The Road Most Travelled

Let's get rid of roadsigns.

Jay has talked about this subject before....Apparently, taking the roadsigns and whatnot off the streets will create a safer driving experience...This is from the IHT, examining a new traffic safety philosophy put forward by Hans Monderman, a Dutch traffic engineer.

His philosophy is simple, if counterintuitive. To make communities safer and more appealing, Monderman argues, you should first remove the traditional paraphernalia of their roads.
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That means the traffic lights and speed signs; the signs exhorting drivers to stop, slow down and merge; the center lines separating lanes from each other; even the speed bumps, speed-limit signs, bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings. In his view, it is only when the road is made more dangerous, when drivers stop looking at signs and start looking at other people, that driving becomes safer.
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"All those signs are saying to cars, 'This is your space, and we have organized your behavior so that as long as you behave this way, nothing can happen to you,"' said Monderman. "That is the wrong story."

In Japan, the situation is the same. The inner cities, and marketplaces have few if any signs, meaning the pedestrians, cyclists and cars are all hyperaware of each other. If there were more signs, they would all simply assume their own safety and think "Of course nothing bad will happen--I am obeying all the rules!" In the smaller marketplaces and residential areas, the sidewalks are at ground level and there is a common respect and a sense of sharing between the various travellers in using the same space: "I don't mind moving to the side for him, he would probably do the same".

Downtown Amsterdam is very similar. Using ancient sidestreets and high streets, Amsterdam's street layout and planning is remarkably similar to Japanese urban planning in that there are few roadsigns or rules. In many areas, cars people and bicyles are sharing the same area and are accomodating to each other as well. It works out beautifully, although in both Japan and Amsterdam there are sometimes close calls between cyclists because there is the 'assumption' that cyclists will sound their bell at blind corners etc...when that doesn't happen, there is anarchy....which only reinforces the main point: don't assume anything when it comes to driving safety.

The idea is to a) increase awareness of other drivers and non-drivers, and b) to effectively utilize as an ever more important space-the city streets. Efficiency and safety are key, and it begins with not taking your safety for granted just because you are following all the signs correctly.