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Volmarias posted:Otherwise, we'd have a ton of notorious speed traps get more reasonable speed limits. I bought that whole "Guerilla Guide to Fighting Your Ticket" or whatever it was when I was 16. I got a ticket for speeding and had lied to the cop that I had to poo poo real bad to try to get out of it - we were in the middle of nowhere and it was 7 miles to the gas station. Anyway, I didn't really want to pay the ticket nor perjure myself about having to take a poo poo. But I recalled that the speed limit had changed in that exact spot several times in the last year, and that the second time it changed, it had had a MoDOT study notice posted on it. What happened was the tiny town wanted it to be 45, but it was marked 55. Somehow or another they got it down to 45, and all the people who drove through every day started getting tickets. MoDOT was eventually called in to do their study on the safe speed limit, and concluded it should be 55. Those signs held for a few months, then one day they were back to 45, but the cop wasn't hanging around all the time, he just happened to be passing through the time I was on my way home. I looked up the appropriate laws, and found that the road's speed in an unincorporated township was set by MoDOT at the preexisting speed or the speed determined safe by MoDOT. There may have been something about otherwise requiring the ruling of a judge. Anyway, I rang up MoDOT and told the guy exactly what happened. He dug up the study and all the prior history that showed all the above, which I didn't know until I got his paperwork. All I had known was the speed kept changing. There was nothing giving authorization for the existing speed, and a speed safety study solidly concluding that 55 was the appropriate speed. I went to court and nervously told the judge all this, asking her to throw the ticket out as being in material error as the speed was posted illegally, and she laughed at me while scheduling a trial. As I was standing there stammering out the evidence I had in hand a young man stepped up and announced that he was Attorney so and so and that he was ever so sorry for being late to my representation. He took a sidebar with her and came over and we talked a minute and he took my paperwork and looked it over. He said he was impressed I'd put it all together and that I could go now, giving me his business card. A few weeks later I got a letter in the mail saying he'd taken care of it and not to try that again, even thought I was right, it was just too dangerous to go it alone. I think that may be the first time I've ever actually told that story. quote:From a cost-benefit standpoint, it's just not worth it. There's the lost wages of taking the day off to fight the ticket in court, and the non-zero chance that the judge will just screw you illegally. You could always spend more money fighting that too, of course, but the rational move is to just pay the drat ticket. Oh man when I was a student, I'd always go. Just showing up and not looking like a bum or an rear end in a top hat went 80% of the way for a parking ticket. Be nice and the judge will either drop it or just charge you court costs for actually showing up. He reads fifty names and four people are there. He's glad that you bother. With a speeding ticket, you just ask for a continuance, and the next time you're there, most likely the cop won't be. Ask for a dismissal, the judge will continue again. Show up again, cop's not there, point it out again, and it'll be dismissed. If you're not making any money anyway, it's an easy way to save the expense. Not that I have this issue ever these days.
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Jun 22, 2012 01:21
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less than three posted:The results of the public consultation for this bridge are out now. I'm very glad to see that people support what's ostensibly the best option. Hopefully, the 50%+ that oppose it won't be able to block the project entirely. ----- For those of you who liked the hex-based street layout, I did it up in CAD to get a more detailed look. Designing a city on a hex grid is a lot trickier than orthogonal, but I think it came out well regardless.  There is a big chunk of city. The road widths look slightly exaggerated in this picture.  Freeway-freeway interchange. There are a lot of lanes here, and I'll explain why later.  Adjacent to the picture above. This is the interchange between the arterial roadways, frontage roads, and freeways. Simple basketweave/diamond.  I spent a long time thinking about the arterial-arterial intersections. The skew makes CFI difficult to impossible, and a full interchange would be hostile to pedestrians and, frankly, overkill. Instead, I did a hybrid SPUI-diamond, with two-phase signals to maximize capacity. The geometry is dictated by the overpass in the center and some tweaking to make it look less like a swastika.  Where arterials and collectors meet, I put in Michigan Lefts. Traffic can turn left onto the collector, but all traffic leaving it must turn right and make a U-turn if needed. Again, two-phase signals.  And where collectors meet or end, roundabouts. Collectors, by the way, are 3 lanes wide with a TWLTL (2+1). If demand got higher, it would be easy to bump them up to 4+1 by adding a lane on each side. So, what would I change? Put some subtle curves on the collectors to cut speeds, which unfortunately isn't possible when everything's laid out on a grid. Add crosswalks, lane arrows, and HOV lane markings, which would take forever in my CAD program. Possibly reduce the freeway density or width, depending on how heavily they're used. It's better to have lots of low-capacity freeways than a few huge ones, after all. And as I mentioned above, there are a lot of freeway lanes. I figure the leftmost one would be a bus/HOV lane, with left-hand off-ramps to large multimodal transit centers in the wide median. Those multimodal centers could accommodate rail down the medians, parking garages linked to the frontage roads, and a bus depot. Shoulders on all roadways are wide enough for bike lanes, and I would reserve lots of ROW on collectors and arterials for future expansion, whether it be for cars or other modes. If this really were SimCity, I'd also set aside the central hexagon in each "sector" for parkland or other recreational use.
