PRISM ENGINEERING, SAFETY FIRST FOR TRAFFIC ENGINEERING & PLANNING
  • Home
  • SERVICES
    • SERVICES
    • EXPERT WITNESS
    • EXPERIENCE
    • Complete Streets EVOLVED >
      • Complete Streets
    • PROJECTS >
      • TRAFFIC ENGINEERING >
        • SAFETY FIRST focus at PRISM Engineering
        • Autonomous Road Design
    • TRANSPORTATION PLANNING >
      • Autonomous Transportation Planning
    • HSR Construction Inspection Experience
  • Contact
    • About
  • TRAFFIC FACTS
    • INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC FACTS
    • CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL TRAIN TO NOWHERE?
    • SAFETY FIRST Examples
    • PED DANGERS: Death by Subway and Death by UBER
    • Modern Roundabout Examples by PRISM Engineering
    • Death by NYC Subway: PED DANGERS
    • AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES in Traffic >
      • AUTONOMOUS CAR DISRUPTION
      • Autonomous UBER Fatal Accident
    • How About That BIKE COMMUTE?
    • NEWS
  • CHINA TRAFFIC 2018
    • CHINA TRAFFIC 2018
    • HSR High Speed Rail
    • CHINA BLOG
  • STUDIES
    • Watsonville CEIBA School Traffic and Safety Investigation
    • Pasadena 253 S Los Robles v2

PRISM Engineering NEWS

Traffic Engineering is evolving around the world




Video location:  ChongQING CHINA, 2018 BY GRANT JOHNSON, TE

Amsterdam has More Bikes than People, and it is getting messy.

1/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Read this interesting article about Amsterdam overcrowding of bikes, of abandoning of old broken down bikes, and no adequate budget there to deal with how to improve the situation. For all of the glorious reviews of biking in Amsterdam, they have the parallel equivalent of car traffic jams in the US, but with bikes instead and on even narrower roads.  This BBC article reports that nearly 25% of all deadly accidents there involve cyclists.
​
BBC Story here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-20277668/amsterdam-struggles-with-more-bikes-than-people
Picture
click photo to go to story and watch BBC video.
Saskia Kluit says, "In Holland we have about 18,000,000 bicycles, so, each person has one bicycle or even more than one..."
Central Statistics in Holland report that 200 cyclists died on the road last year.  There are also more bikes on the street than people.  It can be a messy proposition to accommodate the parking of bikes, and there is insufficient funding to "fix" the problem, if it is fixable at all (space constraints).  The sight of vast swaths of old beaten-up bikes parked extremely close to each other is an eyesore at best, a junk pile at worst. Many people abandon their bikes, and the City has to routinely clear them out... similar to how they do this in China where rented bikes are just left by renters in the most inappropriate places, like the middle of a sidewalk or in a street.  No surprise, humans also live in Holland and also regularly abandon their unrented bikes that are worthless, knowing that someone else will clean them up, and they can get another one that works.  Not a lot of pride in personal bike ownership in Amsterdam, its just a tool with wheels.  

Below:
​much overcrowding of bike parking.  bikes weaving in and out of traffic. abandoned bikes when they get broke. City has to routinely clear them out.
Holland's Amsterdam is heavily hailed in the US as a cyclist panacea by nearly all bike enthusiasts writing personal blogs and blogs for organizations.  I have yet to see a negative review, the bias is very strong.  And this because Amsterdam was able to realize about  67% population split of citizens who regularly use bikes to travel to work and school, instead of using the automobile.  Sounds very good on the surface of it.  This decision is rightfully hailed as a healthy choice and an air quality win, but there are ramifications to the big picture of transportation because of this prevailing policy choice in Holland.  Even the Prime Minister sometimes gets a photo op riding his bike to work once every few years, but dark tinted window black cars follow close by/behind.  Is this really saving the planet?  

Amsterdam politicians chose many decades ago to ignore the car craze, felt it was jamming their system (it was) and instead campaigned heavily to let bikes prevail instead.  Actively campaigning to get people on their bikes, and why not? It's flat, and they certainly did not have the room to build larger roads to accommodate large volumes of cars.  As a result, cars in Amsterdam now travel pretty much at the SAME SPEEDS as bikes, because they literally trail a bike or two, while they share the narrow road, and with bikes also coming the other way they can't pass... so they essentially can't go any faster than the bikes.  End result?  Very little advantage of taking a car except to escape the weather or have enhanced travel accommodations such as privacy and carrying larger loads of people or cargo.  So cars are used less.  It has a very high hassle factor... by design.  San Francisco has also opted to make using a car in that city have a very high hassle factor. Parking is scarce and very expensive. Only the very wealthy will participate without an impact.  Vehicle lanes have also been converted to favor bikes and buses. It is difficult to drive your car in SF.

