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Traffic Enforcement Cameras


Cotuit

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You shouldn't be doing the speed limit when going through a light, you should slow when approaching the intersection. Everyone knows that green lights eventually turn yellow, there's no excuse not to be prepared for that eventuality.

Is everyone willing to pay the tax hike that would be required to station officers at these intersections? I would, I'm all for more officers on the streets, but I think most would oppose the expense.

your argument if flawed for one reason. the law does not say that you have to slow down at intersections if the light is green. if the light is green as you approach the intersection, you should be able to travel at 25mph. if the light turns yellow, you should have enough time to completely travel through the intersection before the light turns red. if you read the articles about increased accidents, you will have noticed that the timing of the yellow lights has shortened, not allowing vehicles enough time to completely get through the intersection from the time it turns yellow until the time it turns red. your argument says to me that people just shouldn't be driving or should stop at yellow lights. that's not what the yellow light is for.

yes, i am willing to pay a tax increase if it goes to support more officers on the streets enforcing traffic laws. i am not willing to pay it to pay for loads of overtime because they won't hire more officers or because the unions want to make sure that every officer gets a certain amount of overtime pay.

Wouldn't a cruiser sitting at an intersection also prompt driver's to slam on thier brakes?

it wouldn't necessarily require a cruiser sitting at the intersection, but more cops driving around certain areas more often. i see people blow stop signs and red lights all the time, but i almost never see cops driving around these areas.

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You shouldn't be doing the speed limit when going through a light, you should slow when approaching the intersection. Everyone knows that green lights eventually turn yellow, there's no excuse not to be prepared for that eventuality.

Actually, there's no driving regulations that say that one should slow coming towards an intersection on green, even though that may be common sense.

I've actually lived through the red light camera implementation in Minnesota, so I've seen this happen before. MN had the disadvantage of already possibly having had the shortest yellow light duration in America (the first time my family visiting from NY came to see me, my father audibly gasped at his first intersection at how short the light was).

After the cameras, you had people so afraid of getting ticketed that they would panic brake at almost any speed, any distance at the sign of yellow to make absolutely sure they didn't get caught. I don't know how many near accidents I was in almost hitting the back of other cars. And:

1) I don't tailgate...

2) MN drivers don't speed...

3) and MN drivers are nearly 99% compliant with traffic laws (to a fault... Most people do 53 MPH on the highway... None of this I-95 avg speed 80 stuff...). I never witnessed anyone going through a red light there before the cameras.

4) MN Midwestern intersections are enormous... No blocking the box there.

But the very existence of the cameras changed people's behavior. The fear of being caught breaking a law they obey 99.9% of the time was too great, and people would lean all of their body weight into the brakes as a result.

You can question the common sense and wisdom of it all as much as you'd like, but this experiment, everywhere it's done, ends up being a bad mix of human psychology, behavior, and greed that just causes more accidents and drains more money from people's pockets (in a fashion of questionable civil liberties at that).

- Garris

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Something has to be done about the red light running situation in Providence. If the yellow is not long enough, increase it. I've lived in a number of cities and Providence is by far the worst when it comes to red light running. It is not an occassional occurance, it happens at almost every light in the city almost every time the light changes. The law is you must stop when the light is red. There does not need to be a law telling people to slow down in intersections, people should do so knowing that they will be required to stop when the light changes. The situation in Providence is the complete opposite with vehicles accelerating to well above the posted speed limit to get through the green, yellow, and Rhode Island 2-second rule red lights. This isn't a minor issue, people can be killed if people fail to obey this extemely basic traffic law.

So people are afraid of being ticketed, so they stop short. Should we remove this fear? People should be afraid of getting a ticket, they're breaking the law. I say the ticket for running a red should be $500, $1000... what amount would it take to make people realize that this is a serious offense?

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Something has to be done about the red light running situation in Providence. If the yellow is not long enough, increase it. I've lived in a number of cities and Providence is by far the worst when it comes to red light running. It is not an occassional occurance, it happens at almost every light in the city almost every time the light changes. The law is you must stop when the light is red. There does not need to be a law telling people to slow down in intersections, people should do so knowing that they will be required to stop when the light changes. The situation in Providence is the complete opposite with vehicles accelerating to well above the posted speed limit to get through the green, yellow, and Rhode Island 2-second rule red lights. This isn't a minor issue, people can be killed if people fail to obey this extemely basic traffic law.

