I'm not sure the video's going to work, so the link is here
So I was thinking. Here in the US, at intersections, we are either stationary, or going through at a dangerous speed depending on the traffic light tell us. Isn't it time we stopped being bossed aroun by robots, and make some decisions for ourselves? Can't we just have everyone slow down a little bit, and increase average speed, but also safety.
I'm a big fan of Hans Monderman, and the work he did in Drachten. Before he came along, the intersection looked like something you would find in any US town, with people waiting pointlessly for the lights to change, pedestrians having to push permission buttons to cross the street, people probably speeding up to get there before the red light etc.
But with a little imagination, a little common sense, some equality for non-drivers, and disregard for traffic engineers traditional rule and regulations the he developed a great shared space that actually improved road conditions for everyone.
(Images from streetsblog)
I hope someday America sees the benefit of ridding themselves of the scourge of traffic lights, and the beauty of the concept of shared space, and every intersection looks a little more like Drachten.
