baltimorespokes

By Lloyd Alter, Treehugger
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Hyperloopism. The perfect word to define a crazy new and unproven technology which nobody is sure will work, that probably isn’t better or cheaper than the way things are done now, and is often counterproductive and used as an excuse to actually do nothing at all. It appears to have been coined by Matthew Yglesias five years ago in the title of a post (The Trouble With Hyperloopism) but I can find no other uses of it on Google.
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We actually do know how to fix things. We know how to make streets safe for pedestrians and stop murdering children; we know how to reduce carbon emissions to almost zero. But in the USA it appears that Hyperloopism is the religion of the day, and Elon Musk will solve it all. Somehow, I think people are going to be disappointed.
https://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/hyperloopism-infecting-everything-its-time-sustainable-alternatives.html

By LEWIS MCCRARY, The Americain Conservative
Over the last decade, it’s become safer to drive and more dangerous to walk. That’s the conclusion of a new report on pedestrian safety released earlier this week, which documents that from 2007 to 2016, “The number of pedestrian fatalities increased 27 percent … while at the same time, all other traffic deaths decreased by 14 percent.”
Alarmingly, this is not just a medium-term trend, reports the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). In the U.S., “pedestrians now account for a larger proportion of traffic fatalities than they have in the past 33 years.”
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https://www.theamericanconservative.com/urbs/drivers-declare-war-on-walkers/

By Angie Schmitt, Streets Blog
America isn’t making progress on pedestrian safety, with people on foot accounting for a steadily rising share of overall traffic fatalities.
In 2017, for the second year running, nearly 6,000 people were struck and killed while walking in the U.S., according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association [PDF]. The pedestrian fatality rate remains about 25 percent higher than where it stood just a few years ago.
Other than the increase in driving mileage, there are few solid explanations of the factors at work. GHSA suggests distraction by mobile devices plays a role, as may impairment by marijuana, with pedestrian deaths rising more in states that have legalized weed. Neither explanation has been studied with scientific rigor, however.
One thing that’s certain is that city governments are in position to act on the problem, because pedestrian deaths are concentrated in urban areas. In 2016 alone, pedestrian fatalities in the 10 biggest U.S. cities rose 28 percent. In Los Angeles, the increase was 45 percent.
To reduce pedestrian fatalities, GHSA says states and local governments should focus on the following three areas.
[Just the headlines]
* More separation of pedestrians from motor vehicles
* Better visibility [s/b better nighttime iluumination]
* Reduce lethal motor vehicle speeds using engineering and enforcement
https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/03/05/americas-pedestrian-safety-crisis-isnt-getting-any-better/

Federal Manual of Uniform Traffic control Devices:
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Q: Should “share the road” signing be used to inform drivers of the likely presence of bicyclists and to inform them to pass bicyclists safely?
A: The SHARE THE ROAD (W16-1P) plaque was introduced into the MUTCD in the context of slow-moving farm equipment with no associated mention of bicyclists. Since that time it has become prevalent in conjunction with the Bicycle (W11-1) warning sign with the intent of warning drivers of the presence of bicyclists and warning drivers to pass safely. Research has shown that the “share the road” message when applied to bicyclists does not adequately communicate the responsibilities of either user group on the roadway. Road users are unclear whether “share the road” means that drivers should give space when passing or that bicyclists should pull to the side to allow drivers to pass. Where bicyclists are expected or preferred to use the full lane, that message is more clearly communicated with the Bicycles May Use Full Lane (R4-11) sign, supplemented by shared-lane markings as appropriate. When using the Bicycle (W11-1) warning sign, many jurisdictions have phased out the use of “share the road” in favor of an IN LANE or ON ROADWAY word message plaque, more clearly indicating the condition ahead instead of giving an unclear instruction. It is still compliant with the MUTCD if a jurisdiction chooses to post a SHARE THE ROAD (W16-1P) plaque under a Bicycle (W11-1) warning sign, but it would not be the best practice.
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https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/knowledge/faqs/faq_part9.htm
Maryland Manual of Uniform Traffic control Devices:
Section 2C.60 SHARE THE ROAD Plaque (W16-1P)
Option:
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02 A W16-1P plaque shall not be used alone. If a W16-1P plaque is used, it shall be mounted below
either a Vehicular Traffic Warning sign (see Section 2C.49) [which includes W11-1 bicycle warning sign] or a Non-Vehicular Warning sign (see Section
2C.50). The background color of the W16-1P plaque shall match the background color of the warning sign
with which it is displayed.
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https://www.roads.maryland.gov/mmutcd/2011_Chapters_02C.pdf
Do I need to say we have a law requiring “best practices” which Maryland does not?
https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20111025010622931

[B’ Spokes: Just the headlines]
1. CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING ENGINEER
2. THE GROWTH PONZI SCHEME
3. CAN YOU BE AN ENGINEER AND SPEAK OUT FOR REFORM?
4. GROSS NEGLIGENCE (SERIES)
5. THE FIVE WAYS ENGINEERS DEFLECT CRITICISM
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/31/5-essential-strong-towns-articles

By Lauri Boxer-Macomber, Bike Law
A collaborative group in Maine is tackling punishment passes, three-foot violations and other unsafe driving practices from within Maine’s Law Enforcement departments.
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Maine’s Law Enforcement Collaborative

By Todd Litman, Planetizen
Despite numerous traffic safety programs, traffic death rates have not declined in a decade and recently started to increase. We can do better! A new paradigm identifies additional safety strategies that reduce both crash rates and risk exposure.
During this holiday season thousands of North Americans will be unnecessarily killed or severely injured in crashes. We could do much better!
The United States has the highest traffic fatality rate among peer countries, nearly three times the European average and easily twice the averages of Australia and Canada.
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https://www.planetizen.com/node/96324

By Lloyd Alter, Treehugger
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As it is now, the campaign language and programs promoted by the traffic safety organisations unabashedly victimise the individual (primarily pedestrians and cyclists) rather than speak out about the dangers of motorised vehicles. They also tend to ignore the one most obvious solution to lower road fatalities – a drastic reduction in the number of motorised vehicles on the road.
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Their baseline is clear. Cars are here to stay – everyone else either get out of the way or bubble wrap yourself. What this communication subculture doesn’t talk about is rather telling. Basically anything that would brand cars as the problem – or reducing the number of cars.
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https://www.treehugger.com/walking/what-and-who-are-really-behind-all-these-pedestrian-safety-campaigns.html

Lack of investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure not only contributes to the deaths of millions of people in traffic accidents on unsafe roads and poorly designed roadways, but also overlooks a great opportunity to boost the fight against climate change, a new UN environment report said today.
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https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/10/543292-put-people-not-cars-first-transport-systems-says-un-environment-chief