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by orwin 719 days ago
The solution is easy, I just saw it implemented in a nearby town (8k people): make the road curb a little, never fully straight, add bollards everywhere on the side of the road, and narrow the road at every crossing (with metal/concrete bollards). Bollards are great: they protect pedestrian and are intimidating it seems. According to the mayor (I ate with him, friend of my mother) the architect who gave him the idea was a nudge expert, and they tested it first with thin, plastic bollards around the town (it worked, but wasn't protective enough). The city is halfway between two economic 'centers' (28k and 50k population) and see a lot of traffic as those cities grow. No pedestrian death in the last two years AFAIK, when pre-covid you had half a dozen injuries every year and a mortal accident every other year.

So the bollards do seems to work. Install bollards!

1 comments

Absolutely this. If people are maniacs and can't control their speed themselves, design the roads so they can't drive at insane speeds on them. I live right across the street from a school. During school times, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour. The road is perfectly straight with clear sight lines and the lanes are literally as wide as freeway lanes (12') with bike lanes on both sides making it feel even wider. If you had no context of the road and what was off of it, you'd comfortably cruise at 55+ because the road is designed for that.

Throw in some strategically placed bollards or chicanes to change the geometry of the road and people will be forced to slow down.

http://www.thinkstreetsmart.org/uploads/1/2/7/4/127450599/ed...