Realistic traffic solutions for Somerville?

[turil.livejournal.com]

Yesterday, I walked down to Davis Square and, being the transportation geek that I am, I naturally watched the traffic to see what people were up to. This is what I noticed:

- A very large percentage of people, if not most, don't actually come to a legal and safe stop at stop signs, stop lines, and even some red lights. (They either blow through them, slow down but don't actually stop long enough to be able to yield to the traffic that has the right of way, or don't stop until they are well into the intersection and block cross-traffic.)

- Some people rely on stop signs, red lights, and crosswalks for safety (specifically, cross-traffic with the right of way - both vehiclular and pedestrian traffic).

- Other people, who believe that stop signs/lines/signals aren't very reliable indicators of safety, are afraid to use the public ways or are reluctant to go when they have the right of way. (Especially those who don't have a couple of tons of metal armor protecting them!)

- Current policing doesn't seem to be making things better, and the problem is rapidly increasing! (I used to walk to school by myself when I was in kindergarden in this area, and these days I imagine that there isn't a single parent around here who would feel safe letting their kid walk to school alone.)

What to do? It seems like we need a solution that combines a realistic understanding of natural human behavior (including inertia, self-centeredness, and self-preservation), real physical and emotional safety, and clearly defined policies/design. Should we stick with the stop signs, lines, and signals, and just spend lots more money on enforcement? Should we try to create new street designs and signs that work better than the ones we have? Should we try to change people's natural behavior by getting them to understand how important it is for them to cooperate with others? The usual solutions that come from traffic engineers, the police, and city hall don't seem to be working for Somerville. So, I'm thinking that the solution needs to come by thinking a bit more "outside the box"... (remember, Davis Square isn't actually a square! :-)

Also, can we learn anything from other parts of the world where traffic does flow well and safely? Or learn from the past, when things were better in Somerville?

Comments

[turil.livejournal.com]

"I think any workable solution needs to include clearer signs, formalized planning, and consistent penalties for violators."

How do you think Davis Square is not doing these things? Should we install cameras at all intersections and fine everyone caught violating traffic laws?

I'm wondering if stop signs should be changed to indicate something more along the lines of "you are responsible for yielding to everyone else right now".

[cos]

Clearer signs: If you're a driver not already familiar with the square, it takes too much thinking to figure out which lane you should be in to go where you want to go, particularly if you're coming from Highland Ave - or Elm Street, because you have to go via Highland Ave to enter the Square. When drivers have to think about it when they're already in or close to the intersection, it's often to late for them to plan to get in the lane they want at the right time, which leads to frustration, hesitation (and delays), cars blocking other cars, and people going the wrong way and circling back. Even if 90% of the cars driving through are locals who know the intersection well, the remaining 10% can still cause a lot of problems.

Formalized planning: That's the process of analyzing traffic flow and coming up with a pattern (of lane markings, places to turn, signs, and traffic lights) that fits the flow better. At its most basic, it would be to notice that twice as many cars come from one street as another street, and giving that street more green light time. Davis Square probably has the basics, but the current layout of the intersection and lanes is very old and may not fit current traffic patterns well. Professionals could possibly come up with improvements. I don't know if any such analysis & planning has happened for Davis Square over the past decade.

Penalties for violators: I don't think this would contribute much value, and should be a last resort. Don't set people up to fail. First, concentrate on making it as easy as possible for everyone to succeed, then penalize people who violate the rules.

However, giving tickets to a few cyclists who run red lights could be very valuable, since it seems to be a common problem and could be partly caused by the fact that some cyclists don't realize they really aren't allowed to do it. It's a very clear rule, and perhaps some enforcement would get the message to everyone else.

[turil.livejournal.com]

I think you've got a really good point about the confusion causing many of the problems. Maybe making all the streets one lane in each direction might help and/or eliminating some of the left turns.

I'm also particularly worried about the way people continue to push past the lagal limits (physically and mentally). It seems like an increasing trend to go faster and faster through stop signs and at "right on red" signals, and further and further out into intersections of crosswalks and cross streets. Occasionally it may because people don't see the signs or signals, but it seems like the majority see them but just ignore them. So, like you said, having these signals that most folks ignore does seem to be setting them up for failure. I'm wondering why people choose to not stop or not stop in time in the first place. What are they thinking that leads them to believe that it's important to push those limits. And, is there a way to work with that thought process while still keeping people safe?