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> This is called "traffic calming" That sounds like the PR branding for a positive externality of developers making streets narrower because they can and it al
by kbenson 4y ago
> This is called "traffic calming"
That sounds like the PR branding for a positive externality of developers making streets narrower because they can and it allows them to maximize the space they get to charge for when they sell.
I live in one such neighborhood, and enough people park on the street that even without two cars needing to pass each other it feels unsafe even at slow speed, because if you're taking a turn you can't see oncoming traffic, and if some kid ran out from behind a car there would be no room to maneuver to avoid them without hitting something else, even at a slow speed.
If it wasn't about money they would just put speed bumps in, like they do in lots of places.
- Fricken 4y agoThe fact that it feels unsafe is what makes it safer. You're prompted to slow down and pay attention to what's in front of you.
- SamBam 4y agoIt's not PR branding, cities actually spend time and energy and money actually making streets "worse" for cars. A common technique, for instance, is to alternate the side that cars are parked on. This creates a sinuous road where you're constantly doing little turns, instead of a straight-away. This isn't just because of the width of the roads, because these didn't exist 30 years ago (in the states at least; they were starting to become common in the UK 30 years ago), but the houses haven't suddenly merged closer together. I see in another reply you say these underperform. Citation? Fatalities are still lower in cities.
- Karrot_Kream 4y agoSpeed bumps make it harder for fire apparatuses to respond to calls. Traffic calming is preferred because the expectation is for opposite ROW traffic to yield to the fire apparatus.