The US has car problems and traffic jams in many major cities.  Amsterdam has bike problems and traffic jams also, and the minority car population there are severely impacted by bicycle users.  It is nearly a flip flop of the situation we have in the US where bikes are impacted by cars because bike facilities are lacking, and in Holland, cars are impacted by bikes because the streets are full of them, literally.  

Surely there is a transportation model where ALL MODES OF TRAFFIC can co-exist.  It will take more space.  It will take a redesign and a new paradigm. It will not succeed as long as certain planners and policy makers try and undermine the automobile systems in place.   Current US efforts with Complete Streets are often missing the mark because bike fatality rates are on the rise. Safety is being ignored.  This is because some transportation planners are not addressing the big picture, but have been neglecting vehicle congestion, delays, and level of service, where, if neglected, will increase delay, and possibly road rage for some, and compromise the safety of more vulnerable modes of traffic like bikes and especially pedestrians. An angry driver is a dangerous driver.  The psychology of people should not be ignored.

The US should be leading the way to come up with the solutions to make transportation safe for all modes of travel. To this day, we have failed to eliminate the nearly 40,000 fatalities in vehicle related accidents every year in the US.  I believe it to be because there is not a consensus of what to do, and competing interests, especially bike and pedestrian advocates, who are not considering the side-effects of blindly installing "complete streets" when it is not necessarily complete at all.  All modes of traffic matter, and there has been a consistent effort to let traffic congestion fester, that possibly people will shift modes to ride a bike.   News Flash is: this is not working.  Vehicle ownership continues to rise, fatalities hover at a 40,000 per year, pedestrian fatalities are on the RISE as well as bike fatalities also are on the RISE.
0 Comments

RED LIGHT CAMERAS:  Possibly the WORST "Traffic Engineering" Idea, Ever.

6/3/2019

1 Comment

 

Red Light Cameras, actually INCREASING accidents. FACT.


David Goldstein of Los Angeles television station KCAL:
​

When we asked, the LAPD became very defensive. The sergeant in charge told me in an e-mail, “The city would hope that it is the goal of KCBS/KCAL to discuss the positive aspects of the photo red light program.” So we filed a public records request. The department charged us more than $500 for a computer run. When we got the numbers back, they told a different story.  We looked at every accident at every red light camera intersection for six months of data before the cameras were installed and six months after.
The final figures? Twenty of the 32 intersections show accidents up after the cameras were installed! Three remained the same and only nine intersections showed accidents decreasing.

story source: https:/www.motorists.org/issues/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents/


​I myself, as a Traffic Engineer, and being an advocate of SAFETY FIRST always, side with their removal. 

I also having personal stake in the game, having direct experience with dangerous and erratic drivers at red light camera installations, who carry out bad driving behavior especially at red light camera intersections, where they try to avoid a ticket once the light is no longer green. SLAM BRAKES!  
Picture

Picture
LOS F intersection in Fresno, CA, where vehicles in left turn lanes try to get through and the headway between vehicles is TYPICAL at 20-30 feet. Slamming brakes in the midst of these flows causes an accident! Photo source: PRISM Engineering
This happened to us, so I have some personal data on the matter and have witnessed up close and personal, where an accident with our personal vehicle many years back was directly related to an erratic driver in front of us slamming his brakes at 20 mph as cars, including ours, were uniformly making their way through a green light. Once yellow, this driver SLAMS his brakes, unexpectedly, even after he crosses the limit line.  No warning, just slam the brakes.  You can almost stop on a dime at 20 mph.  And the driver just a car length behind you has no chance to react in time.  The way our system works...? ...the person behind is always at fault. This is just wrong. Nobody has a 2 second headway as cars are clearing a left turn pocket. NOBODY has this. That would be equivalent to about 60 feet or 3 or 4 car lengths, to get a 2 second headway. You would get honked at it you did this, not many cars would clear the light.  So drivers who slam brakes in such situations are actually the irresponsible driver.  I think we all know this.