So people are afraid of being ticketed, so they stop short. Should we remove this fear? People should be afraid of getting a ticket, they're breaking the law. I say the ticket for running a red should be $500, $1000... what amount would it take to make people realize that this is a serious offense?

i'm thinking you need to get in a car and actually drive in providence for a month. here's the issue i see at many lights, i am curiuos of others who regularly drive notice these issues.

first, the issue that used to be at the intersection of eaton st and river ave... the lights change simultaneously. that means, that RI 2 second rule red light you mentioned doesn't happen. in fact, it's more dangerous than anything else we've mentioned. at the same time as the light was turning red, the other one was turning green, there was no delay, which is usually standard on all traffic lights. this was the first time i encountered this. i have since seen at least 2 other traffic lights in the city that do this. i honestly don't remember where they were.

another issue that i've noticed is lights on timers that should be on sensors, leading to pointless waiting at red lights. the light on the corner of river ave and smith st is this way. you can be driving up smith at midnight, no traffic on river, no one waiting, not even someone stopping to make a right and then going setting off the sensor. and the light on smith turns red.

another light that they changed the timing on to royally screw it up... academy ave and eaton st. i believe they moved this light to a timer from a sensor. the light on eaton st used to remain green longer than it does now. and the light on academy now turns green randomly and stays green longer than the light on eaton. eaton is the more traveled road in this example, so it should be the other way around, but it's not.

the light at smith and chalkstone i have sat at a red light through 3 greens, or supposed greens. here's what happened. if you're drive northwest on smith (outbound if you will), there's a left turn arrow there. what happened is the outbound direction got the green arrow and then it turned red. i was inbound. i sat at that light through 3 rounds of the light changing while my light never changed.

all these lights are within a mile and a half of my apartment (actually, the first 3 lights i mentioned are within half a mile of my apartment, the last one is farther). i deal with these lights on a regular basis. the one at eaton and river has been fixed. i have seen others as well... and let's not forget what happened to the one at eaton and huxley after the cameras there went live... the lights froze on green for eaton and red for huxley. are drivers supposed to just sit there and wait for someone to call it in and then for someone to come out and fix it?

people run red lights more often here because sometimes it's a necessity. i have never seen more poorly timed or malfunctioning lights as i have in providence. i've been driving for 10 years now. i've lived in providence just over 2. in fact, i've never come across a malfunctioning light like these in the previous 8 years of driving.

you want to see people accelerating to get through reds, go to fairfield county in CT where every household has an SUV and everyone thinks they own the road, so you better get out of their way.

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i'm thinking you need to get in a car and actually drive in providence for a month.

Perhaps you need to leave the car at home for a month. I have had it with running the gunlet as a pedestrian in Providence. I'm tired of people running reds, it's not just one car or two cars, it's three or four. I'm tired of being honked at, yelled at, flipped off, and generally threatened when in a crosswalk, especially by cars turning right on red, it is the law that one must stop before turning right on red and I have the right of way.

Walking home from work today the red light was run at every interesection I walked through except one, oddly enough the one was Atwells and Dean. If I had stood there for another 30 seconds though, I'm sure someone would have run the red.

first, the issue that used to be at the intersection of eaton st and river ave... the lights change simultaneously. that means, that RI 2 second rule red light you mentioned doesn't happen.

The two-second rule I mention is the belief by Rhode Island drivers that it's OK to run a red in the first two seconds, you'll see people at the green pausing because they know no one stops at the red when it changes. There should be no reason that the lights need to be all red. IT IS THE LAW THAT YOU MUST STOP WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS RED.

From the Rhode Island Driver's Manual: Yellow Light: A yellow light tells a driver that a red light is next. Slow down and proceed with caution if a stop cannot be made safely. You are supposed to stop at a yellow light unless it is not safe to do so. Green Light: You may proceed but use caution to avoid hitting another vehicle or pedestrian. Green does not mean close your eyes and step on the gas. Rhode Islanders treat the first two seconds of a red light as a yellow light. Maybe we need an orange light.

