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Traffic-weary homeowners and Waze are at war, again. Guess who’s winning?
Washingtoon Post ^ | June 5 at 9:29 PM | By Steve Hendrix

Posted on 06/06/2016 4:17:05 PM PDT by dennisw

“It used to be that only locals knew all the cut-through routes, but Google Maps and Waze are letting everyone know,”

When population growth began to overwhelm a set of major intersections in his district, there was an increase of 45,000 cars a day on some residential streets, as app-armed commuters fought their way to nearby Interstate 85. In response, the city is posting signs to restrict left or right turns at key intersections.

____________________________

When the traffic on Timothy Connor’s quiet Maryland street suddenly jumped by several hundred cars an hour, he knew who was partly to blame: the disembodied female voice he could hear through the occasional open window saying, “Continue on Elm Avenue . . . .”

The marked detour around a months-long road repair was several blocks away. But plenty of drivers were finding a shortcut past Connor’s Takoma Park house, slaloming around dog walkers and curbside basketball hoops, thanks to Waze and other navigation apps.

“I could see them looking down at their phones,” said Connor, a water engineer at a federal agency. “We had traffic jams, people were honking. It was pretty harrowing.”

So Connor borrowed a tactic he read about from the car wars of Southern California and other traffic-weary regions: He became a Waze impostor. Every rush hour, he went on the Google-owned social-media app and posted false reports of a wreck, speed trap or other blockage on his street, hoping to deflect the flow.

He continued his guerrilla counterattack for two weeks before the app booted him off, apparently detecting a saboteur in its ranks. That made Connor a casualty in the social-media skirmishes erupting across the country as neighborhoods try to contend with suddenly savvy drivers finding their way on routes that were once all but secret.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Conspiracy; Humor; Local News
KEYWORDS: apps; change; haha; nimbys; vroom; waze
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To: BenLurkin

Well there’s a yes but in there ... unless you have a special tag that allows you on that certain street people can use them to drive to where ever they’re going. No one resident has the right to block or ban anyone from driving through there - unless there’s a legal sign not to do so.


21 posted on 06/06/2016 4:43:49 PM PDT by SkyDancer ("They Say That Nobody's Perfect But Yet Here I Am")
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

“small neighborhood streets are designed for light traffic by the residents “

I agree completely. When Rt. 82 backs up at rush hours, people come down my narrow residential side street, full of kids, dog walkers, people walking for exercise. It’s a 25 mph street with no sidewalks. People and pets have been hit by a-holes driving 50 mph. I’d like s couple of inconvenient stop signs and maybe some speed bumps! My street was not designed for heavy, speeding traffic. And being a tiny town, we gey our paid for LEOs from the Summit County Sheriffs. And there are too few of them in this sleepy little burg to set up more than one or two traps to slow things down.


22 posted on 06/06/2016 4:46:02 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: dennisw

Big speed bumps every 10 feet. Stop signs every 15 feet. Cops or cameras giving out tickets like it is going out of style.

The traffic will cease...


23 posted on 06/06/2016 4:50:25 PM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: BenLurkin
What they are doing in California to combat Waze is to put bumps and humps in streets. They're getting really good at making them big enough and spaced closely enough to discourage through traffic.

To my mind there is no right side or wrong side to this argument: it is a bad situation that everyone is doing their best to make a little better for themselves.

Besides roads there are other points of interest such as a city sand dune near me, long outdoor staircases that make for good workouts, steep roads that are great for skateboarding, etc. These venues were all fun when just a few people knew about them, but are now overcrowded or closed to the public.

Lots of these places will ultimately end up being tagged by losers that would have never known of their existence but for the internet. Preventing this information from getting out there by government fiat would be the wrong way to handle it, but if entrepreneurial folks in those neighborhoods can find ways to game the system in their favor and keep the hordes away, then the more power to them.

24 posted on 06/06/2016 4:50:25 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: All

I’m another Waze user but mostly for interstate commuting. I’ve never had need to use it for neighborhood travel.


25 posted on 06/06/2016 4:50:36 PM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Who says they’re designed for light traffic? Granted they’re single lane roads, but who defines small traffic?