The Right Turn Red Light Camera Fiasco

And then there is the driver making a right turn, pulling just past the stop line to get into position to make the right turn, and then stopping, waiting for traffic, but the camera doesn't process this, the camera makes a decision to snap a photo and call that "running a red light" as if it compares to a driver in a through lane actually doing that, posing great danger!  The right turn is interesting. You can make a right turn on red in most situations. You have to get your car over the line to make that move, to find the gap in traffic. It is not running a red light, and there is no crime for crossing the limit line to do that, in fact, you must cross a limit line. But the letter of the law.  This is a pet peeve of mine, that law enforcement would actually enforce such minor minor "infractions" of stopping, given the so-called California stop, the common sense stop, which doesn't annoy drivers behind them, which is not only common, but safe.  When enforced, its just wrong.  Enforcing this is in the same category as the red light camera, causing more harm than good.  Especially when compared to someone who blasts through a stop sign or signal posing great danger to cross traffic.  Get the real criminals here, and stop trying to collect money from good drivers.  A driver can actually make the determination if it is safe enough, if there is adequate vision of the situation.  We can use common sense.  But there are also some law enforcement officers, and cameras, who think otherwise, and they enforce the letter of the law, which would convict 99% of all drivers who might be at that wrong place at the wrong time. Gotcha!
Picture
Car making right turn. Photo source: PRISM Engineering, Hollywood, CA

Today, the Governor of Texas did the right thing, and BANNED them from their state.

Picture
Actually, Governor, this was too long in coming. I have been against these red light camera installations, instinctively knowing that they were more dangerous than good, more unfair than just, and just a bad idea of how local cities can make more money by partnering with some tech company who wrote a bad app, bad software designed to nab people without people fair to people, without involving a human that could make some judgment calls. It was always a bad idea. And I also know that not all Traffic Engineers share my view, in fact, I have debated many of these over the years. Turns out that they were wrong after all.  I am glad to see the menace of technology catching humans making mistakes, and not allowing for some humanity, get reduced... even while some countries are upping their ante by installing more and more cameras all over their countries, to nab humans making mistakes.  It's not a good trend elsewhere.  But I applaud the trend in the United States on this matter.

In California, some cities are still using these. MOST have been discontinued.  Program Status as of 2017. Links to active locations on list below.

Picture
One of the few remaining red light camera installations in California, in Bakersfield. Most all cities have yanked them out already. They have been on the whole, VERY UNFAIR to drivers. Source: Google Street View, 2019
CITY NAMERED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM STATUS
AlhambraRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
BakersfiledBakersfield Red Light Camera Intersection Locations
Baldwin ParkRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Bell GardensRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
BellRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
BellflowerRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
BelmontRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
BerkeleyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Beverly HillsBeverly Hills Red Light Camera Intersection Locations
Boyle HeightsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
BurlingameRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Canyon CountryRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
CapitolaCAPITOLA RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
CarmichaelRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
CarsonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Cathedral CityCATHEDRAL CITY RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
Century CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
CerritosRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ChinoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Chula VistaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Citrus HeightsCITRUS HEIGHTS RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
City of CommerceCITY OF COMMERCE RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
City of IndustryRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ComptonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ConcordRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
CoronaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Costa MesaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
CovinaCOVINA RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
Culver CityCULVER CITY RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
CupertinoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Daly CityDALY CITY RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
DavisRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Del MarDEL MAR RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
DowneyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
DublinRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Echo ParkRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
El CajonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
El MonteRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
El SegundoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
El SobranteRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
El ToroRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Elk GroveELK GROVE RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
EmeryvilleRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
EncinitasENCINITAS RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
EscondidoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
FairfiledRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Foster CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
FremontFREMONT RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
FresnoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
FullertonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Garden GroveGARDEN GROVE RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATION
GardenaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
GlendaleRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
GlendoraRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Grand TerraceRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Hacienda HeightsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
HawthorneHAWTHORNE RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
HaywardRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
HemetRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
HesperiaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
HighlandRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Hubtington BeachRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Hubtington ParkRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Indian WellsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
IndioRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
InglewoodRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Kearny MesaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
La JollaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Laguna HillsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Laguna WoodsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Lake ForestRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Lake MercedRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
LA MTALA MTA Red Light Camera Intersection
LancasterRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Linda VistaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Loma LindaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Long BeachRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Los AlamitosLOS ALAMITOS RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
Los AltosRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Los AlgelesRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Los OsosRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
LynwoodLYNWOOD RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
MantecaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Mar VistaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
MarysvilleRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Menlo ParkMENLO PARK RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
MillbraeMILLBRAE RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
MilpitasRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Mira MesaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Mission ValleyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Mission ViejoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ModestoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
MontclairRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
MontebelloMONTEBELLO RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS


