Removing Street Signs, Stop Lights, Curbs and Sidewalks

[lightbulbsun88]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18217318

This German town has gotten rid of all street signs, stop lights, curbs, and sidewalks. Here's the most interesting part of the article IMO.

The shared streets are not meant to replace every road, but reworking downtown thoroughfares has already succeeded in the Dutch town of Drachten. That Shared Space municipality got rid of almost all its stop lights a few years year ago. Most street signs are gone, and big intersections have traffic circles. Accidents have fallen by 50 percent since the program started, city officials say.

I've always felt that stop lights, and even speed limits were a detriment to traffic. It really does put most drivers on autopilot. Do any of you think this sort of plan can actually reduce the accident rate?

 

[scikidus]

Re: Removing Street Signs and Curbs

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18217318

This German town has gotten rid of all street signs, stop lights, curbs, and sidewalks. Here's the most interesting part of the article IMO.


I've always felt that stop lights, and even speed limits were a detriment to traffic. It really does put most drivers on autopilot. Do any of you think this sort of plan can actually reduce the accident rate?

That's fascinating. But how does getting rd of sidewalks help? Do pedestrians now have to walk in the road?

 

[Jotto999]

Re: Removing Street Signs and Curbs

That's amazing. All of a sudden Instead of looking at the signs and lights all the time, everyone just pays attention to the road and everyone around them. Accidents have fallen by 50%...that's pretty incredible. You might think the chaos would cause more accidents, but actually everyone just pays more attention and there ends up being fewer accidents. What a great idea.

 

[scikidus]

Re: Removing Street Signs and Curbs

That's amazing. All of a sudden Instead of looking at the signs and lights all the time, everyone just pays attention to the road and everyone around them. Accidents have fallen by 50%...that's pretty incredible. You might think the chaos would cause more accidents, but actually everyone just pays more attention and there ends up being fewer accidents. What a great idea.

Now the real test is to see what happens in the upcoming months and years, when the locals get used to the traffic regulations. I imagine that if you imposed the traffic regulations on a town which never had them, accidents would drop then too.

 

[lightbulbsun88]

Re: Removing Street Signs and Curbs

That's fascinating. But how does getting rd of sidewalks help? Do pedestrians now have to walk in the road?

I'm guessing everyone shares the road.

 

[lightbulbsun88]

Re: Removing Street Signs and Curbs

Now the real test is to see what happens in the upcoming months and years, when the locals get used to the traffic regulations. I imagine that if you imposed the traffic regulations on a town which never had them, accidents would drop then too.

What do you mean by this?

 

[Josan]

What do you mean by this?

The accidents drop because people are forced to drive in a way they arn't used to. When you're unsure on how you should act in the trafic, you're more focused and pay better attention. After driving say half a year like this, you will be used to it again, so instead of paying attention you're thinking about other things etc.

However, I do think it's quite a good idea. Dropping all signs etc. is overkill, it's important to find a balance between regulation and not. Also, traffic circles are much more effective than lights.

 

[lightbulbsun88]

The accidents drop because people are forced to drive in a way they arn't used to. When you're unsure on how you should act in the trafic, you're more focused and pay better attention. After driving say half a year like this, you will be used to it again, so instead of paying attention you're thinking about other things etc.

However, I do think it's quite a good idea. Dropping all signs etc. is overkill, it's important to find a balance between regulation and not. Also, traffic circles are much more effective than lights.

Ah, I see. Yes, that will be interesting to watch.

 

[lightbulbsun88]

Here's the project website that's leading the whole thing: http://www.shared-space.org/

Shared Space is a European project that is part of the Interreg IIIB-North Sea programme. The project aims to develop new policies and new methods for an integral approach of the planning of public space for which man and his surroundings are taken as the basis.

The philosophy that is at the base of the new policy is implemented in seven pilot projects in: Province of Fryslà¢n (Lead Partner, the Netherlands), Municipality of Emmen (the Netherlands), Municipality of Haren (the Netherlands), Municipality of Ejby (Denmark), Municipality of Bohmte (Germany), Suffolk County Council (United Kingdom) and Municipality of Oostend (Belgium).

Here's a publication posted by them with final evaluations and results: http://www.shared-space.org/files/11276/Def.Final_Evaation31_okt.pdf

 

[Jotto999]

The accidents drop because people are forced to drive in a way they arn't used to. When you're unsure on how you should act in the trafic, you're more focused and pay better attention. After driving say half a year like this, you will be used to it again, so instead of paying attention you're thinking about other things etc.

However, I do think it's quite a good idea. Dropping all signs etc. is overkill, it's important to find a balance between regulation and not. Also, traffic circles are much more effective than lights.

Oh I see, that makes sense. That's interesting, I wonder if the attention of drivers will atrophy from getting used to the new rules. I tend to think it won't atrophy that much, maybe just a bit. I think simply the idea that there aren't lights anymore and there is nothing to direct drivers anymore means that they have to pay attention no matter what, just to see where they are going. I think even if it does atrophy some, overall the accidents will still be reduced relative to before they removed everything. I could be wrong, though.

I'm eager to see what happens!

 

[ImprobableJoe]

I've always felt that stop lights, and even speed limits were a detriment to traffic. It really does put most drivers on autopilot. Do any of you think this sort of plan can actually reduce the accident rate?

No. This doesn't seem like an idea that really "scales up." Plus, as others have noted there is the issue of novelty. Once that wears off, we'll see how well this works.

 

[lightbulbsun88]

No. This doesn't seem like an idea that really "scales up." Plus, as others have noted there is the issue of novelty. Once that wears off, we'll see how well this works.

What doesn't "scale up" about it?

 

[ImprobableJoe]

What doesn't "scale up" about it?

It looks like it might work in what is described as a "small town," so I question whether it would work anywhere else.

 

[ebbixx]

What doesn't "scale up" about it?

Have you ever driven in Boston or its various neighborhoods?

 

[lightbulbsun88]

It looks like it might work in what is described as a "small town," so I question whether it would work anywhere else.

That's what I question too. If this could actually work on the town level, could it work on a city level too?

 

[lightbulbsun88]

Have you ever driven in Boston or its various neighborhoods?

No, I've never driven in Boston before, but I've been in the passenger seat while someone else drove through Boston. I have to say those pedestrians weaving in and out of traffic on their bikes have some serious skill.