26 posted on 06/06/2016 4:51:39 PM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: 2banana

“Big speed bumps every 10 feet. Stop signs every 15 feet. Cops or cameras giving out tickets like it is going out of style.
The traffic will cease...”

As will the quality of life....


27 posted on 06/06/2016 4:53:45 PM PDT by DesertRhino ("I want those feeble minded asses overthrown,,,")
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Summit County OH?


28 posted on 06/06/2016 4:55:38 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: dennisw
a months-long road repair

Problem 1 - union labor

the city is posting signs to restrict left or right turns at key intersections.

Problem 2 - city favoritism.

population growth began to overwhelm a set of major intersections

Problem 3 - Crony capitalism - didn't make developers pay for traffic impact.

29 posted on 06/06/2016 4:57:54 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: DesertRhino

As opposed to highwsy rush hour every day in front of your house?


30 posted on 06/06/2016 4:57:55 PM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: Lurker

Yup!


31 posted on 06/06/2016 4:58:11 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

>>Maybe he should try the “slow children playing” sign trick. Severe penalties for hitting one of those “slow children” playing in the street!<<

Flashing school signal. People will avoid it forever.


32 posted on 06/06/2016 4:58:43 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (Don't mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance, or my kindness for weakness)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
It’s a 25 mph street with no sidewalks. People and pets have been hit by a-holes driving 50 mph.

Bug the police chief, mayor, and councilperson frequently until either cops with radar show up to fix the speeding problem, or they get a TRO against you for harassment.

But don't whine if you or a friend gets tagged for speeding.

33 posted on 06/06/2016 5:00:59 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: SkyDancer

They’re public roads paid for with fuel and registration taxes.


So you would have no problem with an extra 45,000 cars a day passing through your neighborhood, in front of your house, you know, the one where your kids play and ride their bikes?


34 posted on 06/06/2016 5:09:38 PM PDT by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: dennisw

I am not a Luddite but this is indeed where there is a two-edged sword. Traffic planners set streets and neighborhoods with safe speeds and vehicle capacity. When WAZE and other functions / apps get into the mix, you can develop a degree of chaos along with the unexpected consequence(s).

This is a repeat of the GPS frustration for transport trucking (lorries) in England when GPS first got started. The drivers and their employers had a strong stake in finding the shortest distance for delivery. Problem was that England has some very VERY narrow roads from historical times. It became a wry news-item for a big tractor-trailer to get absolutely STUCK somewhere in the Cotswold wilds. There may be some still there for all I know.

With this situation, imagine the resident unable to exit from his home to go to work because WAZE has directed highway traffic onto his residential road. Imagine an ambulance trying to make a rescue. Obviously, it is one thing when it is a temporary road fix but human nature being what it is, some of the people using the route are likely to continue even after the other road is fixed!

I am suddenly happy that I live in a cup-de-sac even though I have to wait almost endlessly to get out during rush-hour. At least WAZE is unlikely to direct excess through my neighborhood ... I hope!


35 posted on 06/06/2016 5:11:35 PM PDT by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
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To: dennisw

Waze is incredible and redistributes traffic to the most optimal routes in real time and increases speed for ALL drivers. Eventually increasing productivity and the quality of life for everyone in the community. Even those not on Waze

Of course the people with formerly empty roads are pissed during rush hour periods but they need to look at the big picture. When THEY drive somewhere during a jam, Waze will have their back too


36 posted on 06/06/2016 5:17:17 PM PDT by varyouga
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To: PAR35

“But don’t whine if you or a friend gets tagged for speeding.”

I’m almost 70. I’ve never had a speeding ticket, or an accident. (Knock on wood) My insurance man says I have the best driving record he’s ever seen. Started racing go karts when I was 13, and got all the speed thrills I needed back then.I’m not whining about anything but the a-holes who are cr@ppy drivers!


37 posted on 06/06/2016 5:17:38 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: relictele

Exactly what water is the federal government constitutionally authorized to engineer?


Best Thread Question


38 posted on 06/06/2016 5:18:16 PM PDT by samtheman (Trump For America.)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Agree.


39 posted on 06/06/2016 5:20:23 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: dennisw

How many of those here would be happy if traffic in front of THEIR home suddenly increased a hundredfold ?


40 posted on 06/06/2016 5:20:38 PM PDT by hoosierham (Freedom isn't free)
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