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Jun 22, 2012 01:45
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Chaos Motor posted:Oh man when I was a student, I'd always go. Just showing up and not looking like a bum or an rear end in a top hat went 80% of the way for a parking ticket. Be nice and the judge will either drop it or just charge you court costs for actually showing up. He reads fifty names and four people are there. He's glad that you bother. This. I've gotten out of a couple tickets simply because I nervously presented my half-assed excuse to the Assistant DA in person after a shower, a shave, and actually wearing a shirt and tie. Also, never ask the court how the ticket will affect your insurance, because it's really obvious that you only regret loving up because it'll cost you money.
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Jun 22, 2012 02:13
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Maybe your next project should be in Israel. The land of milk and honeycombs..
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Jun 22, 2012 03:00
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Cichlidae posted:I'm very glad to see that people support what's ostensibly the best option. Hopefully, the 50%+ that oppose it won't be able to block the project entirely. The numbers don't add up to 100%. Option A had 62% support, 25% opposed, 13% no comment.
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Jun 22, 2012 03:06
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less than three posted:The numbers don't add up to 100%. Good point. Ah, statistics!
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Jun 22, 2012 03:12
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I'm in Salt Lake City for business this week, and if you want see some crazy highway interchanges, check that city out on Google Maps. Also interesting that the highway exits will feed directly into the downtown grid, like the exit ramp is the entire avenue.
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Jun 22, 2012 05:16
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Cichlidae posted:For those of you who liked the hex-based street layout, I did it up in CAD to get a more detailed look. Designing a city on a hex grid is a lot trickier than orthogonal, but I think it came out well regardless. less than three posted:The numbers don't add up to 100%.
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Jun 22, 2012 14:20
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grover posted:Would this fix Houston? Yes, inasmuch as you'd have to flatten the place to 'convert' it.
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Jun 22, 2012 16:45
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EoRaptor posted:Yes, inasmuch as you'd have to flatten the place to 'convert' it. Given those powers, I could probably fix any city on Earth! To be honest, though, a lot of them I'd just leave flat and re-build somewhere else. Who builds a city in the middle of the desert?
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Jun 22, 2012 18:13
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Kansas City mobsters, for one...
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Jun 22, 2012 18:37
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Cichlidae posted:Given those powers, I could probably fix any city on Earth! To be honest, though, a lot of them I'd just leave flat and re-build somewhere else. Who builds a city in the middle of the desert? His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, although most of the big projects have been finished. Maybe Qatar.
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Jun 22, 2012 19:52
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Koesj posted:His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, although most of the big projects have been finished. To be fair, I don't think there's much but desert in the UAE. It's be like living on Nauru and trying not to step in bird poop.
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Jun 22, 2012 21:13
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Cichlidae posted:To be fair, I don't think there's much but desert in the UAE. It's be like living on Nauru and trying not to step in bird poop. Except for the southern part of Abu Dhabi the UAE is pretty built up. Even with more than half of the country being part of the empty quarter it's still got 256 inhabitants per sq mile. All the way along the E11 parallel to the coast you hit small settlements and industrial estates. Hell, the 40 miles between the outskirts of Dubai and AD proper are clogged with traffic even though it's an eight lane freeway, that'll never feel empty.
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Jun 23, 2012 00:39
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Got stuck in heavy traffic twice on the way home. The first time, someone had been rear-ended and stopped in his lane under a Parkway bridge even though the other driver pulled up and off the road. I came around the curve after a spirited "gently caress this" acceleration back to normal highway speed and promptly had to hit the brakes again because a box truck was stuck under a bridge half a mile down the road. At that point, I gave up and took back roads for the last few miles home. Can you propose that the next MUTCD has a provision that allows drivers who have had a license for at least ten years with no tickets or moving violations to call for close air support?
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Jun 23, 2012 00:39
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GWBBQ posted:Can you propose that the next MUTCD has a provision that allows drivers who have had a license for at least ten years with no tickets or moving violations to call for close air support? Nah we just need to legalize these setups 
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Jun 23, 2012 03:20
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Install Gentoo posted:Nah we just need to legalize these setups Is that Streets of Sim City?
