Talking Traffic

Topics: Functional Classification

 

 Episode 14 - Functional Classification [13:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My good friend, James Cronen, maintains a physics blog. Today he’s talking about salt and ice, with a roadway topping.

Over lunch I thrashed out the outline of some upcoming episodes:

• Speed, Speeding, and Speed Limits
• Functional Classification: Why you can’t put a driveway on an Interstate
• 511 Traveller’s Information System
• Autonomous Vehicles and the Wire(less)d Roadside Enviroment

No particular order, although Functional Classification will probably be next week.

Topics: Safe Routes to School

 

 Episode 13 - Safe Routes to School [9:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Topics: Signal Installation, Signal Warrants, How to Annoy a Traffic Engineer

 

 Talking Traffic Episode 12 - How to Get a Signal Installed -or- How to Annoy a Traffic Engineer [15:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Anti-Trust in the Transportation Sector?: If you’re not a net junky like me (and if you weren’t, would you be reading this?) then you might not have heard of Traffic.com, the company responsible for the vast proliferation of Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure throughout some of the nation’s major metro areas. Traffic.com is contracted by these localites under a program called the Transportation Technology Innovation and Demonstration program, a federal earmark that incentivises the placement of radar speed detectors and traffic counters. This is where the various traffic feeds for your cell phone come from. Jerry Werner, formerly of the National Transportation Operations Coalition sent me an email making the case that the contracts awarded to Traffic.com are not in accordance with law; that they are specifically targeted to Traffic.com rather than being competitive as the most recent Highway Act requires. See his information at: The U.S. TTID Program: When Politics, Competition, and the Public Interest Collide and Transportation Technology Innovation and Demonstration Program (TTID): What the Agreements Signed by State and Local Transportation Agencies Show.

Connecticut Looking at Speed Cameras on I-95: They do this in Britain, and some places in the U.S., automating speed enforcement on a major highway. My opinion? This makes sense, but only if the speed is set legitimately. If it’s an arbitrarily low speed, this would be an inappropriate enforcement scheme.

Cash Flow Issues in Texas DOT: Apparently, the lack of funding is hitting even states like Texas, with their massive transportation budget.

Speaking of Politics: Voting against party direction will get you in trouble. This is particularly interesting to me because I work around here.

DATA: The Duluth (MN) Area Trail Alliance: Check out their website.

Topics: Traffic Calming, Chicanes, Speed Humps, Speed Bumps, Safety, Statistical Analysis

 

 Episode 11 - Traffic Calming [15:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Look for Episode 11, on Traffic Calming, tomorrow. Busy weekend.

 

 Episode 10.5 - Episode 11 Not Done Yet [3:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download