CITY NAMERED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM STATUS
Monterey ParkRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
MoonclairRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Moreno ValleyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Morgan HillRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
MurrietaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
NapaNAPA RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
National CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
NewhallRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
NewarkNEWARK RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
North HighlandsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
North HollywoodRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
NorthridgeRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
OaklandRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
OceansideRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Orange CountyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Orange CountyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
OxnardOXNARD RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTIONS
Palm DesertRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Oanorama CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ParamountRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
PasadenaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Pico UnionRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
PlacentiaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Playa Del ReyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
PomonaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Porter RanchRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
PowayRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Ranco CordovaRANCHO CORDOVA RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
Rancho CucamongaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ReddingREDDING RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
RedlandsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Redwood CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ResedaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
RialtoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
RiversideRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
RocklinRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
RosevilleRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Rowland HeightsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
SacramentoSACRAMENTO RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
San BernardinoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San BrunoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San CarlosRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San ClementeRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San DiegoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San FranciscoSAN FRANCISCO RED LIGHT CAMERA INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
San JoseRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San Juan CapistranoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San LeandroSAN LEANDRO RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
San MateoSAN MATEO RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
San RaphaelRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
San RamonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Santa AnaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Santa ClaritaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Santa CruzRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Santa MariaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Santa RosaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Solano BeachSOLANO BEACH RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
South GateRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
South San FranciscoRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
StocktonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Suisun CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
SunnyvaleRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
TemeculaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Thousand OaksRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
TierrasantaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
TorrenceRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
TracyRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Union CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
University HeightsRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
UplandRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
ValenciaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
VenturaVENTURA RED LIGHT CAMERA TICKET INTERSECTION LOCATIONS
Vero BeachRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
VictorvilleRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
VistaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
WalnutRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
West CovinaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
West HollywoodWest Hollywood Red Light Camera Intersection Locations
WestchesterRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
WestwoodRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
WhittierRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
WilmingtonRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
Yuba CityRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
YucaipaRED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM DISCONTINUED
1 Comment

HYDROGEN TRUCKS in PRODUCTION AS WE SPEAK

4/18/2019

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority voted earlier this week to move forward with contract negotiations with Musk’s Boring Co. to construct a tunnel transportation system connecting the roughly two-mile-long convention center.

3/15/2019

0 Comments

 

“What if we could create something that the rest of the industry -- in China, in Denver, in Atlanta -- said 'God I wish we had, I wish we would’ve,'” Chuck Bowling, who serves on the LVCVA board of directors as well as the president of Mandalay Bay, said during a committee meeting Tuesday on whether to continue talks with The Boring Company.

Picture
The Boring Co. said it could build these tunnels for $35 million to $55 million and that would be for TWO MILES!  That's a very cheap price, so my guess is that they are subsidizing this cost with their own money and doing this for the needed marketing it will provide, because there are so many nay sayers in today's world when it comes to doing anything super innovative like this... or like autonomous vehicles, or space travel, etc.  But Musk has already done the space travel thing, SPACE X is a fantastic success and it was the private enterprise that actually made it happen and made it relevant again.

The Boring Company's proposal to the Las Vegas Convention Center would feature Tesla vehicles, like the one in the photo rendition to the left, would operating though EXPRESS TUNNELS that connect the convention center’s main halls with the capability to transport roughly 11,000 passengers per hour.  That's a lot of people, when you consider that one lane of a freeway only carries about 2000 cars per hour, and does it at 60 mph.  ​
This is a great idea. Give Elon Musk credit for ambition, and for being successful. He is a genius at what he does, innovating, and transportation needs major innovation now, because some people, misguided as they may be, are thinking that we need to get rid of cars and try riding bikes for a while.  Um, no we don't.  What we need are more engineers to figure out the problem, and we need that portion of government who are roadblocking innovation, to get out of the way of roadblocking innovation.  We need to let the private sector take over the innovation because when your own hard earned money is on the line, when you own sweat and hours spent taking chances that something will come of all your visions and designs, then is the time that great things take place... when you don't take it for granted.  

The future of transportation will be with cars. Not just any cars, and they might not even look like a car, such as the rendition above, they will be merely transporters that have multiple functions.  They will drive themselves, and the people inside these transportation machines will be able to multi-task.  Riding in a tunnel prevents the possibility of getting T-Boned at an intersection. Having things autonomous helps prevent rear end accidents, and other kinds of accidents. Having a tunnel to travel in, removes all of the potential hazards of say, hitting a bicyclist, a pedestrian, a kid, somebody's pet animal, or even a train.  It removes all of the elements that are now responsible for 1,000,000 deaths / fatalities in the world each year having to do with motor vehicles.  It takes away the dangers of texting, falling asleep at the wheel, distractions while driving, drunk driving, speeding, reckless driving, etc., and makes it all about getting from point A to point B.  How can this NOT be a great thing??!  It is!

Grant Johnson, TE, is a registered traffic engineer in California,
and is passionate about the future of transportation and infrastructure.