And right on red, Traffic light with a Red Arrow: Red arrows are usually used on left-hand turns. When a red arrow is displayed, you must stop and you may not proceed... A red arrow means stop, if it's a right red arrow, that means no right on red. NO ONE GETS THAT! In the city right red arrows are used to allow for walk signals (specifically to my experience, the right red off Broadway at Atwells infront of the Holiday Inn). Right on red should be revoked. It's a privledge that Rhode Islanders have abused and should have taken away from them.

another issue that i've noticed is lights on timers that should be on sensors, leading to pointless waiting at red lights. the light on the corner of river ave and smith st is this way. you can be driving up smith at midnight, no traffic on river, no one waiting, not even someone stopping to make a right and then going setting off the sensor. and the light on smith turns red.

another light that they changed the timing on to royally screw it up... academy ave and eaton st. i believe they moved this light to a timer from a sensor. the light on eaton st used to remain green longer than it does now. and the light on academy now turns green randomly and stays green longer than the light on eaton. eaton is the more traveled road in this example, so it should be the other way around, but it's not.

the light at smith and chalkstone i have sat at a red light through 3 greens, or supposed greens. here's what happened. if you're drive northwest on smith (outbound if you will), there's a left turn arrow there. what happened is the outbound direction got the green arrow and then it turned red. i was inbound. i sat at that light through 3 rounds of the light changing while my light never changed.

all these lights are within a mile and a half of my apartment (actually, the first 3 lights i mentioned are within half a mile of my apartment, the last one is farther). i deal with these lights on a regular basis. the one at eaton and river has been fixed. i have seen others as well... and let's not forget what happened to the one at eaton and huxley after the cameras there went live... the lights froze on green for eaton and red for huxley. are drivers supposed to just sit there and wait for someone to call it in and then for someone to come out and fix it?

people run red lights more often here because sometimes it's a necessity.

Malfuncioning or poorly timed lights are another issue, the city's poor track record on maintaining its equipment is not a free pass to drivers to run red lights. If a light is malfunctioning or poorly timed in your neighbourhood, you should contact the city.

Running red lights is not a neccessity if the lights are working properly. If a light is timed wrong and you have to sit at a light at midnight, I'm sorry, but that's the law. There is probably a case to be made in some areas for making certain intersections turn to red/yellow flashing in the wee hours, a lot of municiplaities do this. If the light is broken, that's a different issue.

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Perhaps you need to leave the car at home for a month. I have had it with running the gunlet as a pedestrian in Providence. I'm tired of people running reds, it's not just one car or two cars, it's three or four. I'm tired of being honked at, yelled at, flipped off, and generally threatened when in a crosswalk, especially by cars turning right on red, it is the law that one must stop before turning right on red and I have the right of way.

i'm tired of pedestrians who start crossing and slow down to stare at you while you nicely let them cross the street... or jaywalkers who pop out of nowhere start to run and once you stop, they nearly stop in front of you looking at you like you should've let them go to begin with.

driver's aren't the only problem here...

From the Rhode Island Driver's Manual: Yellow Light: A yellow light tells a driver that a red light is next. Slow down and proceed with caution if a stop cannot be made safely. You are supposed to stop at a yellow light unless it is not safe to do so. Green Light: You may proceed but use caution to avoid hitting another vehicle or pedestrian. Green does not mean close your eyes and step on the gas. Rhode Islanders treat the first two seconds of a red light as a yellow light. Maybe we need an orange light.

that proceed with caution on a green light... you should be using caution no matter where you're driving. it says nothing about slowing down in intersections. hell, in providence, you have to proceed with caution to avoid bicyclists and pedestrians who will pop out of nowhere.

And right on red, Traffic light with a Red Arrow: Red arrows are usually used on left-hand turns. When a red arrow is displayed, you must stop and you may not proceed... A red arrow means stop, if it's a right red arrow, that means no right on red. NO ONE GETS THAT! In the city right red arrows are used to allow for walk signals (specifically to my experience, the right red off Broadway at Atwells infront of the Holiday Inn). Right on red should be revoked. It's a privledge that Rhode Islanders have abused and should have taken away from them.

i don't spend enough time downtown to have experienced too many of these lights... but this is one problem i have noticed, and not just here...

green light, cars are turning right. the sign says "yield to pedestrians" because they have a walk light. so you sit there. light turns red because of too many pedestrians, but their sign says "don't walk" now and no one's coming, so even though it says "no turn on red", you do it anyways because you see a whole group of pedestrians coming down the sidewalk and ready to cross that street when the sign says "walk".

