Comment 77685

By Simon (registered) - website | Posted May 31, 2012 at 16:16:53

I don't think you can blame the engineers - traffic engineers are more than aware of alternate transportation, pedestrian flow etc - and are fully capable of producing roadway designs that take auto, public transit, bicycle and pedestrians into account. In fact most of the traffic engineers I know (at least the ones under 40) are the biggest advocates for modern street design.

The problem is the direction they are getting from City management and Council. What do you think happens when a traffic engineer studies an intersection that will have a D rating for turns because of a pedestrian crossing and an A rating without it - it goes to management/council and Ohhhhhh we can't have cars waiting that long to turn, they'll back up all the way down the street....bla bla bla - and the pedestrian crossing gets eliminated.

Why do you think we have so many big box parking lots that are like lobster traps that let you in no problem but have stupid exits that force you one way or another - because the traffic engineers are not given the authority to force the developers to put in a proper entrance / exit - instead they eliminate a left turn and bam - good enough.

Same goes for stupid needless political stop signs and traffic lights.

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