Comments on: LADOT: Good at Increasing Speed Limits, Bad at Installing Crosswalks http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/13/ladot-good-at-increasing-speed-limits-bad-at-installing-crosswalks/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Umberto Brayj http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/13/ladot-good-at-increasing-speed-limits-bad-at-installing-crosswalks/comment-page-1/#comment-1963 Umberto Brayj Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:10:42 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/13/ladot-good-at-increasing-speed-limits-bad-at-installing-crosswalks/#comment-1963 There really need to be statutes on the books that state precisely why, and how, Level of Service, Average Daily Trips, "Mobility", and Vehicle Miles Travelled should be reduced or degraded. Right now, the only reasons I've seen that those measures are disregarded by the LADOT is tremendous political pressure being put on politicians - who then demand that traffic engineers degrade the LOS, ADT, and other measures on a road. This is the worst possible situation, and it makes everyone involved hate each other. The engineers cling to their AASHTO, MUTCD, and ITE guide books - pretending that they are laws of nature that must not be violated. The public just wants results: less cars, nice streets, quiet neighborhoods, and transportation options. We need politicians to step up and put some reasonable laws on the books that allow transportation engineers to disregard their trade practices, and focus on safety, livability, social cohesion, local business interests. That was a great CityWatch article - the LADOT deserves a to be kicked in the pants a bit. That department gets away with the most insulting road planning decisions on a routine basis. There really need to be statutes on the books that state precisely why, and how, Level of Service, Average Daily Trips, “Mobility”, and Vehicle Miles Travelled should be reduced or degraded.

Right now, the only reasons I’ve seen that those measures are disregarded by the LADOT is tremendous political pressure being put on politicians – who then demand that traffic engineers degrade the LOS, ADT, and other measures on a road.

This is the worst possible situation, and it makes everyone involved hate each other.

The engineers cling to their AASHTO, MUTCD, and ITE guide books – pretending that they are laws of nature that must not be violated.

The public just wants results: less cars, nice streets, quiet neighborhoods, and transportation options.

We need politicians to step up and put some reasonable laws on the books that allow transportation engineers to disregard their trade practices, and focus on safety, livability, social cohesion, local business interests.

That was a great CityWatch article – the LADOT deserves a to be kicked in the pants a bit. That department gets away with the most insulting road planning decisions on a routine basis.

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