again, i repeat myself. in some situations, breaking the posted signs is necessary, lest you sit through 3 lights because there's too many people. now that doesn't normally happen here because there's not that many pedestrians (although i have seen it happen on waterfire nights), but in other cities it does (it's happened to me in philly).

i am not saying that i break any of these laws, in fact, i drive slower than most drivers in this city and i leave a good distance in front of me. but i have found myself having to slam the breaks because the lights aren't predictable and i don't want a ticket from the camera.

one last example... i turn left at that camera at eaton and huxley. it's how i go to work. a lot of times no one will be nice enough to let me turn. before the camera, i would pull out when the light turned yellow and be through it by the time it was red. perfectly legal because yellow does not mean stop. now i have to sit through the light because if, for some reason, the light turns red and i'm just getting out of that intersection, i might be caught.

i still suggest you go to the busier areas fairfield county and see how providence isn't in a league of its own with this issue.

Malfuncioning or poorly timed lights are another issue, the city's poor track record on maintaining its equipment is not a free pass to drivers to run red lights. If a light is malfunctioning or poorly timed in your neighbourhood, you should contact the city.

what department in the city takes care of the lights? i'll call them about the ones i see regular issues with.

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what department in the city takes care of the lights? i'll call them about the ones i see regular issues with.

Unfortunately I think it would be Traffic and Engineering, which is a department that still seems to be in the stone age, I was in their office once and I thought I had stepped through a time portal.

However, The Office of Neighbourhood Services has an online form that includes traffic lights as an issue of concern to submit. And sometimes its best to contact your Concilor directly. I'd fill out the form on the Neighbourhood services site, and email or mail your City Councilor.

If a light is actually malfunctioning, as in the light is not working or stuck, you should call the police.

The link on the city website to Traffic Engineering goes to the DPW section. I have the actually contact name and phone number for traffic engineering at work. Although they don't seem to have vooicemail.

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i'm tired of pedestrians who start crossing and slow down to stare at you while you nicely let them cross the street... or jaywalkers who pop out of nowhere start to run and once you stop, they nearly stop in front of you looking at you like you should've let them go to begin with.

driver's aren't the only problem here...

It's a chicken and egg issue, pedestrians act out due to frustration with poor drivers. Drivers act out in response to crazy pedestrians. And everyone acts out because the streets/sidewalks are so poorly maintained.

The city needs to paint all the crosswalks properly, get all the traffic lights working, get all the walk signals working, replace missing signs, and just generally do a comprehensive review of the entire city's traffic circulation. The city's streets do not function properly for any of their uses, wheeled or footed, due to decades of neglect.

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I've gotta agree with Cotuit completely on this one...

though I will place some blame on the city - the infrastructure all over town (and state, actually) is atrocious, which undoubtedly adds to the wild wild west mentality...

bring on the cameras!

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though I will place some blame on the city - the infrastructure all over town (and state, actually) is atrocious, which undoubtedly adds to the wild wild west mentality...

Yes, I have to make it clear that I believe, that decades of neglect by the city is where a lot of blame lies. Neglect of infrastructure and neglect of enforcement. But the city's neglect does not excuse criminal activity.

I could be pursuaded that the city needs to get its structural house in order before it can roll out traffic cameras. But the public safety issues are so dire, something needs to be done now, and the city can't overhaul it's entire infrastructure any time soon.

Bottom line, people should not be running red lights, I'd like nothing better than for the traffic camera program to be a financial bust for the city. That would mean that people have stopped running lights.

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Unfortunately I think it would be Traffic and Engineering, which is a department that still seems to be in the stone age, I was in their office once and I thought I had stepped through a time portal.

However, The Office of Neighbourhood Services has an online form that includes traffic lights as an issue of concern to submit. And sometimes its best to contact your Concilor directly. I'd fill out the form on the Neighbourhood services site, and email or mail your City Councilor.

If a light is actually malfunctioning, as in the light is not working or stuck, you should call the police.

The link on the city website to Traffic Engineering goes to the DPW section. I have the actually contact name and phone number for traffic engineering at work. Although they don't seem to have vooicemail.

so who would we yell at to get those 2 traffic lights by the mall, that are just flashing red and yellow, turned on?

that intersection behind the mall is awful (i think it's hayes and soemthign else)!

