European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs

Der Speigel ^ | November 16, 2006 | Matthias Schulz

[Lorianne]

Are streets without traffic signs conceivable? Seven cities and regions in Europe are giving it a try -- with good results. ___ "We reject every form of legislation," the Russian aristocrat and "father of anarchism" Mikhail Bakunin once thundered. The czar banished him to Siberia. But now it seems his ideas are being rediscovered.

European traffic planners are dreaming of streets free of rules and directives. They want drivers and pedestrians to interact in a free and humane way, as brethren -- by means of friendly gestures, nods of the head and eye contact, without the harassment of prohibitions, restrictions and warning signs.

A project implemented by the European Union is currently seeing seven cities and regions clear-cutting their forest of traffic signs. Ejby, in Denmark, is participating in the experiment, as are Ipswich in England and the Belgian town of Ostende.

The utopia has already become a reality in Makkinga, in the Dutch province of Western Frisia. A sign by the entrance to the small town (population 1,000) reads "Verkeersbordvrij" -- "free of traffic signs." Cars bumble unhurriedly over precision-trimmed granite cobblestones. Stop signs and direction signs are nowhere to be seen. There are neither parking meters nor stopping restrictions. There aren't even any lines painted on the streets.

[Teflonic]

I can't see this experiment lasting much longer than the first traffic death and lawsuit.

[guestfox01]

European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs

What's next? I know! Next they'll do away with automobiles altogether and go back to the good'ol horse and buggy...They're going to lead by example and fight "Global Warming/Cooling/Some made-up man-made environmental disaster"!!!!

[mhx]

If this works out, maybe we can get rid of most of the other things the government does.

Naah, I don't think they'd be up for that.

[BipolarBob]

It's about time!! And they didn't go far enough. Do away with speed limits. Do away with highway designations or how far to the nearest town. I want to be freeeee!!! And no fair telling me where the nearest hospital is either, I want to use telepathy.

[TeenagedConservative]

LOL!!!

Only the Europeans would destroy the one useful function of government and create a myriad of useless ones.

[poinq]

Actually, our town just north of Chicago had very few traffic signs and none on residential streets. Then the city planner changed and, after a hundred years without them, we got hundreds all over. We somehow needed left turn lanes, and stop lights everywhere. Now it takes twice as long to go a mile. There are unnecessary traffic jams where there were none before. And people are zooming down alleys and side streets to get away from the controlled traffic.

The reality is that few signs are needed. Right hand gets the right of way. Major streets get right of way over minor ones. And the person in the intersection has priority over someone entering it. It works just fine.

[L98Fiero]

"It will work."

LOL! Ever driven in a European city? Sheer madness. This is simply the first sign of a loss of control by the authorities. The REAL reason they are trying this? Nobody pays attention to the signs they have now and instead of enforcing the law, the governments capitulate, as usual.

On a personal note, my father died fighting for the USA. I personally think you are sorry, garden variety trash for referring to my country as "the USSA".

[SmartAZ]

The fact is most people drive according to what they see in the road, not because a sign or a law tells them how to drive. Traffic planners know, or should know, that there is more traffic control in a bucket of paint than in any amount of lights or signs. Laws have almost nothing to do with traffic in the real world. I know it would horrify lawmakers to realize that, but there it is.

[USMA '71]

European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs

This approach may actually be better than posting exit signs AFTER the exit lane as is often done in Pennsylvania.

[Don Carlos]

European traffic planners are dreaming of streets free of rules and directives

In my vast experience there, it would be a good cost-saving measure! The Europeans in whatever country (except England) ignore all road rules and directives. Traffic laws are considered merely advisory.

[leda]

seems to me the autobahn was seriously lacking signage on
our last trip there. wonder how we'll fair this time?

[ErnBatavia]

"We reject every form of legislation,"

Libertarian Wet Dream bump...

[Gideon Reader]

Well that is a small start.
Now if they have any balls at all, they will take down ALL of the street and road signs.
:~)

[Centurion2000]

Great, driving over there will get even more chaotic.

[jwalburg]

I understand that in many South American cities, drivers routinely ignore traffic rules altogether and traffic comes to nearly a complete halt with lots of honking and gesturing but not much moving.

[Peter vE]

Doesn't sound much different from driving in Boston....

[bill1952]

BYW, every now and then the traffic lights gp put over a large area here in South florida, especially after a major storm. So why do we have total gridlock at those times?

Sorry, your opinion doesn't hold water, except perhaps in very low denisty area, as in prarie areas...?