone zooms by at 100+. It's not just less speed enforcement due to COVID. It was happening before. It's not people in fast cars but rather ordinary cars like 2010 Nissan Altimas and 2003 Chevy Tahoes.
June 20, 20231 yr Author 1 hour ago, sonisharri said: Not to mention the problems that might arise from tunnels, viaducts, heavy tree cover, tall buildings, etc. since GPS is satellite-based. Also cut-and-cover highway tunnels under slower city streets. Agree that 95 mph is far too high anywhere, though. My car has an interactive GPS which also displays on my dash screen the current speed limit of any road that I'm on. Very seldom does it not display. I'm sure it has more gaps than I've seen, but I'd have to stare at it to notice them. Given how seldom they are, a GPS-based governor would, over time, train drivers that their car is control. And I'll bet there's a tech solution to filling in the gaps. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 20, 20231 yr My mother's 2021 Accord often displays 2X the speed limit on that dash readout. It even has a little speed limit sign graphic. Funny part is it has a design for a 100mph speed limit even though there is nowhere in the United States where the speed limit is 100. I guess that design is in there for Canada where Speed Limit 100 means 100kph/62mph.
June 20, 20231 yr 39 minutes ago, GCrites said: My mother's 2021 Accord often displays 2X the speed limit on that dash readout. It even has a little speed limit sign graphic. Funny part is it has a design for a 100mph speed limit even though there is nowhere in the United States where the speed limit is 100. I guess that design is in there for Canada where Speed Limit 100 means 100kph/62mph. It sounds like the speed limit is being displayed in kilometers per hour! There's probably a setting that could be changed to make it more accurate.
June 20, 20231 yr The dealership tried and said it is a common bug. A dealer performed update a couple months ago fixed an emissions issue but didn't do anything about the speed limit display.
June 20, 20231 yr 17 hours ago, KJP said: Why don't we have GPS-based governors on cars? As one of the commenters noted, we already have them on e-bikes. The comparison between cars and ebikes doesn't make sense. First off, (class I and II) ebikes aren't speed limited, they can go faster than 20 mph, they just stop offering mechanical assistance beyond that point. That's a significant difference. The purpose of that limiter is so an ebike can still use pedestrian/people powered infrastructure. Class I and class II ebikes are designed for operation in lanes reserved for bikes and pedestrians. If you want to go faster you can buy a class III ebike, moped, motorcycle, or a car, but then you have to use them in travel lanes designed for those speeds (and that are somewhat restricted to pedestrians), i.e. roads. The main reason cars don't have speed limiters, and in particular GPS based ones likely has to do with safety and (edit: liability). While it's likely the case that speed limiters will prevent far more accidents than they cause, there are still lots of ways (each one unlikely, but unlikely events add up) that a speed limiter could cause an accident. There are real instances where going (temporarily) above the speed limit is the safest thing to do. My favorite example is being in front of a runaway truck, but it could just be a truck merging into you, or a number of other unlikely events. There is also a subset of events where the speed limiter glitches and causes problems. If it's GPS based, what happens when it incorrectly thinks the highway is 35 mph? The difference between all of these likely events and the greater number of accidents caused by reckless driving, is that these accidents would be the fault of the manufacturer. (Not just legally, but morally). Obviously irresponsible drivers won't want this feature, but what responsible driver wants a feature which will reduce their control of their vehicle in a way that could potentially make them less safe? Some electric vehicles are speed limited, but way above the speeds that are being discussed in this thread. Any speed limiter near the speeds cars sometimes drive today could conceivably be a safety issue. Obviously the higher this top speed is set at the less likely one of these niche safety issues will arise, but the less the speed limiter is doing anyway.
