In the opening pages of his 2012 book, The Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time, urban planner Jeff Speck cited two cities on either end of the walkability scale. The model of walkability was Rome, Italy. Despite its uneven cobblestones and confusing street grid, Rome was a delight to navigate on foot. At the other end of the spectrum, the city cited by Speck for being least walkable was Lowell, Massachusetts. He used the intersection of Merrimack and Dutton Streets, and Arcand Drive, right in front of City Hall, as evidence of that conclusion.
If pedestrian crossing signals give 100% priority to pedestrians, auto drivers suffer from continuous flow of pedestrians. Better to have a priority similar to traffic signals, and force the pedestrians into group crossings.
The veterans parking bit was pretty funny to me, as it specified “combat veteran”. I didn’t serve, to be clear, but I have somehow found my way into many friends who have, and even amongst themselves, there’s disagreement about what makes you a combat vet. In an active theater? In the field? Got shot at? Shot at someone? Does piloting a drone count? How about flying a fighter at 10000 feet at 700mph above small arms fire?
If pedestrian crossing signals give 100% priority to pedestrians, auto drivers suffer from continuous flow of pedestrians. Better to have a priority similar to traffic signals, and force the pedestrians into group crossings.
The veterans parking bit was pretty funny to me, as it specified “combat veteran”. I didn’t serve, to be clear, but I have somehow found my way into many friends who have, and even amongst themselves, there’s disagreement about what makes you a combat vet. In an active theater? In the field? Got shot at? Shot at someone? Does piloting a drone count? How about flying a fighter at 10000 feet at 700mph above small arms fire?