Cleveland BRT Gets Speed Limit Increase To 35 MPH
A Maryland politician made a trip to Cleveland to check out the new BRT. Maryland is considering BRT instead of real transit. He likes the Cleveland BRT.
There were a couple of noteworthy aspects of his report, but for me, one part really stood out:
The vehicles travel mostly in dedicated lanes with a 35 mph limit compared to a 25 mph limit in the adjacent automobile lanes.
Ok, so we know that speed kills. We also know that very large objects, like buses, can sneak up on people - which leads to fatalities. We know that most drivers are dangerous outlaws, speeding every chance they get - and they only obey the law when they think there’s a good chance they’ll get caught if they speed.
This leaves me to draw one of two conclusions, either: (a) Cleveland is trying to kill people or scare them off the roads on and around the BRT line, or (b) Cleveland decided that injuries and deaths suffered by BRT victims would just be part of ‘the cost of doing business’ - that is, BRT performance gains would make the human toll palatable to a public who never wanted the BRT line in the first place.
Speeding vehicles are not just bad for human bodies - in terms of a motor vehicle’s ability to launch bodies through the air - they help to create a caustic environment for pedestrians and cyclists. So none of us are surprised when we read reports of pedestrians abandoning BRT corridors - any person with common sense could figure that out.
Cars are loud and scary. Even the incredible noise generated from rubber tires running along the pavement is enough to drive you crazy. Forget about having a conversation with the person walking next to you - have you have stop talking every time you hear a car or truck or bus speeding up behind you - wait until they pass, and then start talking to your walking buddy again. It’s absurd. Buses are louder and scarier than cars. Huge buses are louder and scarier, still. Faster-moving buses will help create an environment that is intolerable except for those of us who truly have no other choice.
[h/t Just Up The Pike]
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December 8th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
If you want to learn more about the bus rapid transit route endorsed by the Maryland politician who you mention, see here:
http://www.innerpurpleline.org/dieseltrail.htm
December 8th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Yes, noise from vehicles is a problem for all the reasons you give. It’s also something which has been dealt with quite successfully over here in the Netherlands.
We have noise barriers alongside roads which have quiet surfaces and low speed limits. The result of this is barely being able to hear cars or buses at all. Also, the corridors taken by the motor vehicles are not the same (and not as direct as) the corridors taken by cyclists. You can see a barrier here, including how the bus-stop integrates with it:
http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2008/11/not-stopping-at-red-traffic-lights.html