The C is for Crank
The Week In Review: Transportation Edition
After almost a week and a half away from the wheel here at PubliCola, there's no way we could recap all the news we missed (something about juvenile prostitution?). But I did want to run through some of the major transportation stories of the past week---stuff I would have covered, commented on, or just posted without comment, had I not been working on my tan on the sunny East Coast.
SPD starts experimenting with a new "no-nose" bike seat design to cut down on erectile dysfunction; a thousand penis jokes ensue. (What, you thought they'd bother to provide special seats to make the ladies more comfortable? Don't be ridiculous!)
Sightline argues that the tunnel is worse than any other alternative, in that it will produce "worse traffic gridlock" than either a new viaduct or the surface/transit/I-5 option.
Remember the "death trap" rail crossing along the Burke-Gilman Trail? Several of the many cyclists who've been injured there have decided that if the city won't pay to fix it, they will.
Seattle Transit Blog argues against Metro's rule prohibiting drivers from letting passengers out of the back door after 7 pm --- the only rule of its kind in the country.
Roundabouts---those (apparently) confusing rotary drives designed to slow drivers down at intersections---have numerous benefits, Governing magazine reports . Unfortunately, they're also the sites of a disproportionate number of accidents, thanks largely to aggressive drivers who don't know how to use them.
In Los Angeles, a drunk driver plowed into a pack of cyclists, sending nine to the hospital (two of whom had to have surgery, and one who is still in a coma) and injuring two more. The charge? "Misdemeanor DUI." If convicted of that minor charge, the driver could lose her license for as little as one month and face fees, but no jail time. Check out Streetsblog LA's righteously bitter take on the story here.
The Seattle Times profiles tunnel opponent Elizabeth Campbell, but somehow manages---in a 1,200-word piece---not to mention that Campbell's preferred alternative is a larger new Alaskan Way Viaduct.
As an incentive to get people out of their cars, the city's department of transportation (SDOT) is offering prizes to people for driving less (the Walk Bike Ride Challenge). As usual, though, SDOT is offering nothing to people who already get around by some means other than driving; perhaps better health, lower stress, and the benefits of living in compact, transit-oriented communities are their own rewards.
King County Metro is replacing faulty bike racks throughout its fleet. Ever since they were installed, the clunky plastic three-bike racks have been a source of complaints from bike commuters, who've groused that they're heavy, difficult to maneuver, and have arms that frequently slip out of place.
Bus service cuts aren't limited to King County. As the AP reports, transit systems nationwide are facing major cuts, even as demand for transit service rises dramatically.
According to a recent KING5 poll, half of King County residents currently oppose the idea of temporarily increasing car-tab fees by $20 to help offset some bus-service cuts, while just 43 percent support it. Meanwhile, 64 percent say they want a public vote on the proposal, while just 32 percent say the King County Council should vote on the temporary fee themselves.
In a great example of how editors and writers frame the news to suit their political biases, the New York Times ran an article last week titled "Europe Stifles Drivers in Favor of Mass Transit and Walking" that argues (there's no other word for it) that European cities are engaged in a concerted effort to make driving as annoying, painful, and difficult as possible. Read the facts in the article, though, and it could have just as well been titled, "Europe Shifts Longtime Car-Centered Policies to Make Walking, Mass Transit More Convenient."
SPD starts experimenting with a new "no-nose" bike seat design to cut down on erectile dysfunction; a thousand penis jokes ensue. (What, you thought they'd bother to provide special seats to make the ladies more comfortable? Don't be ridiculous!)
Sightline argues that the tunnel is worse than any other alternative, in that it will produce "worse traffic gridlock" than either a new viaduct or the surface/transit/I-5 option.
Remember the "death trap" rail crossing along the Burke-Gilman Trail? Several of the many cyclists who've been injured there have decided that if the city won't pay to fix it, they will.
Seattle Transit Blog argues against Metro's rule prohibiting drivers from letting passengers out of the back door after 7 pm --- the only rule of its kind in the country.
Roundabouts---those (apparently) confusing rotary drives designed to slow drivers down at intersections---have numerous benefits, Governing magazine reports . Unfortunately, they're also the sites of a disproportionate number of accidents, thanks largely to aggressive drivers who don't know how to use them.
In Los Angeles, a drunk driver plowed into a pack of cyclists, sending nine to the hospital (two of whom had to have surgery, and one who is still in a coma) and injuring two more. The charge? "Misdemeanor DUI." If convicted of that minor charge, the driver could lose her license for as little as one month and face fees, but no jail time. Check out Streetsblog LA's righteously bitter take on the story here.
The Seattle Times profiles tunnel opponent Elizabeth Campbell, but somehow manages---in a 1,200-word piece---not to mention that Campbell's preferred alternative is a larger new Alaskan Way Viaduct.
As an incentive to get people out of their cars, the city's department of transportation (SDOT) is offering prizes to people for driving less (the Walk Bike Ride Challenge). As usual, though, SDOT is offering nothing to people who already get around by some means other than driving; perhaps better health, lower stress, and the benefits of living in compact, transit-oriented communities are their own rewards.
King County Metro is replacing faulty bike racks throughout its fleet. Ever since they were installed, the clunky plastic three-bike racks have been a source of complaints from bike commuters, who've groused that they're heavy, difficult to maneuver, and have arms that frequently slip out of place.
Bus service cuts aren't limited to King County. As the AP reports, transit systems nationwide are facing major cuts, even as demand for transit service rises dramatically.
According to a recent KING5 poll, half of King County residents currently oppose the idea of temporarily increasing car-tab fees by $20 to help offset some bus-service cuts, while just 43 percent support it. Meanwhile, 64 percent say they want a public vote on the proposal, while just 32 percent say the King County Council should vote on the temporary fee themselves.
In a great example of how editors and writers frame the news to suit their political biases, the New York Times ran an article last week titled "Europe Stifles Drivers in Favor of Mass Transit and Walking" that argues (there's no other word for it) that European cities are engaged in a concerted effort to make driving as annoying, painful, and difficult as possible. Read the facts in the article, though, and it could have just as well been titled, "Europe Shifts Longtime Car-Centered Policies to Make Walking, Mass Transit More Convenient."