0 Comments

AAA Study Found Electric Vehicles Range Lacking in Cold Weather

2/8/2019

0 Comments

 
One of the drawbacks to green alternatives in automobiles is the extreme amount of amps it takes to run a heater than can compete with the heat given from an internal combustion engine.  The electric cars must drain the battery to run a heater, and according to tests, extreme winter coldness can cut the range by HALF.  What this means, is that it takes as much energy to run the heater as is does to actually run and move the car!  With the internal combustion engine alternative, the heater is run just fine from merely an offload transfer of heat from the cooling system fluid passing through a heat transfer box in the cab.  Compare that "free heat" to running COILS that glow orange with a fan to blow air past it in the electric vehicle, an energy cost you paid for the night before when you charged your electric car.  Like running 10 blow dryers at the same time to heat the car!! Think what kind of cost that is. I would think twice before using that kind of energy on myself for heat, because AFTER ALL, we would be paying for that car heat specifically, charging our hypothetical electric car right out of our own electrical bill for our home. Would you run 10 blow dryers at home to heat yourself temporarily in a small space that has lots of glass windows continually getting cooled by freezing winds against the glass?   In an electric car, that's what takes place. Your electric bill is going right out the windows.  In a gas powered car? It's a "free" heat, going to be used one way or another, so there is no additional loss from using gas.
"If an EV requires 40 kWh to recharge a fully depleted battery, and the rate is 18 cents per kWh, that's $7.20 for a fill-up. Depending on the Southern California Edison rate plan, a 2018 Tesla Model 3, rated at 26 kWh/100 miles, would cost as little as $1.56 for 50 miles' worth of power if home charging started at 11 p.m. Or it could cost four times as much, $6.37, if the car was routinely charged during peak hours." (source: EDMUNDS.COM) 
Picture
source: Ford.com Focus 
DETROIT (AP) — Cold temperatures can sap electric car batteries, temporarily reducing their range by more than 40 percent when interior heaters are used, a new study found.

“It would easily use double the amount of power for that 15-mile trip,” said Hughes, who owns four Teslas and runs a business that refurbishes and sells salvaged Tesla parts."

Electric cars are far more expensive than meets the eye. If you have PGandE in California for home energy, then you are going to be paying the absolute top dollar rates, making it potentially close to a $10/gallon equivalent in cost to run an electric vehicle, and maybe even more in the winter if you run your heater.  

It costs 12 cents an hour to run a blow dryer, up to 25 cents in high energy cost areas.  But to run a heater in a Tesla, for instance, this can sap your car's battery
​Read full article here:
https://www.apnews.com/04029bd1e0a94cd59ff9540a398c12d1
0 Comments

Autonomous Vehicles (AV) Almost Here. In fact, it IS here...

2/4/2019

1 Comment

 
FORD invested 1 BILLION into this:  Driving NOW in Florida.
The only thing holding this technology back from widespread adoption, is the main stream news and the journalists and pundits who spread disinformation in the form of fear mongering the tech. To. Get. Headlines. The fact is, this AV and auto tech just is NOT dangerous. It is safe. ANYTHING is safer than what we now have: young inexperienced drivers, drunk drivers, aggressive risk taking drivers, and distracted drivers. These kind of drivers are directly responsible for over 99% of the fatalities on the road today.  NOT the technology. Not AV.  The HUMAN drivers that are out there who DECIDE to speed, to drive drunk, to text, and who let themselves get angry at others and do stupid things, causing accidents.  These are the ones who cause 40,000 fatalities every year, and the Federal Governments NHSTA databases on accidents and cause bear this out.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

NOT a Retrofit AV.  A completely NEW from the BOTTOM UP AV... Ford
Rolling out in 2021 for consumers. 

1 Comment

Suddenly today, as if in a CHOIR, many in the MSM parrot an AP story saying why Autonomous Vehicles were not coming anytime soon, as if they knew.

2/4/2019

0 Comments

 
The story was by TOM KRISHER.  He gave 5 reasons why (like a "top 10" list) it won't happen anytime soon:
https://www.apnews.com/b67a0d6b6413406fb4121553cdf0b95a

1) SNOW AND WEATHER
Tom said: "When it’s heavy enough to cover the pavement, snow blocks the view of lane lines that vehicle cameras use to find their way. Researchers so far haven’t figured out a way around this. That’s why much of the testing is done in warm-weather climates such as Arizona and California."
  • REBUTTAL by Grant Johnson: This is a problem that is probably BIGGER for HUMAN drivers, for they too, lose track of where they should be on the road when it snows. I know, I have driven on a road covered with snow and where the striping was not visible. This is not an autonomous problem, an AV can simply be programmed not to drive by following a stripe (there are other ways), and in the FUTURE, the roadway infrastructure will have wireless communication with the AV so that visual camera work is a FIRST PHASE ONLY approach to navigation. In the future, there would be no need for cameras to guide, the infrastructure will have technology and IT will guide as a default.  I did not see SNOW as a problem for AV anymore than a problem for HUMANS.

