Falling from on high
I’ve written before about Belmont, Massachusetts’ attempts to punish drivers on Lexington Street by posting nuisance stop signs, a car-eating speed table, and an illegal speed trap. That street is in local news recently after an accident on the speed table killed a pedestrian. None of the traffic obstruction measures made a difference because they […]
The Problem with Road Diets
Over 80 percent of adult Americans drive and driving is the number one way most Americans travel today. Five out of the top 10 most congested cities in the world are from the U.S. and that is why cities across the country are trying to find ways to combat congestion on existing roads. Many urban […]
Get away from my lawn
Boston suburbs post “do not enter” and “no right turn” signs effective during morning rush hour to protect residents from having to watch nonresidents drive past. Here’s a little secret about those “gated community” ordinances: police rarely enforce them. Signs are cheap. Police officers are not and they have better things to do. I wrote […]
TheNewspaper.com Roundup: August 28, 2017
In this week’s TheNewspaper.com Roundup! –CA Motorists fight back!– –NC Court Upholds stopping drivers for no reason— –Fed Judge strikes down IN Car Seizure Law (CAF)— Friday, August 25, 2017 California Residents Fight Back Against Road Diets State and local transportation departments around the country have been removing lanes of travel for cars and replacing […]
Just What Are Safety Bollards?
If you’re guessing based on name alone, you might come up with something along the lines of a large, disagreeable Brit stationed to guard things. You’re on the right track, but a bollard is inanimate. That’s one of the crucial features of bollards, actually. Safety bollards are the barricades you see in front of many […]
TheNewspaper.com Roundup: January 16, 2017
In this week’s TheNewspaper.com Roundup! –OR Repeals Court rejects DUI wheelchair– –OH Supreme Court hears speed cam case– –UK traffic calming kills– Friday, January 13, 2017 Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ferrari Confiscation The Second Circuit US Court of Appeals upheld the government’s confiscation of James B. Ferrari’s Ferrari in a ruling last week. Officials in […]
Bump and grind
A new speed table appeared a block from the new nuisance stop signs I wrote about. Predictably, there are new gouges in the pavement where cars and trucks bottom out. Put me on the jury and I’d hold the town liable for every scraped vehicle. I won’t get that chance. It costs more to try […]
Another day, another octagon
A four way stop appeared at an intersection I use regularly, Lexington and Beech in Belmont, Massachusetts. I wondered, “should I stop?” That I had to ask shows how confrontational the relationship between government and drivers is. Most stop signs are posted for nuisance value. View Larger Map The town engineer says there’s a reason […]
Lane Courtesy in Los Angeles
Guest Blog NMA Member Michael Jabbra Lane courtesy means to drive always in the right lane unless you are passing someone slower. In some countries, such as Germany, people practice this simple, helpful idea. Sadly, this is not true in Los Angeles. Of course, lane courtesy makes no sense during rush hour in Los Angeles, […]
The Glaucomic Google Car
Old people tend not to drive fast. Or even the speed limit. They sometimes drive into things, too. This is understandable. They are, after all, old. One day — if we’re lucky — we’ll all be old. What grates is the deliberate obliviousness of some older drivers. Nothing like getting caught behind an old coot […]