Don't Ya Just Hate It When...

[JMoney]

The traffic lights in my town are horrible. There's one for every side street, every shopping center and every neighborhood on the main roads branching out from the center of the city. The lights often change for no reason, when there are no cars waiting to go across, which causes traffic backups everywhere.

The stoplights, and the fact that the city has a completely unnecessary spiderweb-type layout, complete with a ring road going around the town that is 80% freeway (with 20% having lights on it) make it the second-worst congested city per capita in the USA, with Washington DC being first.

What I don't understand is why environmentalists don't want to tear down the lights. Fewer lights will mean cars are on the road for a shorter time, emitting less carbon.

 

[homeforsummer]

What I don't understand is why environmentalists don't want to tear down the lights.

Who says they don't?

 

[JMoney]

Who says they don't?

I don't know, I've just never heard they do.

 

[Grayfox]

The Ol' Tire Iron

She lives in my drivers door pocket.

 

[XS]

The traffic lights in my town are horrible. There's one for every side street, every shopping center and every neighborhood on the main roads branching out from the center of the city. The lights often change for no reason, when there are no cars waiting to go across, which causes traffic backups everywhere.

The stoplights, and the fact that the city has a completely unnecessary spiderweb-type layout, complete with a ring road going around the town that is 80% freeway (with 20% having lights on it) make it the second-worst congested city per capita in the USA, with Washington DC being first.

What I don't understand is why environmentalists don't want to tear down the lights. Fewer lights will mean cars are on the road for a shorter time, emitting less carbon.

If you want to be real technical and with perfect ideology about it, well timed stop lights cause fewer emissions than stop signs, because you have to stop for a stop sign no matter what. In theory anyway..... And maybe someone used that theory to win over your city traffic and planning department. That exact same situation happened where I live. Everyone was up in arms over how many traffic lights there were. So the city released a mathematical proof/report saying that well timed stop lights actually make for a quicker flow of traffic and fewer emissions. Problem is, they're not well timed at all.

 

[Harry6784]

If you want to be real technical and with perfect ideology about it, well timed stop lights cause fewer emissions than stop signs, because you have to stop for a stop sign no matter what. In theory anyway..... And maybe someone used that theory to win over your city traffic and planning department. That exact same situation happened where I live. Everyone was up in arms over how many traffic lights there were. So the city released a mathematical proof/report saying that well timed stop lights actually make for a quicker flow of traffic and fewer emissions. Problem is, they're not well timed at all.

Or just use roundabouts. Much cheaper to construct, statistically safer than traffic stops or traffic lights and allows for a continual flow of traffic.

 

[XS]

Or just use roundabouts. Much cheaper to construct, statistically safer than traffic stops or traffic lights and allows for a continual flow of traffic.

They're starting to put them in new parts of the city, but so far they're creating big hit-and-run problems with pedestrians.

 

[Harry6784]

They're starting to put them in new parts of the city

Yea there are quite a few here, but I live in the suburbs, in the city they could post some problems.

they're creating big hit-and-run problems with pedestrians.

 

[XS]

LOL, completely unintentional!
I guess while I'm at it, I'll rant a little about that. It's no secret that millions of people have been and are flocking to Colorado for the scenary and jobs. Since the latest huge influx of population, hit and runs have been huge problem, reaching into the hundreds per year, with 14 already dead this year. As a two time hit and run victim myself (once in the car, once on foot which put me in the hospital, neither my fault) this absolutely drives me crazy. Thing is, we've had population explosions in the past that didn't affect this statistic at all. But now we're getting lots of people moving from a certain state that also has huge hit and run problems and I think it's possible the two are correlated. ....Or I'm generalizing way too much. But here's the kicker, people have petitioned the State legislature to take DOWN the intersection cameras and the Colorado legislature is about to pass a bill to do just that!!! So while hit and runs are already up dramatically this year, soon there will be even fewer ways for police investigators to track these people down! It just drives me crazy. It's almost like it's a popular pastime - to crash into someone and take off. Needless to say it's pretty hard for police to track these people down unless there's surveillance that caught them. I just can't imagine how people can just run someone down, or crash into someone else and not even give two thoughts as to whether or not they're okay, and just take off and go about their life, knowing full well they either could have or did just kill someone.

 

[White & Nerdy]

Or just use roundabouts.

No.

 

[xXKingJoshXx]

No.

Yes.

 

[Joey D]

Roundabouts are possibly one of the greatest things on modern roads, I just wish people knew how to drive them.

 

[jjjkr20]

The both can be confusing and both have their own set of problems but really people just need to know what to do at ether of them. Although in reality roundabouts would be better.

 

[White & Nerdy]

In theory they're better. In reality, painted markings can get worn off or covered by snow. In an intersection, that usually isn't too much of a setback. In a roundabout, it results in a dangerously confusing mess, which isn't really OK in a system that's kind of confusing anyway.