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Jun 23, 2012 03:23
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uapyro posted:Is that Streets of Sim City? Yes it is. And I always loved how it built traffic patterns for the roads of your SimCity 2000 cities.
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Jun 23, 2012 03:53
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Install Gentoo posted:Yes it is. SoSC had some of the best music in any game of the era, too. Nothing like rocking out to "You're the czar, when you've got a kick-rear end car!" while jumping over enemies on moon gravity. Edit: Here is the aforementioned song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkNBACgxW7g Cichlidae fucked around with this message at 12:21 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 23, 2012 04:03
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Does Vissim simulate the effects of sight distance over hills on
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Jun 27, 2012 02:27
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GWBBQ posted:Does Vissim simulate the effects of sight distance over hills on Not by itself, but you can certainly hardwire it into the simulation. It does have an "inattentiveness factor" which is off by default; I like to set it to 50% and 1/2 second to better model distracted drivers, and it's great for creating pile-ups when you need to prove a point. "This is what the roads would look like if everyone was talking on their cellphones!"
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Jun 27, 2012 03:31
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Cichlidae posted:Not by itself, but you can certainly hardwire it into the simulation. Is there a phenomenon where motorists slow down if they have a better view of traffic ahead? A number of curves on I-5 and the 10 out to Santa Monica are blind, and they're mostly normal to whatever traffic level is going on. There are a few more on both roads where motorists can see how bad the traffic is around the bend, and I always feel like everyone sees it and slows the hell down. Could be just how I'm perceiving a different situation though.
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Jun 27, 2012 04:50
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Cichlidae posted:"This is what the roads would look like if everyone was talking on their cellphones!" The braking on hills things is hilarious/annoying. Driving back from Long Beach area last night on 91 to the IE (a generaly hilly, high traffic area), you could predict every slowdown by the presence of hills, no matter how slight. 80 (We don't drive 55 in socal) hill! 50 (in a 65) 80 hill! 55 etc for 70 miles.
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Jun 27, 2012 07:37
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nm posted:There's another type of road? You see, hills mean accidents, we'd better all slow down to 15 mph as we go past so we can see what kind of fenderbender/tire replacement/emergency baby changing stop is going on at the side of the road!
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Jun 27, 2012 08:48
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Okan170 posted:Is there a phenomenon where motorists slow down if they have a better view of traffic ahead? A number of curves on I-5 and the 10 out to Santa Monica are blind, and they're mostly normal to whatever traffic level is going on. There are a few more on both roads where motorists can see how bad the traffic is around the bend, and I always feel like everyone sees it and slows the hell down. Could be just how I'm perceiving a different situation though. People can get distracted and perceive a higher density when they see a road at a flat angle. You can get the same effect by using a zoom lens and taking a picture/video of any freeway: there appear to be more cars than there actually are, because the apparent distance between them is lessened. Perceived higher density means people slowing down, because they think there is a jam ahead. And as soon as one person slows down, it starts a cascade of brake lights. I don't think there's a name for the phenomenon, but it does exist in rare situations. nm posted:There's another type of road? That's really stupid from a lot of viewpoints. I hate slowing down before I hit the hill; if anything, I speed up a bit on the approach so I can carry my momentum over the peak. You'll kill your fuel economy if you brake before each incline. Also causes accidents, reduces capacity, and increases travel time.
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Jun 27, 2012 12:29
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Cichlidae posted:Perceived higher density means people slowing down, because they think there is a jam ahead. And as soon as one person slows down, it starts a cascade of brake lights. I don't think there's a name for the phenomenon, but it does exist in rare situations. "A pain in the rear end" and alternately "a pretty big safety hazard" 
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Jun 27, 2012 14:54
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I saw perhaps the most amazing act of human stupidity I had ever seen yesterday. I-70 eastbound right over the Benton curve in KCMO. Traffic was at a standstill. A woman got out of her car and approached the car in front of her for a conversation. The other woman got out of HER car to talk. Now we have two stopped cars in the center lane of the freeway with two women standing beside these cars, chatting like they haven't a care in the world. By the time I was past them, there was a half mile of clear lane ahead of the stopped cars. And no, there was no accident or observable damage to either vehicle. They just decided to have a chat in the center of the highway in rush hour. loving morons.