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In a country where priorities ALWAYS go to those in cars, I think any argument accusing pedestrians of being a problem is a total crock. Pedestrians don't have 2 tons of steel around them protecting them, nor do they pollute (or make you fat, discriminatory, etc. etc. I could go on but I'll stop). People need to stop complaining about traffic and driving woes. Who wants to drive downtown anyway? It's much quicker to walk or bike anyway.

And I know some (or most) must drive anyway (I have to too), but seriously, deal with it. If we had any more provisions for cars in this country we'd be, I don't know, 100% auto-dependent.

Anyway, just my opinion, I'll stop now.

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It's a chicken and egg issue, pedestrians act out due to frustration with poor drivers. Drivers act out in response to crazy pedestrians. And everyone acts out because the streets/sidewalks are so poorly maintained.

The city needs to paint all the crosswalks properly, get all the traffic lights working, get all the walk signals working, replace missing signs, and just generally do a comprehensive review of the entire city's traffic circulation. The city's streets do not function properly for any of their uses, wheeled or footed, due to decades of neglect.

i was actually at a meeting (right after that woman was killed on atwells avenue by an off duty police officer) where a traffic engineer who shall remain nameless actually said that crosswalks don't work so they aren't worth painting. I just looked at him, and then remembered i was hit by a car in a crosswalk. But still! i do find it hard to believe that for nothing else, crosswalks tell pedestrians were to cross rather than crossing any place they feel they want to. And crosswalks warn drivers that maybe someone might be crossing the street.

In mystic ct, a very heavily trafficked area especially in the summer, you stop for pedestrians AT crosswalks. And people do it. I can't believe what a dash i have to take every day crossing, in the crosswalk, at fountain street and Union. I am currently on a combination of crutches and a cane and even looking handicapped doesn'tn stop some drivers from going around me when i'm struggling across the street to the Journal Building.

but back to the topic. i was aghast (Yes, aghast!) to see all the articles about how much those red light cameras suck!

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so who would we yell at to get those 2 traffic lights by the mall, that are just flashing red and yellow, turned on?

that intersection behind the mall is awful (i think it's hayes and soemthign else)!

I would assume that for whatever reason, the mall wants those lights that way. I'm sure if the mall wanted them on, they have enough clout to make it happen.

Thom was talking about the new traffic engineer at the last meeting. In previous administrations the traffic engineer has been like someone's cousin's sister's brother-in-law's uncle's golfing buddy or some such. :rolleyes: Apparently the new engineer has a degree in his or (I think it's) her field, what a novel idea! I'm not sure who it is I'll try to find out, a direct appeal to that person might be most effective.

And I know some (or most) must drive anyway (I have to too), but seriously, deal with it. If we had any more provisions for cars in this country we'd be, I don't know, 100% auto-dependent.

Anyway, just my opinion, I'll stop now.

I'm forever annoyed by these assh0les who insist on turning right on red when I'm trying to get into the crosswalk while it's raining or snowing. You're in a friggen SUV with heated seats, and I'm standing in the rain, can't you wait two seconds? :angry:

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In a country where priorities ALWAYS go to those in cars, I think any argument accusing pedestrians of being a problem is a total crock. Pedestrians don't have 2 tons of steel around them protecting them, nor do they pollute (or make you fat, discriminatory, etc. etc. I could go on but I'll stop). People need to stop complaining about traffic and driving woes. Who wants to drive downtown anyway? It's much quicker to walk or bike anyway.

And I know some (or most) must drive anyway (I have to too), but seriously, deal with it. If we had any more provisions for cars in this country we'd be, I don't know, 100% auto-dependent.

Anyway, just my opinion, I'll stop now.

i'd love to be able to walk downtown, but it's about a 2-3 mile hike for me and i'd have to walk through some unsavory neighborhoods to get there. so i drive. i don't get downtown very often, and it's usually to go to the mall (i'd rather not take the bus and have to carry all my purchases with me, because i don't go there unless i have something specific i need to buy, plus the $1 to park is cheaper than teh bus). my complaints are about traffic lights and people crossing smith st in smith hill (i could've been more specific about that one i guess).

i could care less who get priorities in this country. the incidents i speak of about pedestrians are special cases. they are not your average pedestrians (i doubt cotuit slows down to a crawl when crossing a street in front of a car and stares at the driver). these are people who have a "don't walk" sign and jump out in front of you and slowly cross the street while giving you this look like you were supposed to stop for them.

there's a reason our country is more auto-dependent than most... and it has nothing to do with people in cars, it's more the sprawl... i'd be more than happy to ditch my car, but i have friends that live in CT, friends that live in boston, family in CT, in-laws-to-be in NH, etc, etc, etc... it's just not feasible for me to live the lifestyle i live without my car, and i certainly don't live a lavish or bloated lifestyle.

