DailyDirt: Looking To Improve Infrastructure Designs

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

The car culture of America has far-reaching effects that have numerous unintended consequences for how Americans live and work. So, it's good to see folks who are trying to quantify some of the effects -- and hopefully, someday we'll be able to improve the designs of our cities and suburbs. Maybe we'll even have revolutionary new vehicles to take us around more efficiently... Segways for everyone! Or maybe not.
  • Driving without making any left turns could be safer AND more efficient. Just out of curiosity, I had to check to see if the author of this study was named Zoolander.... [url]
  • Cul-de-sacs are evil and slowly killing you. Ok, that's not exactly true, but neighborhoods with more interconnected streets generally have better walkability scores -- which correlate to lower body mass indexes. [url]
  • Next time you're waiting for a parking spot, here's a long paper on parking infrastructure to keep you busy. But it'll be somewhat irrelevant when most of the cars are electric or hybrids. [url]
  • Bike enthusiasts report that bike/pedestrian infrastructure construction projects create almost twice as many jobs (per million dollars spent) than regular road construction. Hmm. But I don't think "job creation" is a very good metric for construction projects. Digging holes and filling them back in could create a lot of jobs, too. [url]
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    Filed Under: cul-de-sac, infrastructure, streets
    Companies: segway


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    • icon
      Rose M. Welch (profile), 20 Jan 2011 @ 4:28pm

      I've been a long advocate of newer street designs, like this and roundabouts. It's nice to see them getting some press play. :)

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Jan 2011 @ 5:30pm

      Flying vehicles were invented quite some time ago, but so many people wanted them that the FAA banned them. There was a somewhat recent article on techdirt about them finally approving something. Had something been approved a long time ago, perhaps we would have better infrastructure today. Then again, I imagine a flying vehicle would cause more pollution than a car (though technological advancements could have improved that to some extent, if the FAA gave more opportunity earlier), and sure, safety is a valid concern.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Chris-Mouse (profile), 21 Jan 2011 @ 5:54am

        Flying cars would be a nightmare.

        If you think traffic jams are bad now, imagine what it would be like if the drivers have to watch for cars above and below them as well as beside them. Oh, don't forget that there's no such thing as a minor accident for an aircraft in flight. Even a minor fender bender will kill everyone on board when the flying car stops flying and falls out of the sky.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 20 Jan 2011 @ 6:13pm

      On the transportation side some people are looking for test pilots for their personal air transport suit, any brave man want to volunteer?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Lawrence D'Oliveiro, 20 Jan 2011 @ 7:36pm

      Re: Driving without making any left turns could be safer AND more efficient

      Only to those who drive on the wrong side of the road.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Esahc (profile), 20 Jan 2011 @ 8:15pm

      Re: Driving without making any left turns could be safer AND more efficient

      UPS redesigned routes in order to minimize left turns, apparently it saves on gas as-well
      http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/magazine/09left-handturn.html

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Jon Lawrence (profile), 20 Jan 2011 @ 8:38pm

      Vote for Roundabouts

      Seriously. After spending enough time in the UK to get over being terrified, those things are the best.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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