 

[Joey D]

Painted marking? They don't believe in center islands in Alaska? All the roundabouts around here have massive center islands that only a big truck could jump if they wanted too.

And we don't seem to have an issue in the snow around here, and we probably get more of it than you guys up north do.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

In a roundabout, it results in a dangerously confusing mess, which isn't really OK in a system that's kind of confusing anyway.

Perhaps the act of going around a circle and exiting when you need to is considered difficult in Alaska, but I can assure you the majority of north american drivers I know take to roundabouts quite easily. Yep, in snow, too.

There's a part of Mississauga that treats some of its main arterial road intersections as sort of low-speed inner-city highways, where instead of roundabouts or light-controlled four-way stops, there are on/off ramps, hypothetically meaning traffic never has to slow. I recognize a layered approach to city road ways would be stupidly expensive, but I've always wondered if spreading that idea across an entire city would prove efficient - provided the necessary driver training was also brought along, since our average highway driver tends to be a complete moron.

 

[Slash]

Honestly I never liked them. They just seem to take up too much space.

 

[Joel]

Honestly I never liked them. They just seem to take up too much space.

The substantially reduced backups of traffic are a pretty reasonable tradeoff.

which isn't really OK in a system that's kind of confusing anyway.

Yield to traffic inside the circle. Real complicated stuff.

 

[Slash]

Maybe its because I'm not around them enough. They seem to cause more problems then solve and just about beyond I talk to out of this forum think they are dumb.

 

[Adamgp]

There is a roundabout in the 'burbs near me, affectionately nicknamed "Suicide Circle". Glad there aren't more of them around here.

 

[Slash]

There is a roundabout in the 'burbs near me, affectionately nicknamed "Suicide Circle". Glad there aren't more of them around here.

My dad just drives over the middle of it

 

[R.S]

Roundabouts are cool, much less room for driver error. They also don't require electricity.

But anything over 2 lanes is trouble.
I would hope anything over 2 lanes be given traffic lights, either as an intersection, or traffic lights on the roundabout to allow cars clear path to enter the correct lane.

 

[Kent]

I love having a roundabout in place of intersections when it is appropriate. There was a horrid intersection in a location about 10 miles from me, replaced it with a roundabout and it's been great ever since.
Frankly, if it can work in deep south eastern Louisiana it can work anywhere. 👍

 

[ildd]

I absolutely love it when someone speeds up, cuts me off, then turns without a turn signal instead of slowing down and getting behind me.

 

[Harry6784]

 

[MedigoFlame]

Finally caught an example of the laziness of the people in the town I live in...whilst taking a walk through the park.

Three acts all in one picture...and yes, all three of those vehicles were parked there for a long time. Not just to pick up their kids from whatever sports practice.

Also was walking with my brother and said "Can't people read the no parking sign?" To which some teenage girl replied in...the rather stereotypical 🤬-y tone of "Well there's NO WHERE ELSE TO PARK!" Despite the fact that less than a block away up the hill...there's a very large...yet empty parking lot at the high school. Can't help but hate the suburbian life.

 

[xXKingJoshXx]

Can't help but hate the suburbian life.

I agree. That's why I'd like to get out of here when I can. A few weeks ago I saw a person driving down the sidewalk because he was too lazy to drive down to the stoplight and turn around the median to get to where he was going.

 

[Bopop4]

Finally caught an example of the laziness of the people in the town I live in...whilst taking a walk through the park.

Three acts all in one picture...and yes, all three of those vehicles were parked there for a long time. Not just to pick up their kids from whatever sports practice.

Also was walking with my brother and said "Can't people read the no parking sign?" To which some teenage girl replied in...the rather stereotypical 🤬-y tone of "Well there's NO WHERE ELSE TO PARK!" Despite the fact that less than a block away up the hill...there's a very large...yet empty parking lot at the high school. Can't help but hate the suburbian life.

1. Pop hood. (I don't know how, that's for you to figure out.)
2. Switch all the plug leads around. (Or only switch 2 so that it'll still run.)
3. Revenge.
4. Cake.

 

[ildd]

Finally caught an example of the laziness of the people in the town I live in...whilst taking a walk through the park.

Three acts all in one picture...and yes, all three of those vehicles were parked there for a long time. Not just to pick up their kids from whatever sports practice.

Also was walking with my brother and said "Can't people read the no parking sign?" To which some teenage girl replied in...the rather stereotypical 🤬-y tone of "Well there's NO WHERE ELSE TO PARK!" Despite the fact that less than a block away up the hill...there's a very large...yet empty parking lot at the high school. Can't help but hate the suburbian life.

If I had a long car (say, a 1989 Town Car) I would have parked behind them.

 

[Johnny1996]

On the morning on the way to school one time, some idiot in a minivan flew out of their driveway, pulling out in front of the bus, which caused the bus driver to have no choice but to slam on the brakes. Then, the driver flies down the road for under 50 feet and pulls into another driveway, only to calmly exit the vehicle and walk up to the house.