Equality Streets

Four Thought – correction

Martin Cassini — Fri, 18 May 2012 20:59:24 +0000

The conclusion I meant to draw about the amber light and hidden pedestrian was that given no lights and no traffic light poles obscuring the view and concealing the pedestrian, I would have been driving according to human context rather than in obedience to automated control, and would never have been tempted to speed up. It’s the difference between driving with due care and attention and true care and attention.

Radio 4 Four Thought

Martin Cassini — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:39:07 +0000

The programme is OK, but I’ve written better about the subject elsewhere. This summary on the BBC website had 1034 comments when I last looked. I have only skimmed a few, but it’s surprising to see the widespread support there still seems to be for traffic lights, those weapons of mass distraction, danger and delay. Happily, though, a good number of enlightened readers/listeners are sending some great emails of support.

Police and red lights

Martin Cassini — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:09:13 +0000

In Four Thought on Radio 4, I described being stopped by police for cycling through red lights and then being released without charge. The point I meant to make is that on our over-regulated roads, the police are the last refuge of … Continue reading →

Scope for growth

Martin Cassini — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:58:27 +0000

In Four Thought on Radio 4 tonight, among the things I forgot to mention is the scope in traffic system reform not just for kind cuts, but for growth. The propect of redesigning the road network to express a social rather than a traffic engineering context will keep more than a few people in constructive jobs for more than a few years.

Radio 4 piece

Martin Cassini — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:37:18 +0000

My talk in Radio 4′s Four Thought series goes out this week. I spoke ad lib, and now, after the event, about all I can remember is what I forgot to say or could have said better!

Travesty

Martin Cassini — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:38:00 +0000

I usually blog (moan) about the underlying cause of our problems on the road (priority), avoidable danger and delay at traffic lights, the failure of the authorities to take note or take action, and the scope in traffic system reform for kind cuts. Less contentious is the point about the street clutter generated by traffic engineering. But clutter isn’t just unsightly, it’s lethal. Approaching lights in west London the other day, luckily I resisted the temptation to keep going when they changed from green to amber. Materialising from the cluster of traffic light poles – a man on foot stepped out. He hadn’t seen me any more than I had seen him. What a travesty of society is traffic engineering!

Get a new plan, Stan

Martin Cassini — Sun, 06 May 2012 09:28:55 +0000

After seeing my video The Case for a No-Lights Trial, Westminster’s traffic chief linked up with TfL (historically resistant to my proposals), and the GLA/Boris (ditto), to announce the removal of 145 sets of lights. During his tenure, Livingstone saddled London with 1800 new sets of lights, conjuring congestion where there was none before. So why does the new plan stop at removing only 145 sets? Of course deregulation is not enough on its own, and should be undertaken as part of a wider programme of reform.

The brain dead give us brain damage

Martin Cassini — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:09:49 +0000

You can be the safest, most aware driver, but the bass turds are out to get you and get you they will. Paid savants devise cryptic regulation that builds into the vast public disservice known as traffic management. The other day I drove along Cromwell Road to experience Exhibition Rd as a driver. As you know, but in case you don’t, Exhibition Rd is a flagship shared space scheme, where life on the road is supposed to be sweeter. Oh but they have already found ways to sour it. First, they have banned the left turn. F+ck ‘em, I said to myself, as I took a careful left with no harm to absent man or beast (apparently it’s in case people are crossing on foot - London is a city you pillocks!). As I’ve said before, they make us go via XYZ to get from A-B, thus increasing journey time, fuel use and emissions! Anyway, proceeding carefully up towards Hyde Park, I was dismayed at the speed of traffic on the new road surface. It’s further evidence to me that streetscape redesign is useless on its own. To make roads fit for people, a wider programme of reform is needed, above all culture change to bring about a switch from priority to equality. The sting in the tail of the current system is the priority rule. As long as it’s there, we will remain at odds with each other, and traffic managers will continue to devise vain solutions to cure the incurable.

Resistance to traffic lights

Martin Cassini — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:08:07 +0000

Hats off to a residents’ group in Saffron Walden which is organising resistance to new traffic lights near a residential development. In the insensitive way typical of local traffic authorities, Uttlesford made new traffic lights costing £250,000 a condition of the development, without consulting residents. Essex Highways seems to have no appetite for the fight, which suggests the case against traffic lights has been gaining ground.

The TCD (traffic control dictatorship) and Assad

Martin Cassini — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 18:45:37 +0000

Parallels in an article by Roger Cohen (NYT) between Assad and the TCD (traffic control dictatorship). “Nothing in the Arab uprisings suggests that any outcome short of the departure of the hated symbol of long repression will satisfy the people demanding change … they are unequivocal in their conviction that any ‘reform’ overseen by Assad will lead nowhere. In this they are right.” I’m equally sceptical about entrusting traffic system reform to the perpetrators of the priority-based system which has been operating to our cost and detriment for so long.