June 20, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, Ethan said: The main reason cars don't have speed limiters, and in particular GPS based ones likely has to do with safety and reliability. While it's likely the case that speed limiters will prevent far more accidents than they cause, there are still lots of ways (each one unlikely, but unlikely events add up) that a speed limiter could cause an accident. ... Some electric vehicles are speed limited, but way above the speeds that are being discussed in this thread. Any speed limiter near the speeds cars sometimes drive today could conceivably be a safety issue. Obviously the higher this top speed is set at the less likely one of these niche safety issues will arise, but the less the speed limiter is doing anyway. If it is "likely" that speed limiters will prevent more accidents than they cause, that seems like a good reason to implement them. Aren't most school buses speed limited to the highway speed limit? Are they particularly prone to accidents? I don't think so, but I did not find any information about speed-limited school buses in Ohio or a large number of accidents involving school buses. If EVERY car was speed-limited and the system had the wrong speed limit for a particular stretch of road, wouldn't that mean that everyone would be driving at the "wrong" (but same) speed? Differences between the speeds of vehicles on a roadway has been cited as increasing the risk of accidents. Maybe the "main" reason cars don't have speed limiters, and GPS-enabled ones specifically, is that car makers don't want the added cost and the liability. Plus many Americans want to be able to drive as fast as they want to and don't obey speed limits if they think they can get away with it -- they don't want "someone else" telling them how fast they can drive....
June 20, 20231 yr 2 hours ago, Ethan said: There are real instances where going (temporarily) above the speed limit is the safest thing to do.
June 20, 20231 yr 1 hour ago, Foraker said: Aren't most school buses speed limited to the highway speed limit? Yes, along with corporate owned trucks, rental truck fleets, etc. One way to implement GPS would be to impose a limit in geographic areas where safety restrictions are needed, ie high density urban areas, school zones, etc. Americans could (and should IMO) be free to exercise their "good" judgement in outlying areas on interstates where they are must less likely to encounter intersections, pedestrians and other hazards.
June 20, 20231 yr My car shows database speed limits on the GPS screen, and also uses a camera to read speed limits signs, displaying them on the dashboard. It's interesting seeing the limitations of each approach, which sometimes display conflicting numbers. GPS speed is limited to the accuracy of the database. It's usually pretty good, but doesn't know about things like construction zones. At least in my experience, recent factory GPS systems are pretty smart - usually they know what lane you are in, displaying the wrong road is almost never a problem (maybe around big buildings, steep mountains, construction zones, or weird instances like Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago). The sign reader handles construction zones just fine, except the new variable speed ones. However, it always reads school zones as 20 mph regardless of time of day, and occasionally reads other signs as the speed limit (exit for Township Road 80 = 80 mph speed limit). I'm sure both of these technologies could be tweaked/prioritized if the result had impact beyond being informational. There is a also a fair amount of precedent for geofencing vehicle features that could carry over to how speed limiters operate - for instance, some self-driving capabilities only work on highways or other major roads. I feel like acceptance would be probably be better if the limiter was more a percentage than absolute - even allowing +20% over the speed limit would be better than it is now. There also probably needs to be a way to occasionally override the limiter for emergencies. I can think of a handful of times I've felt justified (not sure if a cop would agree) exceeding the speed limit - medical emergencies (including veterinary), or sprinting past a truck dropping gravel or someone who keeps drifting out of their lane. Perhaps if the emergency room is programmed into the GPS the limiter would be disabled (limited to one use per week), or maybe the limiter can be occasionally overridden for some short period of time in appropriate places (60 seconds total per hour, highway only).
June 20, 20231 yr 4 hours ago, Foraker said: Maybe the "main" reason cars don't have speed limiters, and GPS-enabled ones specifically, is that car makers don't want the added cost and the liability. Plus many Americans want to be able to drive as fast as they want to and don't obey speed limits if they think they can get away with it -- they don't want "someone else" telling them how fast they can drive.... Definitely. If you look at almost every single commercial, it's on ideal road conditions with no other traffic on the road in perfect weather. Being forced to actually drive the speed limit all day, every day, regardless of how much congestion exists, would really take out what little "joy" actually exists in driving and some people would start doing less of it. Some folks would realize that it's more effort than it is worth and maybe takin the bus or walking would be just as useful. That's also a big problem with our network. It is designed like everyone is driving like the hare, where we stop and wait way too often, but that's okay because we drive very fast between stops, regardless if that actually saves us any time.
October 2, 20231 yr Author Want to reduce traffic? Reduce roads. Improve land use. Provide alternatives. Departments of transportation “prefer to ignore history, and hope that this time a new road will reduce travel time and not increase trip making. There is no basis for such a hope.” — Engineer Robert L. Morris, P.E., in a report to the city of Durham, North Carolina (1979). "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 13, 20231 yr Author The ultimate road diet.... ‘People are happier in a walkable neighborhood’: the US community that banned cars https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2023/oct/11/culdesac-car-free-neighborhood-tempe-arizona?CMP=share_btn_tw "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 14, 20231 yr It kind of feels like they are trying to reinvent the wheel here but I hope they are successful in any case.
