Tag Archives: Equality Streets

Designing for danger

Traffic officers run a system that’s intrinsically dangerous, then devise expensive controls to mitigate the danger. But inevitably they fail, because all they are doing is treating the symptoms of the problem they created in the first place. If they dealt with … Continue reading

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Catch-22

The scientific method requires proof by experimentation. How do you prove that equality-based self-control is safer and more efficient than formal control, when the highway authorities who can give permission for meaningful experiments refuse it? They have a vested interest in the … Continue reading

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Designing for danger

The priority-based system is designed for danger (unequal rights, conflicting speeds, distracting signals, etc), then traffic officers devise increasingly expensive systems (more of the above, pedestrian countdown, etc)  to mitigate the danger they themselves have cooked up. You can of course design … Continue reading

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Brassed off

Today I was timing the traffic lights in Braunton (near Barnstaple) where I still have plans for a lights-off trial, despite a refusal from Devon Highways and apathy from the current Parish Council. The trial is to prove the obvious: … Continue reading

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Equality = no austerity

Does Will Hutton have a tendency to exaggerate bad news? In this piece, he quotes economics professor, Yanis Varoufakis: “There is zero chance of austerity working. It’s like thinking you can escape gravity by waving your arms up and down.” … Continue reading

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Wind or traffic lights?

Proposed cuts to windfarm subsidies are rattling recipients, and challenging government claims to be “the greenest ever”. No less a seer than James Lovelock rubbished the claims made for wind power. I’m blue from saying it, but not only can … Continue reading

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Guernsey, the home of FiT (filter in turn), gets a traffic light

Article here.

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One roundabout, 70 traffic lights

Funny how Highways Agency spokespersons are never named. The roundabout is at Canford Bottom, near Bournemouth. Article and photograph here.

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Brick walls

Our traffic control system makes roads dangerous, causes congestion, generates ill-will, encourages delinquency, damages air quality, damages our health, and costs a fortune. Despite my efforts to enlighten government and media (over the years I’ve emailed the Today programme a … Continue reading

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Strange brew

In her Four Thought, Kate Smurthwaite told us that donkeys receive more in charity than homeless humans. The acres of newsprint and hours of airtime devoted to phone hacking also reveal eccentric priorities, considering the dearth of coverage devoted to … Continue reading

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