Infrastructure Multitasking
Scottsdale, AZ is using traffic signals for cell towers.
Problems with Centralization
Los Angeles city employees allegedly snarled up traffic from the traffic management center for reasons related to a union action. They’ve pleaded not guilty.
Traffic Food Signals
Traffic signals aren’t just for Traffic, you know.
Port of Miami Terrorist Scare
The port of Miami shut down container movement within the port due to some suspicious activity. This sort of thing can directly impact the price of the food you buy if you live in the southeast U.S.
Stop Sign Additives
Stop! Hammer time! I in no way advocate the defacement of stop signs, “but if I did, this is how I would do it.”
Interstate 3
I-3 is a proposed interstate highway linking Savannah, GA with Knoxville, TN. It would follow the route of the Savannah River Parkway from Savannah to Augusta, GA, then continue over undesignated routes to Knoxville.
I oppose this Interstate for two reasons: One, it goes right through the middle of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Smoky Mountain National Park. Two, it’s named incorrectly! I-3 is designated as such to honor the 3rd Infantry Division based in Georgia. But, I-3 should be in California! The Origin of the interstate system is in the southwest and the numbers march upwards as you go farther east and north. There are some notable exceptions, but this one would take the cake. What if California needs a new number between the coast and I-5?
De-cluttering the Georgia State Map
Many small towns have been removed from the latest edition of the Georgia State Highway Map. You might imagine that this has raised an uproar. Even Governer Perdue has weighed in (well, maybe I should say, “especially Governor Perdue”). GDOT has since reversed their decision, and will be restoring the communities to the next year’s map.
Transportation Disasters
This (poorly written) article from Forbes discusses the increasing potential of transportation disasters due to growing capacities per vehicle. It’s easier to have a disaster if an Airbus A380 crashes than a DC-9. There! I’ve summed it up; you don’t need to read it. If you do read it, you will notice that near the bottom the author passes through the mantra that “speeding is death!” and quotes Bill Graves, the President and CEO of the American Trucking Association.
“There is a need to slow down traffic,” says Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Association. “The trucking industry is trying to do its part with this initiative. No vehicle should be capable of operating at excessive speeds on our nation’s highways.”
Of course, what is “excessive speed?” And trying to raise or lower motorist speed has been futile in the past. It also hasn’t been shown that raising or lowering the speed limit (which I acknowledge isn’t the same as what is in the quote) doesn’t affect crash rates (sic).
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