Category: Week in Traffic

Warning: Alligators

Don’t park your alligator illegally.

Annoying Traffic Copters

Oakland residents are complaining about the helicopters hovering over the collapsed freeway bridge. I know where they are coming from, in a limited sense. The Peachtree Road Race is a 10k race in Atlanta, GA every 4th of July. It’s the largest 10k in the world (55,000 runners). When you arrive at the start line, you are treated to 2 hours of droning helicopters. It’s annoying after a while. I think it is the one thing that detracts from the race day.

Texas Department of Transportation

One person’s opinion about TxDOT.

Cory Lidle: Pilot Error

Cory Lidle, deceased pitcher for the NY Yankees and Tyler Stanger, his pilot instructor, died due to pilot error according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Smart Traffic Sign in Tel Aviv

Israel deploys a system that tries to alert drivers of potential collisions.

Hydrocarbon Hydrogen Fuels

Study says that Hydrogen car could fuel the U.S. Transportation sector. Where will we get the energy to create the hydrogen?

Mad Maxines

Roads are the best places to settle arguments through altercation.

Thoughts on Driving Ideology

Make sure you get to the point where this person is discussing the meaning behind HONK!

Traffic And Diets

How do you compare dieting to traffic jams? Read and find out.

Scalable Transportation Networks

Is the automobile doomed in a future transportation network?

Personal Effect on Traffic Congestion

This guy has bought in to the myth that you can have a measurable effect on traffic congestion. I don’t buy it. People who think they are having a net positivie effect are merely approaching the existing congestion with a better frame of mind, which makes it appear to them that things are better. Congestion is not about individual vehicles; it’s a mob thing, with a lot of basis in experimental fluid dynamics.

Traffic Deaths for Travelling Americans

If you’re travelling abroad, stay away from the roads, unless their filled with Yaks.

Declaration of Independence: Local Style

The Las Cruces, NM, Transportation Federation has issued a Declaration of Independence.

Let’s Ride Bikes

Why ride bicycles? Bike Nazi answers.

Always Contest a Speeding Ticket

One of the first things I learned when I became a traffic engineer was how easy it is to beat a speeding ticket. In Texas, a speed limit is not legal unless it is placed using a few, very narrow, procedures. If the speed limit was placed otherwise, no ticket. Also in Texas, a speed limit sign is accurate to within +/- 5 feet, so if you can show that the sign was placed incorrectly (in your favor of course), no ticket. Here is a website listing other legal means for defending yourself in traffic court.

But is it Warranted?

Webster Groves, near St. Louis is having a public perception issue with a temporary traffic signal. The signal is being installed to handle diverted traffic due to construction. The article talks about public perceptions and pedestrian access and safety, but I’m curious if an engineering study has been conducted to determine if this signal is warranted or not. Unwarranted signals slow traffic, reduce capacity, increase delay, and can be more dangerous than other types of control.

Child in Traffic Not Struck

Video of a close call in Russia.

Brazillian Mid-Air Collision News

More developments from the Sept. 29, 2006 mid-air collision that killed all aboard the Boeing 737 and injured none on the other.

Traffic Calming in Maryland

Maryland is embracing traffic calming. Now we (engineers) need to train journalists to say “roundabout” and “modern roundabout” rather than “traffic circle” as they are very different animals.

World Trade Center Transportation Annex

The design for the transportation hub of the new World Trade Center in NY looks like an excellent place to play frisbee or roller hockey.

Kuala Lumpur: a “Flood” of traffic

Kuala Lumpur has built a highway that is also a major flood-relief feature, or vice versa. Check out the graphical description.

Electronic Ticketing with a Smile

Police are being outfitted with electronic tools to enable them to do their jobs faster.

Traffic and Produce

Don’t forget to wash your vegetables.

Titanic Passenger List Online (limited time)

The list of passengers on the RMS Titanic is online for the next week.

Mary Peters and Electronic Stability Control

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters has an announcement about standard automotive equipment.

Delhi has Traffic and Enforcement Issues

Title says it all

This Guy Likes Signals

British 14 year old on the way to becoming a signal engineer.

Stephen Colbert

I have no idea what this means. Maybe you can tell me.

I vote Yes for More Sleep

Air Traffic controllers really need to sleep now and then.

Sometimes You just Gotta Go

Air Traffic Controller causes delay in Manchester, NH, because of a bathroom break.

Traffic Impact Mitigation in Miami

Gimleteye has some choice opinions regarding Miami’s developmental trends.

Intelligent Transportation Systems

This article describes some Washington D.C. ITS installations. What they are describing isn’t new, but it’s another step in the right direction for effective traffic management.

Train Surfing!

Something for Tarantino’s next film? (Reference to Death Proof and Zoe Bell). The video is pretty wild.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

As an engineering college graduate, I was deluged with videos of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse in 1940. Now there’s news about it’s replacement.

Six Flags Over Georgia Causes Serious Headaches

There was a snafu last week in my back yard. Six Flags announced free entry between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM. This resulted in 4 hours of parking-lot traffic on I-20 and people turned away at the gate at 6:00 AM, when the park hit capacity. Weather was cold and kids who had been dropped off by parents were wandering around all day. It was a mess. People were not happy at all. Thankfully, that is not my commutting route. There are news reports everywhere, check out google.

Nation of Laws, not Men

Don’t you love the law?

Life in the Big Apple

Quotes from the street.

Kung Fu and the Art of Not Yelling at Numbskull Drivers

Title has it all.

Open Source Car

Have a gander at the worlds first open source car.

German Road Sign Quiz

Warning: Knowledge of german required for the quiz.

India Drivers

Apparently, Indian drivers don’t obey striping as much as Americans do.

More Discussion about Uncontrolled Roads

Title again has it all. This has been mentioned in previous editions of This Week in Traffic.

Stuck in Traffic? Dance!

Cairo commuters dance the blues away.

Brooklyn Reroute Project Stirring Ire

The plan to reorient two two-way streets into a one-way pair in Brooklyn, NY is causing outrage.

Lubbock Traffic Signal Enforcement

At least someone thinks that Lubbock, Texas will have red light enforecement in the near future.

Speaking of Red Light Enforcement…

Judge rules the enforcement in Des Moines is illegal at the same time a State Senator in Iowa wants to ban them.

Public Transit to Support Drinking

Matt speaks his mind about the early closing times of the Boston’s T system.

Important Safety Tip

How to escape from a sinking car!

Lots of Bad Physics

This post describes how to trip an in-pavement sensor at a signal (a.k.a. detector loop, induction loop). It’s mostly filled with silly ideas about magnetism, but I’d definitely go with numbers 5, 12 and 13. 1 for desperate situations, although 5 would be quicker. 2, 3, 10, and 14 are all illegal in every state I’m familiar with the law. 4, 7, 8, and 9 all demostrate a lack of basic knowledge about magnetic fields and EMF. And don’t forget my addition, the sensor may not be working at all.

The fact that about.com allows this to remain reduces their reputation in my eyes.