No more road signs, no more rules
11-22-2006, 07:25 PM
#1
Thread Starter
No more road signs, no more rules
"European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs"
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiege...,448747,00.html
Fascinating. It will be interesting to see how it translates to larger communities & cities.....
JonasM
A project implemented by the European Union is currently seeing seven cities and regions clear-cutting their forest of traffic signs. Ejby, in Denmark, is participating in the experiment, as are Ipswich in England and the Belgian town of Ostende.
The utopia has already become a reality in Makkinga, in the Dutch province of Western Frisia. A sign by the entrance to the small town (population 1,000) reads "Verkeersbordvrij" -- "free of traffic signs." Cars bumble unhurriedly over precision-trimmed granite cobblestones. Stop signs and direction signs are nowhere to be seen. There are neither parking meters nor stopping restrictions. There aren't even any lines painted on the streets.
The utopia has already become a reality in Makkinga, in the Dutch province of Western Frisia. A sign by the entrance to the small town (population 1,000) reads "Verkeersbordvrij" -- "free of traffic signs." Cars bumble unhurriedly over precision-trimmed granite cobblestones. Stop signs and direction signs are nowhere to be seen. There are neither parking meters nor stopping restrictions. There aren't even any lines painted on the streets.
Fascinating. It will be interesting to see how it translates to larger communities & cities.....
JonasM
11-22-2006, 08:39 PM
#3
Registered User
Most residential streets are pretty much like this already. I couldn't see it working in a major downtown metropolitan area, though. There's probably an upper limit to traffic density before controlled intersections become efficient.
11-23-2006, 03:56 AM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: EstesPark/BocaRaton
Posts: 3,077
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wonder if there's a subtle political agenda to this, beyond the obvious aesthetic improvement. The EU is big on implementing they Kyoto Accords -- or at least talks like it -- and eliminating traffic signs, with attendant increases in traffic inefficiencies, could be a way to discourage people from driving.
Of course, here in the US such an approach would just encourage everyone to buy Hummers as a way to "win" the inevitable stop-sign-free intersection crashes. HPH
Of course, here in the US such an approach would just encourage everyone to buy Hummers as a way to "win" the inevitable stop-sign-free intersection crashes. HPH
11-23-2006, 05:35 AM
#5
European traffic planners are dreaming of streets free of rules and directives.
They've got nothing on us.
11-23-2006, 06:08 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by ralper,Nov 23 2006, 09:35 AM
Sounds a little like New Jersey. We still have the traffic signs and rules but they are so unreadable and confusing that nobody follows them anyway.
They've got nothing on us.
They've got nothing on us.
JonasM
Trending Topics
11-23-2006, 09:24 AM
#8
Originally Posted by mikegarrison,Nov 23 2006, 12:39 AM
Most residential streets are pretty much like this already. I couldn't see it working in a major downtown metropolitan area, though. There's probably an upper limit to traffic density before controlled intersections become efficient.
11-23-2006, 08:25 PM
#9
Registered User
Originally Posted by paS2K,Nov 23 2006, 10:24 AM
Mike, I was impressed with the 'traffic calming' design ideas in Seattle (non-thru streets; 'corners' that only allow two right-angle turns; etc). Are those sort of planning devices common throughout WA?
11-25-2006, 07:41 AM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Green Bay WI
Posts: 627
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have you ever driven in Spain? Crazy. 4 lanes in the city, at a stop light they spread out to 7 wide. As our Spainish host said to our reaction "Those lines are just suggestions". I told him, if you come to the U.S. and take them as suggestions be ready for GUN FIRE.