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Jun 27, 2012 17:26
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Great thread. I posted this in the architecture thread in CC and someone linked me here, but I've developed an interest in urban design - particularly the classifications and histories of street layouts for various settlements and cities (I actually did my masters in this, but from a math perspective rather than urban planning). Is there any established literature about this kind of thing that someone can point me towards? Or even just general stuff on sprawl and the history of cities?
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Jun 28, 2012 19:07
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Ravel posted:Great thread. I posted this in the architecture thread in CC and someone linked me here, but I've developed an interest in urban design - particularly the classifications and histories of street layouts for various settlements and cities (I actually did my masters in this, but from a math perspective rather than urban planning). I took a class in it when I was in France, but we didn't have a textbook, so I can't really help you there. It remains one of the greatest courses I've taken. I'm sure someone else in the thread has a suggestion or two, though!
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Jun 29, 2012 01:11
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I've always thought the Commissioner's Plan for what is now Manhattan island was particularly prescient and forward-looking.
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Jun 29, 2012 03:37
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Cichlidae, how accurate is this? It seems like it is almost too easy to prank the road signs.
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Jun 29, 2012 12:12
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MrBling posted:Cichlidae, how accurate is this? It's about that easy, yeah. And most of them are remote-control, so you can change the message via cellphone if you know their number. A couple of years ago, someone hacked a sign in Massachusetts to say "PENIS FOR DINNER" or something similar. We got an email from the commissioner explaining that we had to lock down our signs to avoid that happening again.
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Jun 29, 2012 12:24
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MrBling posted:It seems like it is almost too easy to prank the road signs.
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Jun 29, 2012 15:02
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Ravel posted:Great thread. I posted this in the architecture thread in CC and someone linked me here, but I've developed an interest in urban design - particularly the classifications and histories of street layouts for various settlements and cities (I actually did my masters in this, but from a math perspective rather than urban planning). I think Cichildae recommended this guy's work. http://www.amazon.com/Good-City-Form-Kevin-Lynch/dp/0262620464/ My gf (who actually has a masters in architecture and urban design) gave me a book called Field Guide to Sprawl. It's okay. I have higher hopes for another book called Los Angeles and the Automobile. e: you might like this if you are into street shapes http://newyork.untappedcities.com/2011/02/09/what-if-manhattan-was-designed-like-paris/ Mandalay fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Jun 29, 2012 |
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Jun 29, 2012 22:11
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smackfu posted:For maximum success you probably want to be driving a pickup truck and wearing an orange reflective vest. Nobody's going to stop you, even if you're not. The DOT/police will assume you're a contractor, and the contractor has more important things to do than babysit their signs. Edit: Some good news in GBS for a change! City growth outpaces suburban growth for the first time in 100 years http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3493158 Cichlidae fucked around with this message at 14:33 on Jun 30, 2012 |
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Jun 30, 2012 00:03
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Saw this the other day. http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Peachy-Real-Time.aspx That's the Georgia DOT's Website. They use variable toll rates, and give live data on their website, using a webcam pointed at one of the signs on the road. http://www.peachpass.com/cam/lawrenceville
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Jul 1, 2012 20:28
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Guy Axlerod posted:Saw this the other day. http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Peachy-Real-Time.aspx That's... special. Edit: Can't whine too much, though, because Georgia has high-def real-time online-viewable cameras. They must buy their bandwidth by the terabyte. Cichlidae fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Jul 2, 2012 |
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Jul 2, 2012 00:05
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Do variabele toll rates (like the one in the picture where the toll changes from day to day) work? I can understand a peak usage rate, like during rush hour toll is higher than off hours. But if i am on my way to work or a customer and i see the toll rate has doubled (especially if it is on the order of cents) i am not going to turn around. Even if for some reason it was suddenly $10 i'd still keep going. Now if you made it $10 every day during rush hour i'd probably look into other ways to get to work.
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Jul 2, 2012 07:43
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NihilismNow posted:Do variabele toll rates (like the one in the picture where the toll changes from day to day) work? I can understand a peak usage rate, like during rush hour toll is higher than off hours. But if i am on my way to work or a customer and i see the toll rate has doubled (especially if it is on the order of cents) i am not going to turn around. Even if for some reason it was suddenly $10 i'd still keep going. If you're like me and measure your commute in dollars, not miles or minutes, it makes a difference. Unfortunately, it affects the poor much more than anyone else, so there is a social dilemma to think about. Maybe if there were a discount applied at the till, the same way we have cut-rate bus passes, the implementation would be more just. Or heck, do like they do with speeding tickets in some places: have the congestion cost scale based on income. Making $100 grand? You pay $10. $10k? it's only a buck.
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Jul 2, 2012 12:25
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Cichlidae posted:
SOCIALISM!
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