2) PAVEMENT LINES AND CURBS
Tom said: "Across the globe, roadway marking lines are different, or they may not even exist. Lane lines aren’t standardized, so vehicles have to learn how to drive differently in each city. Sometimes there aren’t any curbs to help vehicles judge lane width."

  • REBUTTAL by Grant Johnson: Humans don't do a great job at this either. So this is not a "new" problem created by AV.  This is such a short term and temporary problem once AV gets implemented, there will be devices that help navigate, and it will NOT be paint.  Not a deal killer, and certainly not something that would cost decades of time, not even a year. Just different devices.  Once AV is implemented and ubiquitous in a city, it goes without saying that the roadway infrastructure will also be electrified or there will be wireless communication devices installed at proper intervals along the roadway, maybe IN the roadway, and so the camera dependent navigation will be phased out and replaced by sophisticated dedicated infrastructure communications with the vehicle. Cameras would still be employed to see if there are obstructions on the road that the vehicle needs to stop for, but the need for complex decision making on interpreting video of the roadway ahead is going to disappear quickly.  Infrastructure will be reimagined and redesigned for AV and will have various wireless technologies imbedded in the system to guide and communicate with AV in motion.

3) DEALING WITH HUMAN DRIVERS
Tom said: "For many years, autonomous vehicles will have to deal with humans who don’t always play by the rules. They double-park or walk in front of cars. Recently in Pittsburgh, an Argo backup driver had to take over when his car stopped during a right turn, blocking an intersection when it couldn’t immediately decide whether to go around a double-parked delivery truck."
  • REBUTTAL by Grant Johnson: Humans ARE the problem with transportation today, and are directly at FAULT when it comes to death on the highways and roadways. 40,000 fatalities in the USA alone, and these are nearly 100% caused by 1) HUMANS who are AGGRESSIVE, are 2) DRUNK, and are 3) DISTRACTED.  A tiny handful of the accidents are related to a "technical" problem in the vehicle, not even on the radar of cause for fatality.  AV had a few blips, like the UBER accident with a PED, and where the PED was JWALKING at night, in dark clothes, and was at fault. There was no human driver who could have avoided here. See my well detailed article on this here: http://www.prism.engineering/uber-car-fatal-ped-accident-with-ped.html   Until AV becomes ubiquitous, transportation safety will always be dumbed down to the lowest denominator, the human driver, for they are the fault for 99% of the accident fatalities.  AV will reduce the 40,000 fatalities to ZERO, because there will be no human element to be AGGRESSIVE, to be DRUNK, or to be DISTRACTED while driving.  

4) LEFT TURNS
Tom said: "Deciding when to turn left in front of oncoming traffic without a green arrow is one of the more difficult tasks for human drivers and one that causes many crashes. Autonomous vehicles have the same trouble.
  • REBUTTAL by Grant Johnson: Autonomous Vehicles will NOT need a traffic signal to know when to go. This will be a computerized decision. There will not be a human taking a chance and having a mishap in judgment (a very very small percentage of fatalities for this, BTW...most are because of aggression, drunk driving, and distractions).  The AV car or truck will communicate with other AV cars and trucks to know where they are and when they can make the turn safely and without collision.  This is NOT a problem that AV will have, navigating left turns at an intersection.  In fact, it will all be solved to Vision AV ZERO fatalities, as the fatal human elements will be removed from the equation. People shouldn't fear AV, they should fear the present, because there is a much greater chance that they could be killed on the roads today compared to the roads of tomorrow. Humans are killing people by 1) Agression, 2) Drunk and Drug impaired driving, and 3) Distractions while driving.  THIS is how it is happening now.  We need to embrace safety.  We need to embrace the future on this, and AV is the answer to safety as these human factors are removed.  

5) CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE
Tom said: "The fatal Uber crash near Phoenix last year did more than push the pause button on testing. It also rattled consumers who someday will be asked to ride in self-driving vehicles. Surveys taken after the Uber crash showed that drivers are reluctant to give up control to a computer."