October 20, 20231 yr Pulled this from the CSR thread. I have a comment about the FWW caps idea, but my comment woukd have been off topic for the CSR thread: "They wanted to see if $400 million or $500 million of the $1.6 billion could be carved out for economic development projects,” Luken said, which could have included housing, an arena or caps on Fort Washington Way, although discussions did not get that far, he added. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/10/17/cincinnati-railway-board-rebuffed-business-leaders.html I was in Cincy back in June. Walked from Fountain Square to the riverfront. Seems to me they should just close the FWW through downtown, but most cities and most peopke in the U S. aren't ready to go this far. I think our biggest mistake we made with the interstate highway system was the decision to build highways through downtowns.
October 20, 20231 yr Author Far too many Americans have little or no exposure to the rest of the world and mistakenly believe they have it so good. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 20, 20231 yr ^ To paraphrase David Sedaris, Americans are raised to unquestioningly believe that the USA is the greatest country in the world. Well, other counties have their own jingoistic slogans, none of which are, “We’re number two!” My hovercraft is full of eels
October 23, 20231 yr If they are going to put lipstick on a pig, it would be better to re-route 71 along 471, put US-50 on 2nd and 3rd, and just fill in FWW altogether, or prepare it to be the region's rail hub. That all would require actual long-term regional planning though.
November 21, 20231 yr Author Wonder where the so-called capitalists come down on this one https://x.com/StrongTowns/status/1726974796758765799?s=20 "As reported by The Globe and Mail, residents spent a total of $181 million at curbside patios within 13 weeks of summer in 2021. If those spaces had remained dedicated to parking, only $3.7 million would have been reaped during the same time period." "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
December 13, 20231 yr Author It's sad how many American cities destroyed themselves to accommodate the almighty car. I'm hopeful that more can restore their human cities -- one street at a time. https://x.com/IsaacRowlett/status/1734756402512515352?s=20 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 15, 20241 yr Author They've already removed the east half of the loop highway. This next removal might also allow the train station complex to be a better economic development engine by not only giving it greater pedestrian connectivity to downtown, but by providing developable land between the station and downtown. More info is available here..... https://www.innerloopnorth.com/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 15, 20241 yr 3 hours ago, KJP said: They've already removed the east half of the loop highway. This next removal might also allow the train station complex to be a better economic development engine by not only giving it greater pedestrian connectivity to downtown, but by providing developable land between the station and downtown. More info is available here..... https://www.innerloopnorth.com/ For those who don't click the link -- this is in Rochester.
March 3, 20241 yr On 10/20/2023 at 10:46 AM, gildone said: Pulled this from the CSR thread. I have a comment about the FWW caps idea, but my comment woukd have been off topic for the CSR thread: "They wanted to see if $400 million or $500 million of the $1.6 billion could be carved out for economic development projects,” Luken said, which could have included housing, an arena or caps on Fort Washington Way, although discussions did not get that far, he added. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/10/17/cincinnati-railway-board-rebuffed-business-leaders.html I was in Cincy back in June. Walked from Fountain Square to the riverfront. Seems to me they should just close the FWW through downtown, but most cities and most peopke in the U S. aren't ready to go this far. I think our biggest mistake we made with the interstate highway system was the decision to build highways through downtowns. A discussion I had with KJP about the general area surrounding the main post office led me to complain about the maze of ramps along I-77 just south of the Inner Belt, to which he said it should be possible to terminate I-77 north of I-490 and replace it with a boulevard. If a new stadium, intermodal hub or other development happen there, this would make the area a lot more welcoming and would reconnect it to other parts of the city. Like a lot of places, we don't just need a road diet; we need a road REMOVAL. Where else might that be a possibility?
March 9, 20241 yr Saw on social media today. Further expansion of the Sandusky Bay Bikeway as well as pedestrian improvements. Go Sandusky!!
