Tim Connor stands by a sign his neighbor purchased to thwart commuters from cutting through their quiet residential street in Takoma Park, Md. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)
How dare the public use the street they paid for...
This is a major battle in my town, but I think it’s not just Waze.
They’re public roads paid for with fuel and registration taxes.
On the one hand, it’s a public road, paid for with taxpayer dollars, and the public has every right to use it. On the other hand, small neighborhood streets are designed for light traffic by the residents - they aren’t big enough to become busy thoroughfares.
The traffic will slow down within a year or two. Bankers are lending less to oil companies and requiring them to show more cash. Production is headed towards demand and will cross before long. On the downside for NIMBYs, with consequent government debts piling up faster before long, government funding for their salaries and pensions will be cut, not to mention skyrocketing prices for products.
It will all come out in the wash.
Government worker attempting to rule the world shocker!
Exactly what water is the federal government constitutionally authorized to engineer?
Or is this supercilious wannabe hacker the one telling people that puddles are 'wetlands?'
a month’s long road repair is the issue. That stuff shouldn’t take so long. Tim, take it to your local govt.
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...
I’m another Waze user but mostly for interstate commuting. I’ve never had need to use it for neighborhood travel.
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.
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!
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
How many of those here would be happy if traffic in front of THEIR home suddenly increased a hundredfold ?
I deal in this type of stuff almost daily at my job. A few thoughts:
The Planning Departments of this world despise cul-de-sacs. There’s something too individualistic, too private, too oppositional to shared misery. So they discourage cul-de-sacs. And, they take it a step further, and encourage ‘connectivity’. Connectivity is just what you would expect it to be. Instead of building a development with really only one way in and one way out, they want the neighborhood to connect to all neighborhoods around it (or leave connections to do so in the future if no adjacent neighborhoods exist).
You see, in a planner’s eye, it is a bad thing that traffic hits collectors, arterials, and interstates...and people move about the city on high speed corridors, without experiencing the ‘flavor’ of the community. Sounds high minded...sounds like they are pleased with themselves for encouraging this.
And then you have unintended consequences :(
These local streets really aren’t made for high traffic volumes, and there are some things that can be done. ‘Traffic Calming Devices’ include features such as narrow lanes, small roundabouts, and speed bumps (although the firemen complain about those). Now for something as temporary as this construction project, I’m actually shocked the local policja haven’t discovered this revenue making opportunity.
Life is tough but, my taxes pay for those streets,as well the HOV lane.
I feel for the residents but, I have always found routes around congestion.
Waze makes it easier but, also gives me some reassurance I will arrive at my appointment on time.
I knew some dirt roads I would take when the freeway was jammed. One day a got behind a couple of Ferraris that didn’t know the the road turned to rutted dirt. It takes a long time to find your way around every rut and dip in a dirt road. They had to stop and get a move rocks several times. And no passing room for other vehicles,
Note: If you drive a fancy sports car tell Waze to avoid dirt roads.
We need more chain immigration and open lawless borders with millions more flooding it.
That should alleviate these traffic issues.
Have you seen The Waze Runner?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mS05bRnIAcg
Part 2
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CBVBHRD5lNU
Ongoing traffic jams and congestion is symptom of an inept government who has a monopoly on the roadways.
Chicago has horrible commute and traffic problems. The so-called circle interchange is an absolute nightmare. The expressways that connect to the city could use an additional one to two lanes each way. The is constant ongoing construction to revamp these roads but never any plans or work to open up the roadways and reduce congestion. Of course, the sheeple never think to demand any accountability since its been an accepted fact of life for decades