  • REBUTTAL by Grant Johnson: Tom works for the very organizations, sensational and headline grabbing journalists, who seeking clicks and hits chose to demonize the AV technology with the UBER accident, rather than look sensibly at what REALLY happened. What happened is we had a pedestrian, who late at night in the pitch black, chose to cross a 45 mph roadway and step into the path of a 40 mph moving vehicle.  In the dark, pedestrians can't be seen by a human driver more than 100 feet away. Especially if they are coming from the left (as headlights shine slightly to the right).  She would have died no matter who the driver, that's the point.  Check out this detailed analysis I made on the accident and see if you don't come to the same conclusion I did, that AV was unnecessarily demonized, and the mainstream news had EVERYTHING to do with that, and not the truth.  See my well detailed article on this here: http://www.prism.engineering/uber-car-fatal-ped-accident-with-ped.html  

For some reason, it appears that mainstream news people are writing articles that cast doubt on the good that AV can do, and will do in the very near future, if we embrace it.  Holding on to the status quo is offensive to me, my son died in a car accident, hit by one of those DRUNK drivers in a head on collision.  As long as we have situations of danger like this, where humans can make huge driving mistakes, or even through their aggression in all of its forms: speeding, reckless, rage, etc., we will have more death. 40,000 per year.  It is time we step back and say, you know, our existing system is NOT working to reduce this. We need to try something new. We need to give the AV the chance it deserves, and we need a better education system other than the main stream news.
0 Comments

1,250,000 People Die Each Year in Vehicle Accidents.    So Many Mistakes. So Many Lapses in Judgment.  AV will SOLVE Safety Problems

11/29/2018

0 Comments

 
There is a case that can be made for a rapid implementation of Autonomous Vehicles worldwide.  Safety is a problem.  Too many have accepted as a "default" or necessary evil the fact that every year a million people will die in vehicle related accidents.  The main reason is not a falling bridge. Not a falling tree.  Not an engine that blows up, or the brakes go out.  Those are such a rare occurrence, really.  No, the main problems can be seen in the video to the right. Things like:
  1. Distracted Driving
  2. Speeding
  3. Lack of Awareness of Impending Dangers, Lack of Caution
  4. Impaired Driving while Drunk or on Drugs
  5. Sleep Deprivation
It is well known that computers can be programmed to be aware thousands of times per second, just waiting to respond to a preprogrammed caution.  They also don't fall asleep, and there can be fail-safes built in to prevent computer problems, much like the dedicated chips that run cars in todays world for things like fuel injection, etc., etc.

Autonomous Vehicles are here.  They work.  Now it is up to the masses to embrace them, and not fear them. 

 Computers have already been operative in vehicles that "we drive" but there is a lot going on behind the scenes over which we have no control...things like:
  1. SPARK.  General Motors first introduced cars that had no mechanical spinning ROTOR in the distributor case, in 1987. The spark was computer controlled to each piston spark plug individually.  A Digital Ignition System where electronics work, and where parts hardly wear out.  Watch video >>>
  2. FUEL.  Electronic fuel injection.  In 1968, Bosch perfected their Jetronic electronic fuel injection system, using data from a pressure sensor.  It also used the RPM of the engine to control the fuel injection RATE.  All computerized.
  3. OXYGEN SENSOR,   Imagine the pollution of this sensor malfunctioned and the particular ratio of air and gasoline that is "perfect" is not met? This sensor makes sure that ratio is 14.7:1. If there is less air than this perfect ratio, then there will be fuel left over after combustion. This is called a rich mixture. Rich mixtures are bad because the unburned fuel creates pollution.
  4. POWER SLIDING DOORS.   Imagine if these were not monitored by sensors, computer controlled, they might crush people.  We trust this now.
  5. POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE.  Imagine if this device fails and you suddenly find yourself in reverse gear crashing off the highway.  We trust this now.
  6. ​STEERING WHEEL ANGLE SENSOR.  Imagine if this sensor failed and the vehicle thought straight up steering wheel meant to turn hard right. You would fly off the highway if this failed.  We trust this now.
  7. STABILITY CONTROLLER.  Imagine this failing, and you lose control of your car.  Braking is automatically applied to wheels individually, such as the outer front wheel to counter oversteer or the inner rear wheel to counter understeer.
  8. AIRBAG CONTROLLER.  No explanation needed.
  9. NUMEROUS ELECTRONICS IN VEHICLES.  
It is important to note that IF some of these electronic computer systems fail in a car, that serious accidents or fatalities could occur. 
Picture
0 Comments

So long, steering wheel

10/8/2018

0 Comments

 

Transportation is changing rapidly. The United States Department of Transportation has a new plan released to fast-track the adoption of autonomous vehicles. It is at the doors already.  By adjusting the "standards" for vehicle safety to remove certain items like steering wheels, foot pedals, etc., a truly autonomous car can be made, taking the human driver element and removing it altogether!

