Cars in walkable communities
Published November 9, 2005
As I drove in to work this week, I wondered whether the new emphasis the County is putting on "walkable communities" is making my fellow motorists uneasy about their future. Has County transportation policy taken a radical turn, one hostile to the automobile? The answer, of course, is no. This is Alberta. Our weather, distances and economy mean that the internal combustion engine is here to stay. Transportation solutions must take into account the need to move cars quickly and safely. If we can do so while reducing emissions and fuel consumption, so much the better.
What is exciting about the move toward walkable communities is that there is something in it for everyone including motorists. It does not seem logical that two lanes can handle more traffic than four even if the latter has a significantly higher speed limit. The key is that wider faster roads require traffic lights while others can make do with roundabouts. Traffic lights bring traffic, literally, to a screeching halt. We have all been passed on the freeway by someone driving 30 km/h over the limit, only to find the speeder waiting for us at the first set of lights. Professional drivers know that to making time in a large city is a function of neither speed nor distance but how many traffic lights there are en route.
Here is an example. From Clover Bar Road to Brentwood Blvd is about 1.5 km. The speed limit is 70 km/h. A driver stuck at the lights at Sobey's for 30 seconds would have to drive at 115 km/h to make it to the next set of lights at the same time as someone who drove the limit but did not have to stop. And that is assuming Corvette-like acceleration, something few of us are likely to experience. The cycle time for traffic lights is 80 to 110 seconds; a 30 second wait is not unheard of. If our unlucky driver had to wait 40 seconds at this light, he would have to drive at an insane 145 km/h to catch up. Synchronisation is not the answer either. Even if we could afford the hardware, traffic control involving more than a few nodes is an insoluble mathematical problem for all practical purposes.
The new model of road design shows promise of getting folks to work just as fast with less risk to kids and dogs, and less cost. I am looking forward to seeing it in our community.
Alan Dunn
Councillor, Ward 6
780-464-8206
dunn@strathcona.ab.ca
Last updated: Thursday, June 17, 2010
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