March 9, 20241 yr Also seen on social media today. Los Angeles had an issue on the ballot to invest a significant amount of money in bike and bus lanes as well as pedestrian improvements. Despite an attempt by the local firefighters union to mislead the public by claiming it would affect response times, but not acknowledging that emergency vehicles would be able to use the bike and bus lanes, etc., it passed easily:
March 22, 20241 yr converting I-94 into twin cities blvd — 👍 https://www.instagram.com/p/C4yjrOUJeq1/?igsh=ZWtmNTczZmp3NWhh
July 6, 2024Jul 6 Maybe it's the write-up of this study, but I think it makes a pretty basic mistake; the lack of investment into infrastructure of alternative modes of transportation. Pedestrian death increases are noted, but not detailed. Money available for transit investments from the Infrastructure and Jobs act is noted, but in passing and in the context of general infrastructure improvements. So in the context of this article, improvements of personal automobile infrastructure. If we're serious about reducing traffic deaths then we need to invest in transit infrastructure to give people alternatives to driving and we need to start building infrastructure that doesn't only prioritize personal automobiles, with pedestrian traffic as an after thought. Ohio traffic deaths up compared to ten years ago despite recent declines BY: NICK EVANS JULY 5, 2024 The Roadway Information Program, or TRIP, study has some good news and some bad. The transportation research nonprofit found that in the 10 years between 2013 and 2023, traffic fatalities have jumped substantially nationwide. But zeroing in on the past three, deaths have begun to decline from their peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. ... In Ohio specifically, the number of fatalities has increased by 26% over the past decade, rising from 989 in 2013 to 1,242 in 2023. Those 2023 figures are 8% lower than the state’s peak in 2021. Applying the raw numbers to travel patterns, Ohio’s fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles of travel amounts to an increase of 23% over the past ten years and a decline of 10% over the past three years. ... Over the past five years, speeding related crashes rose by 21% around the U.S. and accounted for more than a quarter of traffic deaths in 2023. Between 2018 and 2022, alcohol-involved crashes rose by 29%, and fatalities from distracted driving increased by 16%. The study’s authors are quick to note while cellphone use is often cited as an example of distracted driving, it’s not the only culprit — eating, talking, and adjusting controls can all take attention away from the road. https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/07/05/ohio-traffic-deaths-up-compared-to-ten-years-ago-despite-recent-declines/
November 20, 2024Nov 20 the big box parking lot illusion — https://www.instagram.com/reel/DChTiyKx2RM/?igsh=NTk3ajluMTh5M3M3
November 20, 2024Nov 20 5 hours ago, mrnyc said: the big box parking lot illusion — https://www.instagram.com/reel/DChTiyKx2RM/?igsh=NTk3ajluMTh5M3M3 I just saw this, this morning. I commented something explaining the exact thing yesterday on an instagram post about the new project proposed for downtown Columbus.
December 23, 2024Dec 23 happy new year metro nyc auto commuters — bridge&tunnel tolls rising & congestion pricing below 60th strert in manhattan starts jan 5th. it will cost a base toll of $9 to drive into the city — NYC to New Jersey bridge and tunnel tolls to increase on Jan. 5 By Barbara Russo-LennonPosted on December 22, 2024 more: https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/port-authority-bridge-tunnel-toll-increase-2025/ Drivers sit in traffic at the Jersey City entrance to the Holland Tunnel on May 9, 2023. Photo by Ben Brachfeld
December 27, 2024Dec 27 This is a wonderful explainer video on traffic circles, including the specifics of roundabouts. The vast majority of small and mid volume intersections should be replaced with roundabouts. most important point: When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
December 27, 2024Dec 27 Absolute Ix-nay on the roundabouts. They don't suit NE Ohio drivers at all and are often poorly designed here. The worst example being Richmond and Pettibone, but others too. Even at the not that badly designed Lander circle a lady who apparently lived locally sideswiped me, then proceeded to tell me I was driving it wrong until the cop showed up and cited her, but not me.
December 27, 2024Dec 27 I didn't know NE Ohio drivers were such snowflakes. What specifically is it about them that prefers T-bones to fender benders? Literally every area has conservatives on the internet saying roundabouts won't work where they live then a year or two passes with them in place and people get used to them. They don't get nostalgic for rotting at the lights or 4-way stops that used to be there. Everyone weep for the traffic light lobby.