Picture
Under current US safety rules, a motor vehicle must have traditional controls, like a steering wheel, mirrors, and foot pedals, before it is allowed to operate on public roads. But that could all change under a new plan released on Thursday by the Department of Transportation that’s intended to open the floodgates for fully driverless cars. 
The department, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “intends to reconsider the necessity and appropriateness of its current safety standards” as applied to autonomous vehicles, the 80-page document reads. In particular, regulators say they will look to change those safety standards “to accommodate automated vehicle technologies and the possibility of setting exceptions to certain standards — that are relevant only when human drivers are present.”

PRISM Engineering sees the whole landscape changing, and rapidly. The status quo in transportation planning is outdated already.  Traffic Engineers and Transportation Planners are going to be updating all of their methods to morph into what will be the future of transportation: autonomous smart and programmed driverless vehicles.  It is going to require a wholesale revision to street systems, sidewalks, bike paths, and freeway systems.  It is going to see a repurposing of roadways that only need 7 foot lanes instead of 12, unless the width of the vehicles are widened to 10 feet, which would be nice.  Vehicles are going to travel much closer together, much much closer, so you will have a greatly enhanced capacity, and if travel demand remains the same, you are going to see all congestion completely disappear.  Capacity will be increased, 10 fold, or an order of magnitude.
​​https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/4/17936576/self-driving-car-av-guidelines-3-nhtsa-elaine-chao
0 Comments

The FUTURE of Vehicle Power:  HYDROGEN

9/20/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

H2O is the output "exhaust" from the onboard Fuel Cell that generates the onboard electricity.  What a system!  It is here.
Germany has already launched the first Trains on September 16, 2018!  Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars are also already here (see below).

The world’s first hydrogen fuel cell train rolled into the station. 
It was a world premiere being celebrated by 1) Alstom, one of Europe’s largest railway manufacturers, 2) the Minister of Economy and Transport of Lower Saxony, 3) the Federal Ministry of Transport and 4) the transport authorities of Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG) and Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (EVB) in Bremervörde on Sunday 16 September.

The world’s first hydrogen fuel cell train rolled into the station. The Coradia iLint, built by Alstom in Salzgitter, Germany, is equipped with fuel cells which convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, thus eliminating pollutant emissions related to propulsion. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
source: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/06/f34/fcto-h2-fc-overview-dla-worldwide-energy-conf-2017-satyapal.pdf
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Grant Johnson, registered Traffic Engineer, shares insights and experiences from around the world.

    Archives

    January 2020
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2016
    November 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016

    Categories

    All
    Autonomous Vehicle
    Auto Safety
    AV Competition
    AV Transportation Planning
    Bike And Ped Safety
    Bike Sharing
    Boring Company
    BRT
    Cars
    CEQA
    China
    Complete Streets
    Electric Road
    Electric Vehicle
    Elevated Bus
    Federal Government
    Ford
    Google Car
    Mercedes Autonomous
    New Mode Of Travel
    New Transportation SYSTEM
    Night Driving Lidar
    Outside The Box
    Road
    Safety
    Self Driving Car
    Solar
    Solar Roadways
    Straddling Bus
    Subway Substitute
    Transportation
    Tunnel
    WAYMO AV

    RSS Feed

Website Copy and Media © 2016-2023 b y Grant Johnson, PRISM Engineering
  • Home
  • SERVICES
    • SERVICES
    • EXPERT WITNESS
    • EXPERIENCE
    • Complete Streets EVOLVED >
      • Complete Streets
    • PROJECTS >
      • TRAFFIC ENGINEERING >
        • SAFETY FIRST focus at PRISM Engineering
        • Autonomous Road Design
    • TRANSPORTATION PLANNING >
      • Autonomous Transportation Planning
    • HSR Construction Inspection Experience
  • Contact
    • About
  • TRAFFIC FACTS
    • INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC FACTS
    • CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL TRAIN TO NOWHERE?
    • SAFETY FIRST Examples
    • PED DANGERS: Death by Subway and Death by UBER
    • Modern Roundabout Examples by PRISM Engineering
    • Death by NYC Subway: PED DANGERS
    • AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES in Traffic >
      • AUTONOMOUS CAR DISRUPTION
      • Autonomous UBER Fatal Accident
    • How About That BIKE COMMUTE?
    • NEWS
  • CHINA TRAFFIC 2018
    • CHINA TRAFFIC 2018
    • HSR High Speed Rail
    • CHINA BLOG
  • STUDIES
    • Watsonville CEIBA School Traffic and Safety Investigation
    • Pasadena 253 S Los Robles v2