Okay, this one was sent to me from Dave Hull, via the Association for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals’ listserv. The University of Minnesota’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute has released a “Gridlock Buster” traffic game, which helps students understand the “fundamentals” of controlling gridlock. Says the Institute of its new product:
“Gridlock Buster” is a traffic control [...]
Posts under ‘Traffic’
The Games Traffic Engineers Play
Florida’s Traffic Map, 2005-2007
Using data collected from 2005-2007, Floridaroads.org is a new website that visually displays whether traffic congestion is increasing or diminishing along major thoroughfares. Click the hyperlink to see how a street near you is performing. For livable streets advocates, those roadways experiencing a decrease in congestion may be candidates for future “road diets.” Similarly, the [...]
Sweet Lady Traffic
Are you dreading your Friday afternoon commute home? Do you wish you had more options? Check out Transportation for America’s latest initiative, My Commute Sucks.org, to learn how to take action–unless you love your commute like our friend Dan.
Action Alert: Contact your Senators, Stop the Raid on Transit Funding
As you read this, congress is working to put together a $800 Billion+ Stimulus package to revive the nation’s economy. As JM noted earlier this week, the stimulus is more of the same bureaucratic stupidity we’ve all grown accustomed to – tax incentives for vehicle purchases, at least $30 Billion for Highways, and a paltry [...]
Livable Streets Education Flashback: 1950
This Disney cartoon from 1950 (!) places Goofy in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scenario whereas Mr. Walker (pedestrian) is perpetually threatened by Mr. Wheeler ‘s (driver) quest for roadway supremacy.
Sadly, not much has changed…
Thanks to Felipe Azenha for the tip.
Traffic Quiz
Do you fancy yourself a traffic expert? I sure don’t, but thought my status as an observant urbanist might lend itself to a decent score. Well, after submitting to the Tierney Lab Traffic Quiz, I only got two questions out of ten right. So much for that. Think you can beat me? Take the quiz.
TM [...]
If You Build it, They’ll Get Out of my Way
98% of Americans are in favor of expanded public transportation. Yes, there is a catch. This is what the study released today by the APTA concluded:
A study released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association reveals that 98 percent of Americans support the use of mass transit by others.
Now, that is a scary statistic. [...]
Traffic jams a thing of the past?
In their March 13th edition, the Economist magazine published this article in which it was written that a company in Washington state, spun off from Microsoft, will be compiling and analyzing real-time satellite transponder and cell phone data from delivery vehicles. The company, INRIX, then will provide this real-time traffic analysis to companies like [...]
Metro Monday: Shockwave Theory Explained
If you’ve ever been driving along the highway and suddenly everything comes to a dead stop or a slow down for no apparent reason you’ve been caught up in a shockwave traffic jam. The Mathematical Society of Traffic Flow in Japan has created this video to illustrate the shockwave phenomenon. In Miami, you’ll [...]
Busway-HOT Lane Combo is Smog and Mirrors
This week’s Streetwise Column by Herald Reporter Larry Lebowitz, presented an “innovative” new use for Miami-Dade’s Busway program. We’ve taken some time to mull over the basics of the plan over the past few days (apparently so have a number of you based on the number of emails I received) and have prepared an [...]
Another Desperate Attempt to Relieve Congestion on 836
Despite having recently spent hundreds-of-millions of dollars to widen and extend the Dolphin Expressway, there is already a new effort to try and squeeze even more capacity on the perpetually congested highway. According to MDX, the eastbound shoulder between the 826 interchange and the NW 72nd Ave on-ramp is being converted into a new travel [...]
The Anti Walk Score
First we brought you the incredibly useful Walk Score, a program geared to determining how navigable neighborhoods are for people…
Today I’d like to introduce Drive Score, the anti-walking, pro-sprawl, and guaranteed laziness application which uses incredibly flawed methods to create a map of vehicle accessible areas. One would think if you ranked poorly on [...]
Mayor Alvarez Holds the Line
We some how bypassed this article last week, but, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez vetoed commission recommendations to approve a number of projects outside of the UDB. The veto will likely stand given that the commission lacks the 2/3 majority to override the mayor, presuming that none of the commissioners switch sides…
“If Miami-Dade moves outside [...]
Pricing Ourselves into Further Congestion
$8 Billion Congestion “Solutions“. May I cite the Downs-Thompson Paradox:
“It follows that increasing road capacity can actually make overall congestion on the road worse. This occurs when the shift from public transport causes a disinvestment in the mode such that the operator either reduces frequency of service or raises fares to cover costs. This [...]
Transitography 17
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miami traffic jam, originally uploaded by noway.
If the view above seems familiar, its probably because you’ve been sitting in traffic for 50 extra hours per year.
“Americans sat in traffic 4.2 billion [...]