December 27, 2024Dec 27 47 minutes ago, E Rocc said: Absolute Ix-nay on the roundabouts. They don't suit NE Ohio drivers at all and are often poorly designed here. The worst example being Richmond and Pettibone, but others too. Even at the not that badly designed Lander circle a lady who apparently lived locally sideswiped me, then proceeded to tell me I was driving it wrong until the cop showed up and cited her, but not me. The Pettibone and Richmond roundabout is AWESOME. I have no idea what you are talking about. I drive through that intersection regularly and I would be thrilled if EVERY intersection in the region was replaced with such a beauty. People get used to roundabouts pretty quickly and the safety improvements are dramatic. It’s so frustrating that you are agitating against a solution that features a 90% decrease in serious injuries. The life that roundabout saves could be your daughter or my daughter, so I take that very seriously. Plus I get super annoyed when I’m sitting at a red light with no other cars at the intersection. Roundabouts are so much better for keeping traffic moving. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
January 1Jan 1 On 12/27/2024 at 11:36 AM, Boomerang_Brian said: The Pettibone and Richmond roundabout is AWESOME. I have no idea what you are talking about. I drive through that intersection regularly and I would be thrilled if EVERY intersection in the region was replaced with such a beauty. People get used to roundabouts pretty quickly and the safety improvements are dramatic. It’s so frustrating that you are agitating against a solution that features a 90% decrease in serious injuries. The life that roundabout saves could be your daughter or my daughter, so I take that very seriously. Plus I get super annoyed when I’m sitting at a red light with no other cars at the intersection. Roundabouts are so much better for keeping traffic moving. That thing is horrible, it's way too small and that crap piled up in the middle that keeps people from looking across also keeps them from seeing if the car to the left is going to have to wait for a car across the way. People can't predict what it's going to do and that leads to major backups when traffic flow is not balanced. Like rush hour. Whoever designed it, intentionally blocking driver visibility, should lose their credentials and drive it forever in hell. The ones in Twinsburg aren't as bad, at least you can see through them. They are still problematic. NE Ohio drivers are competitive by nature. Traffic lights are less of a problem when they have traffic detectors or shorter cycle times during low traffic periods.
January 1Jan 1 45 minutes ago, E Rocc said: That thing is horrible, it's way too small and that crap piled up in the middle that keeps people from looking across also keeps them from seeing if the car to the left is going to have to wait for a car across the way. People can't predict what it's going to do and that leads to major backups when traffic flow is not balanced. Like rush hour. Whoever designed it, intentionally blocking driver visibility, should lose their credentials and drive it forever in hell. The ones in Twinsburg aren't as bad, at least you can see through them. They are still problematic. NE Ohio drivers are competitive by nature. Traffic lights are less of a problem when they have traffic detectors or shorter cycle times during low traffic periods. The build up in the middle is to force drivers to slow down and pay attention -it works great! I drive through lights with traffic detectors all the time. They are nowhere near as efficient at keeping traffic moving as roundabouts. Safety is the main purpose of using roundabouts, but the efficiency is a great added bonus. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
January 2Jan 2 13 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: The build up in the middle is to force drivers to slow down and pay attention -it works great! I drive through lights with traffic detectors all the time. They are nowhere near as efficient at keeping traffic moving as roundabouts. Safety is the main purpose of using roundabouts, but the efficiency is a great added bonus. That may be its purpose but its effect is as I described. The backups southbound have been severe.
January 2Jan 2 On 12/27/2024 at 10:36 AM, Boomerang_Brian said: This is a wonderful explainer video on traffic circles, including the specifics of roundabouts. The vast majority of small and mid volume intersections should be replaced with roundabouts. most important point: I’ve visited Carmel Indiana on multiple occasions… quite an interesting thing they’ve achieved.
January 6Jan 6 all about horse poop on the roads back old days — yikes — https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCFn5TtRUZr/?igsh=c25rcDI5amdraXFp
January 6Jan 6 23 minutes ago, mrnyc said: all about horse poop on the roads back old days — yikes — https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCFn5TtRUZr/?igsh=c25rcDI5amdraXFp My hovercraft is full of eels
January 7Jan 7 anniversary of the boston big dig — https://www.instagram.com/p/DEPyllQyCoW/?igsh=N3VnbXpud2lxOHh3
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