3 ways we can fight congestion in our city cores

[Metro Jacksonville]

3 ways we can fight congestion in our city cores



Since the automobile became king of the road in modern civilization, traffic congestion has been a problem in cities around the globe. 103 years after Ford’s first Tin Lizzie found a parking spot, we still struggle with the increasing demands of the automobile.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-jan-3-ways-we-can-fight-congestion-in-our-city-cores

[Bridges]

Awesome article!  This is interesting.

The idea was to put GPS units in 30,000 Beijing taxicabs from March – May in 2009 and 2010 and see how people commute within the city...
...Using the GPS taxi data, we can see where people are going and where they  come from, which can allow planners to tweak their city designs and road works in order to represent the real world traffic patterns.

I wonder if cities could start making compromises with Uber and Lyft.  Bargain over the "medallion" and certification process.  Instead ask that they share their transit data with city planners.  Cabs too if they have the capabilities to track. 

[Josh]

Awesome article!  This is interesting.

The idea was to put GPS units in 30,000 Beijing taxicabs from March – May in 2009 and 2010 and see how people commute within the city...
...Using the GPS taxi data, we can see where people are going and where they  come from, which can allow planners to tweak their city designs and road works in order to represent the real world traffic patterns.

I wonder if cities could start making compromises with Uber and Lyft.  Bargain over the "medallion" and certification process.  Instead ask that they share their transit data with city planners.  Cabs too if they have the capabilities to track.

Great idea.
http://gizmodo.com/uber-is-sharing-its-data-with-city-planners-1679186145

[Bridges]

Ha!  That's great. 

There have been a lot of great articles and studies lately about the economics of parking.  Harvard Political Review wrote a good one about the detrimental impacts of free and under-priced parking.  http://harvardpolitics.com/covers/parking-policy-smartphone-city/

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

It's a good article about traffic issues in general, but I hardly think it applies to our metro. 

I would say that most of our 'traffic' is simply the end result of trying to squeeze x # of cars into poorly designed intersections during peak times of the day. 

The genius of their plan is that they can then use their own poorly designed interchanges as a perfect example to explain the need for new highways... 

Creating a need is lesson #1 in sales.  Lesson #2 is profiting from it.

[Marle Brando]

It's a good article about traffic issues in general, but I hardly think it applies to our metro. 

I would say that most of our 'traffic' is simply the end result of trying to squeeze x # of cars into poorly designed intersections during peak times of the day. 

The genius of their plan is that they can then use their own poorly designed interchanges as a perfect example to explain the need for new highways... 

Creating a need is lesson #1 in sales.  Lesson #2 is profiting from it.

Wow, I've never thought to see it in this way but I guess it's quite possible. I mean you're right that Jax has a more poorly designed intersection, interchange, merge issues than the need for more expressways. The taxi cab studies is a brilliant idea though, not sure it would help us here though as we are more personal vehicle centric than public/taxi centric.

[Bridges]

but I hardly think it applies to our metro. 

The taxi cab studies is a brilliant idea though, not sure it would help us here though as we are more personal vehicle centric than public/taxi centric.

Ah yes, the great conundrum of Jacksonville, incomparable to anything that has ever existed before.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Ah yes, the great conundrum of Jacksonville, incomparable to anything that has ever existed before.

Sorry Bridges, but I just don't see how that shoe fits...  I'm not saying there's not any, but I'm unaware of any extreme traffic that we have around the entire area and especially the core.

Not saying 'incomparable', but definitely a stretch....