Pedestrians Are Expensive

By: Jon Dougal
Date: February 21, 2010

Pedestrians are costly to drivers, to society and to the environment. Pedestrians have the right-of-way it is the law. Stopping to allow pedestrians to cross – requires more fuel consumption, engine wear, generates more air emissions and thus respiratory aliments. Stopping to allow pedestrian access causes more time used in the commute or the delivery of goods and thus to the society.

Traffic pollution has been identified as a causative factor in hardening of the arteries, causing the artery walls to thicken twice as fast (LA Times – Margot Roosevelt-Traffic Pollution speeds hardening of the arteries, 2-14-2010).

Commuters for all the various reasons are a drain on society. Less time with family spent on the road, higher cost of goods and services, higher school drop out rates, higher crime rates, more divorces and less disposable income are all traceable back to time on the road.

In the worst case scenario a courteous driver stops to allow a passer-by not mindful of the number of cars behind. One courteous driver impedes several others to allow 1 (one) person to cross. All those cars waiting because on driver wants to be a “Good Samaritan.”

What if?

Traffic signals could be regulated to control traffic by expediting traffic flow during peak times.

What a savings to society in so many ways. Trickle down economics – read above again.

At 28 mph city streets accommodate the maximum amount of vehicles moving at the maximum amount of speed. The stopping distance required between vehicles is minimized, and traffic moves.

Could this traffic be controlled by a new generation of traffic signals and street lights? You bet your sweet bippie it could. Surveillance cameras are everywhere today. Our populous is photographed 39 per day average in the US. Every super market, drugstore, bank, traffic intersection, and office building has cameras watching you, this isn’t futuristic science fiction.

Street lights coordinated with traffic signals, digital cameras and auditory sensors (the din of traffic noise) could not only monitor traffic and keep it moving during peak times.

What if?

There we sensors to pick up cell phone signals of pedestrians at intersections? Monitoring the volume of signals could trigger a signal change as the pedestrian traffic builds up.

How could this be funded by cash strapped municipalities? With gas taxes at all time lows because of higher mileage vehicles, other means of funding must be found.

Street lights could be revenue generators. By producing energy during the day and selling the energy to the grid or utility and buying the power necessary to light the street lights at night at a lower (off peak) rate, funding the technology becomes revenue neutral.

The benefits to society would be overwhelming. We have the technology we need the leadership.