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i was actually at a meeting (right after that woman was killed on atwells avenue by an off duty police officer) where a traffic engineer who shall remain nameless actually said that crosswalks don't work so they aren't worth painting. I just looked at him, and then remembered i was hit by a car in a crosswalk. But still! i do find it hard to believe that for nothing else, crosswalks tell pedestrians were to cross rather than crossing any place they feel they want to. And crosswalks warn drivers that maybe someone might be crossing the street.

In mystic ct, a very heavily trafficked area especially in the summer, you stop for pedestrians AT crosswalks. And people do it. I can't believe what a dash i have to take every day crossing, in the crosswalk, at fountain street and Union. I am currently on a combination of crutches and a cane and even looking handicapped doesn'tn stop some drivers from going around me when i'm struggling across the street to the Journal Building.

but back to the topic. i was aghast (Yes, aghast!) to see all the articles about how much those red light cameras suck!

i think the lack of bright crosswalks is a serious issue here. they should be painted at all major intersections and wherever they currently actually exist but are invisible because the paint wore off.

i stop at crosswalks for people 98% of the time. the only time i don't is when someone is stopped there and no one else is coming on the street... at that point, it's quicker for both me and the pedestrian if i keep going, that way he won't have to wait and decided if i'm stopping for him or not.

btw- i just submitted the form complaining about the 2 lights near my apartment that i think need some work.

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there's a reason our country is more auto-dependent than most... and it has nothing to do with people in cars, it's more the sprawl... i'd be more than happy to ditch my car, but i have friends that live in CT, friends that live in boston, family in CT, in-laws-to-be in NH, etc, etc, etc... it's just not feasible for me to live the lifestyle i live without my car, and i certainly don't live a lavish or bloated lifestyle.

Cars brought sprawl, not the other way around.

I wish I could ditch my car too... but I don't for the same reasons...and because I work in a sh!thole thats 15 miles from any decent urban area, that being Pawtucket.

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Cars brought sprawl, not the other way around.

I wish I could ditch my car too... but I don't for the same reasons...and because I work in a sh!thole thats 15 miles from any decent urban area, that being Pawtucket.

i thought trains started the sprawl... cars just made it worse.

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One provision we added to the city statute is that all intersections (not just ones with RLCs) need to adhere to the Caltrans standard for yellow light timing. (We just trusted caltrans more than local regs at the time.)

if the yellow light timing doesn't comply, you should be able to have your ticket killed. also requires "all-red" periods, at all intersections, not just rlcs.

again, i can't imagine this is enforced. but i can only sue the city so many times... :-) one of you fine people should feel free to pick up the cause.

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Actually, there's no driving regulations that say that one should slow coming towards an intersection on green, even though that may be common sense.

I've actually lived through the red light camera implementation in Minnesota, so I've seen this happen before. MN had the disadvantage of already possibly having had the shortest yellow light duration in America (the first time my family visiting from NY came to see me, my father audibly gasped at his first intersection at how short the light was).

After the cameras, you had people so afraid of getting ticketed that they would panic brake at almost any speed, any distance at the sign of yellow to make absolutely sure they didn't get caught. I don't know how many near accidents I was in almost hitting the back of other cars. And:

1) I don't tailgate...

2) MN drivers don't speed...

3) and MN drivers are nearly 99% compliant with traffic laws (to a fault... Most people do 53 MPH on the highway... None of this I-95 avg speed 80 stuff...). I never witnessed anyone going through a red light there before the cameras.

4) MN Midwestern intersections are enormous... No blocking the box there.

But the very existence of the cameras changed people's behavior. The fear of being caught breaking a law they obey 99.9% of the time was too great, and people would lean all of their body weight into the brakes as a result.

