Comments for How We Drive, the Blog of Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic

Comment on About That Moment of Silence… by Glen

Glen — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:08:03 +0000

Sad story but true: My dad drove literally across the street to get subway, drove back across the street to the house, ate, got dressed and drove to the gym about a 1.24 miles away. When I asked him about it all at the end of the day he said driving to subways (across the street) was safer then walking across the street… which by the way is dangerous no matter how you choose to cross it. And driving to the gym meant he would be able to stay on the tread mill a little bit longer for his cool down after he did his “big” stationary bike miles.

yeah… its all true :/ We even have a multiple use trail going from our house to over by the gym…

Comment on You Can’t Make This Stuff Up by Scott

Scott — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:18:41 +0000

The IRS lets you get reimbursed about $.50 per mile when you use your car for business purposes so that figure is probably fairly accurate.

Comment on Whatever Happened to Walking? by Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:04:07 +0000

I liked the Slate series very much. As usual, it made me wonder about a few things. Here are some questions:

Is coming to work slightly sweaty from a walk more acceptable in places like NYC where many walk? Is “avoiding exertion” just a desire to avoid exertion, or is there a cleanliness factor there, too?

Do teens who live in areas with high walk scores and who are closer to businesses get jobs earlier? Does being able to walk change their lifetime earnings or health profile or are the effects on income and health temporary if the teen grows into an adult who doesn’t walk? Do teens who can walk to work get cars sooner because they can afford them, or later because they don’t need them?

In areas with sidewalks that appear to be even and in good repair, why do many people walk in the street? Is feeling safe enough to walk in the street in a neighborhood with sidewalks correlated to how “desirable” the neighborhood is for people who want single-family homes with yards?

Does the new five-foot width recommended for sidewalks depend on what wheelchair users need to pass, the space pairs or triplets of walkers need to walk as a group (and still have enough personal space — thinking of the photo of executives all in a row), or some other factor?

Are business streets more walkable or less when the stores have wide, indented entrances or canopies that extend over several feet of the walkway (without columns or supports to obstruct flow), or are flat storefronts better for flow?

When trash cans are put in the street for garbage pickup or left in the street after pickup, are there more accidents, or is the issue trivial? Are pedestrians slower on trash days in suburban neighborhoods?

Are transit scores affected by government officials’ fear of graffiti? Does bus-shelter graffiti reduce home values near bus stops, or does the convenience of the bus stop outweigh the aesthetics? Are communities with bus stops but no bus shelters more “upscale” or poor or are there no correlations?

Will the “street trees are good”/”trees wreck sidewalks” divide ever be bridged?

Comment on You Can’t Make This Stuff Up by George

George — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:36:57 +0000

Short trips by car are the hardest on a cars engine and exhaust. Trips under three miles don’t allow time for the car to warm up.

I remember seeing a study about the cost per mile of a car trip.
I believe it was somewhere around $.50/mile.
Cost, maintenance, licencing and fuel.

George

Comment on You Can’t Make This Stuff Up by That Girl

That Girl — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 14:06:59 +0000

I really enjoyed your series on Walking in Slate. I wish I lived in an area where I could walk more than I do but that will have to wait a few years. I walk and bike a lot more than others I know and people think it’s weird - I once was pulling my children in a wagon to go shopping and visiting and someone stopped to offer me money because they thought I was poor/homeless. Why else would I be walking?
I tried the Walk Score but I will have to wait for version 2 because even though it gave my home a 63 it is actually way less than that - there is a 20 minute, no-sidewalk detour to the area that is “across the street”. I live in a nice area but two blocks away begins the #1 poorest city in America and it’s worth your life to go there. I work in the hospital there too so even though it’s a 5 minute bikeride I drive (I’ve been ramdonly pulled out of my car and beaten at a light so even driving has a downside). So I’m thinking my real-life walk score is much lower.
Before I was a nurse I worked for the DOT and I never considered (nor did anyone ever talk about) pedestrians other than as victims.
Thanks for the insight!

Comment on Let the Robot Drive by Vicky

Vicky — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:18:05 +0000

We can say that new concepts are coming day-by-day and most of them are for the benefit of human beings. But total control should not be shifted directly to the computer. Manual override should be there and let’s hope best for everyone.

Comment on Whatever Happened to Walking? by DG

DG — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:01:13 +0000

I’m reading the Slate series right now. I’m struck that the photo caption of the girl in Kentucky who is driven from the house to the road to catch the schoolbus includes her name. The photo credits the Washington Post so perhaps there was a previously published article that identified her by name also, but if not it seems a little cruel to have this (somewhat stocky) 12-year-old girl now be known as the poster child for obesity.

Good articles though.

Comment on Whatever Happened to Walking? by Margaret R

Margaret R — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:06:01 +0000

Great article about walking. I am surprised that I did not see treadmill desks mentioned. I am at 1560 miles and counting…..all while working at my office.

Comment on You Can’t Make This Stuff Up by Brian Ogilvie

Brian Ogilvie — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:28:18 +0000

Um, Josh, the comment was about riding the bike more and *jogging* less, not lifting less. It’s true that running is less efficient than cycling, but still, unless the commenter’s gym is a short ride from home, he or she must have gotten a better aerobic workout (or warmup) from cycling + 5 minutes on the treadmill than from driving + 10 minutes on the treadmill.

Comment on Whatever Happened to Walking? by SteveL

SteveL — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:10:36 +0000

Merinda shows how US cities engineer out pedestrians. Not just in removing the sidewalks, but by making crossing so dangerous you wouldn’t do it. Even when there are scheduled crossing times you have to wait minutes for them -and cars turn over you anyway.

The fact that vehicles can turn into pedestrian crossings when they have the walk light shows how little regard the society has for people on foot -they are less important than the journey times of the drivers.