[sustran] shared space

Eric Britton Eric.Britton at ecoplan.org
Thu Nov 30 02:49:03 JST 2006


It sure is called "Motor Mania" David and others -- and if you want to
check it out you will find it in our little informal "Old Mobility
Evidence (Oops)" video library, fourth from left at
http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=oldmobility
<http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=oldmobility&page=2> &page=2

 

And BTW, it ain't funny.

 

Eric Britton

 

 

 

From: LotsLessCars at yahoogroups.com [mailto:LotsLessCars at yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of David Nicholson
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 1:36 AM
To: LotsLessCars at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [LotsLessCars] shared space

 

I have seen the Disney film - it was called "Motor Mania" and I think it
was produced in the late 1950's. 

-----Original Message----- 
From: LotsLessCars@ <mailto:LotsLessCars%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com [mailto:LotsLessCars@
<mailto:LotsLessCars%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com] 
On Behalf Of Roland Sapsford 
Sent: Wednesday, 29 November 2006 2:01 AM 
To: LotsLessCars@ <mailto:LotsLessCars%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com 
Subject: Re: [LotsLessCars] shared space 

Hi 

This discussion about the psychology of traffic and driver behaviour is 
an interesting one and an area I have often thought neglected in 
literature. I wonder if there is much serious research around about 
perceptual distortions etc in relation to cars and car dependence. It 
strikes me that there is a social addiction to motor vehicles at present

and this has all sorts of implications. 

Chris Bradshaw's suggestion below reminds me of an idea I have often 
thought would be effective - the penalty for speeding ought to be 
wheel-clamping, or some such immobilisation, for a couple of hours 
rather than a fine of some sort. People who speed are putting their own 
perceived desire for speed ahead of others wellbeing - and particularly 
for the better off may value this time more highly than a financial 
penalty. Far better I think to impose a penalty where it is their own 
value of time that is deducted. 

I also wonder if anyone recalls the details of the famous Walt Disney 
film about how Goofy is transformed from mild-mannered individual into 
angry driver simply by entering a car. 

Best wishes 
Roland Sapsford 
Wellington, New Zealand 

Chris Bradshaw wrote: 
> From: Carlos F. Pardo SUTP 
> 
> 
>> Great question. I think we lose our ability to negotiate traffic when


>> we're going too fast (e.g. above 30 km/h). That's when (and why) we 
>> need other measures. But you're right, there are sometimes too many 
>> stop lights. I think we shouldn't be at any of the two opposite ends 
>> of enforcement vs "live and let live". 
>> 
> 
> This is indeed the missing factor. Higher traffic speeds is the goal 
> for the engineers who have added traffic controls to city streets. 
> When you propose shared spaces, you are proposing a "naked street," a 
> street lacking these controls. 
> 
> As speed increases, formalities of interaction are necessary. In a 
> world where speeds do not exceed walking (which was the case in cities


> before the advent of railed transit), no traffic controls are 
> necessary. Everyone road user can simply look out for their own way, 
> and thereby are looking out for others' welfare simultaneously. And, 
> there are no "separators" such as tinted windshields to add anonymity 
> (which reduces the sense of accountability and guilt for collisions). 
> 
> Remember, the growth in automobility is paralleled by the growth in 
> average speed. Traffic controls was the focus. And any reference to 
"safety" 
> really meant that the objective was higher speeds. The price one is 
> willing to pay for a car is directly proportion to the expected speed 
> it car be driven -- as well as how often. 
> 
> Where are the treaties where walkers gave up their right to 
> governments and their road engineers to walk wherever, and to do so 
> without the contrived obstacles of traffic controls (and the "safety" 
justification for same)? 
> 
> Chris Bradshaw 
> Ottawa 
> 
> p.s., I have proposed for some time that a motorist who strikes a 
> pedestrian or cyclist, regardless of fault, should lose the right to 
> drive for as long as the vulnerable road user is unable to resume the 
> mode of transportation they were using at the time of the collision. 
> If that person dies, the driver faces a lifetime driving ban. 
> (Ironically, the deprivation the ensues is lessened in one lives in a 
> city with good transit.) 
>

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