tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5862444008740250372.post6840325550527092388..comments2024-02-01T04:37:41.878-05:00Comments on Cap'n Transit Rides Again: Can we have real crosswalks in New York City?Cap'n Transithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17057887736728828646noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5862444008740250372.post-36776232770922150602012-08-22T02:20:17.896-04:002012-08-22T02:20:17.896-04:00Trains are often infrequent events, and many train...Trains are often infrequent events, and many trains simply cannot stop in time to avoid anything, so the crossing regime for railroads makes some sense. The equivalent setup for pedestrians would be a big "do not cross" signal activated whenever a car came by, and I'm sure you'll agree that's not a good idea.<br /><br />To further expand on the point of political and legal culture changing driver behavior.<br /><br />1) Here in Portland, it's not just a matter of prosecutors prosecuting those who hit pedestrians. While Oregon has a "vulnerable road users" law, criminal prosecutions against motorists who kill someone only can happen if the driver was already committing a traffic crime (DWI, reckless driving, etc.); traffic infractions that result in a death may result in the infractions being upgraded to class A violations (bigger fines and a likely suspension of license), but they won't result in jail time.<br /><br />However, it's enforcement of conduct BEFORE an accident that matters. The police in Portland (including the suburbs) regularly conduct crosswalk stings--an officer will cross back and forth at a crosswalk (typically one which is marked but not controlled by a signal, which means the pedestrian has a right of way), and other officers in nearby patrol cars will pull over and warn/cite motorists who fail to yield to the first officer. Motorists don't like this of course--many HATE traffic enforcement of any sort--but it seems to help with the culture.<br /><br />2) It's important to note the changes in attitudes towards motorists over time. Early on, motorists and cars were unwelcome nuisances in the street, and avoiding pedestrians was strictly their problem. Lots of lobbying and propaganda reversed the situation to where the streets were seen as the domain of cars, and "jaywalking" was an offense. This has been covered in detail. While that state of affairs still exists, an important change in the other direction had to do with attitudes towards impaired driving; something once considered an unfortunate side-effect of the auto-centric society is now considered a serious crime. Likewise, more recently, with drivers using cellphones and other personal electronics.<br /><br />So...attitudes can change. EngineerScottyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005863528905991434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5862444008740250372.post-68628256609598296782012-08-22T00:47:27.957-04:002012-08-22T00:47:27.957-04:00Let's switch roles. Officially, drivers are su...Let's switch roles. Officially, drivers are supposed to pull up to railroad tracks, look both ways and listen, before proceeding over them.<br /><br />Of course, most private drivers do not do this. Many are even unaware of the dangers of stopping on the tracks. They demand heavy marking and signage at every railroad crossing, complete with flashing lights and bells ringing.<br /><br />So it seems, the importance of markings and signage only apply when cars are threatened by something bigger.<br />Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com