You can question the common sense and wisdom of it all as much as you'd like, but this experiment, everywhere it's done, ends up being a bad mix of human psychology, behavior, and greed that just causes more accidents and drains more money from people's pockets (in a fashion of questionable civil liberties at that).

- Garris

The city needs to paint all the crosswalks properly, get all the traffic lights working, get all the walk signals working, replace missing signs, and just generally do a comprehensive review of the entire city's traffic circulation. The city's streets do not function properly for any of their uses, wheeled or footed, due to decades of neglect.

In addition to painting crosswalks properly, it would do the city a great service to have traffic lanes painted in large, unwieldy intersections. I see that the bridge at Steeple Street finally has some lanes marked. But before that, how many lanes are there? Four? Five? Drivers were constantly jockeying for position instead of having some guidance. Or what about the street between ProJo and the Convention Center? How many lanes are there? I've been passed so many times on the left when I thought I was in the left lane!

My SO and I joke that there really are no traffic laws in RI. Take what you can get.

And Garris' comment about MN drivers being 99% (or was it 98%?) compliant with traffic laws had me LMAO. We moved to PVD from Madison, WI four years ago, and those upper midwesterners sure are law-abiding. To a fault, at times. Madison was a huge bike town, so if you drove, you had no choice but to learn to share the road.

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Or what about the street between ProJo and the Convention Center? How many lanes are there? I've been passed so many times on the left when I thought I was in the left lane!

That's Sabin Street, I've stood waiting for the bus there many times and rebuilt and repainted the street in my mind (waiting for the bus at the Convention Center to get to Federal Hill, lazy, I know :blush: ). Fountian Street, which is the street running the other way on the other side of the ProJo is due to be rebuilt in conjuntion with the redesign of LaSalle and Emmit Squares, at least I think that's still planned, not sure if TPGs decision not to rebuild on the Fogarty site changes that. I don't know if there are any plans for Sabin, but with all the Power Block developement, I assume it will be improved in some manner eventually.

Too many streets have too many lanes, Sabin and Fountain seem to have three, they don't need that many.

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That's Sabin Street, I've stood waiting for the bus there many times and rebuilt and repainted the street in my mind (waiting for the bus at the Convention Center to get to Federal Hill, lazy, I know :blush: ). Fountian Street, which is the street running the other way on the other side of the ProJo is due to be rebuilt in conjuntion with the redesign of LaSalle and Emmit Squares, at least I think that's still planned, not sure if TPGs decision not to rebuild on the Fogarty site changes that. I don't know if there are any plans for Sabin, but with all the Power Block developement, I assume it will be improved in some manner eventually.

Too many streets have too many lanes, Sabin and Fountain seem to have three, they don't need that many.

Fountain street would be a great street for a middle of the road raised and treed thingy with plants. Big bright geraniums and stuff and some drought resistant trees, maybe something that flowers, and then in the winter--we can light the trees!

when are we going to hire me as the city's environmental czarina, anyway?

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when are we going to hire me as the city's environmental czarina, anyway?

Czarinas aren't hired, wouldn't you have to stage a coup?

Fountain street would be a great street for a middle of the road raised and treed thingy with plants. Big bright geraniums and stuff and some drought resistant trees, maybe something that flowers, and then in the winter--we can light the trees!

One proposal that came out of Duany's charrette was to create a traffic island infront of ProJo and move the parking that is behind the ProJo to the inside of this traffic island. Traffic would move (in two lanes, not 4 or 5 or whatever it is now) to the left of the island, and there would be room for parking to the right. It would be kind of like the Biltmore's front driveway. Those pink trees would look stunning in that traffic island.

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Czarinas aren't hired, wouldn't you have to stage a coup?

One proposal that came out of Duany's charrette was to create a traffic island infront of ProJo and move the parking that is behind the ProJo to the inside of this traffic island. Traffic would move (in two lanes, not 4 or 5 or whatever it is now) to the left of the island, and there would be room for parking to the right. It would be kind of like the Biltmore's front driveway. Those pink trees would look stunning in that traffic island.

ANOTHER COUP!? sheesh. i should get paid just for staging coups. kind of like a coup mercenary.

and yes, those Eastern Redbuds would look nice! Although a Linden allay would be nice as well, and they smell so divine on a hot late spring evening.

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