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Saturday, March 07, 2015
People & Traffic in Llan - Crowdfunding for change
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Preston, UK extends its "Shared Space"
Friday, December 05, 2014
Reimagining Jay Street (Brooklyn, NY) With Shared Space and Protected Bike Lanesby Stephen Miller
...Today, lots of people cross Jay near MetroTech, but the crosswalks and stop lights don't always match the numerous pedestrian desire lines. The TA report suggests changing the street's design to be more akin to shared space, where pedestrians are given more leeway and drivers no longer rely on markings and stop lights to navigate the street....
More at: http://www.streetsblog.org/2014/11/21/shared-space-protected-bike-lanes-on-the-table-in-downtown-brooklyn/
Saturday, July 05, 2014
Managing transport risks: what works?
They both have an inflated opinion of the effectiveness of their interventions in the functioning of the complex interactive systems they purport to influence or control..."
More at: http://john-adams.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Management-of-the-risks-of-transport2.pdf
Shared Space on YouTube
Talking Shared Space With Ben Hamilton-Baillie
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Traffic Control: An Exercise in Self-Defeat* by Kenneth Todd
Kenneth Todd is a retired engineer in Washington DC.
His work is referenced in:
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Don't treat drivers like idiots, says urban expert
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Ashland, OR considers Woonerf for new Master Plan
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Poynton - Update
( See previous Video post - Poynton Regenerated , below )
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Poynton Regenerated
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Traffic control - the road to nowhere?
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
'Fewer injuries' in Ashford shared space road scheme
Friday, June 29, 2012
Sydney Builds Separate Bike Lanes, Ridership Skyrockets 82%
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Shared Space pedestrian and traffic interaction, Bern, Switzerland
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Sonnenfelsplatz - Shared Space
Shared Space - Deal, Kent
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Shared space concept to lift lower Brougham St
A $1 million redevelopment of New Plymouth's dingy lower Brougham St will put cars and pedestrians on the same level.
From March next year much of the street between Devon St and Ariki St will become a single level shared space for cars, pedestrians, cyclists and even skateboarders.
The redevelopment is to be funded from the council's $3.71m model walking and cycling community grant and will create a type of space increasingly used in street renewals around the world.
"We've taken notes from similar street redevelopments in central Auckland where there aren't separate spaces for traffic and pedestrians, but rather a shared space which has resulted in an open, fresh-feeling public area where once there was just a road," said Let's Go project manager Carl Whittleston.
"We are trying to makes this space pedestrian-friendly but we're not seeking to keep vehicles out."
To achieve this shared space concept, defined footpaths are gone and seating areas, planter boxes and a green space determine where cars and people can go.
A single lane of road will remain for buses turning right out of King St and parking spaces will still be provided for library users.
Mr Whittleston expected the design to be completed in January with plans put up for display in Puke Ariki. All going well, construction will start in March next year.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Coventry: Shared Space Video
Blind man slams Coventry 'shared space' junctions
...Coventry City Council has ditched traffic lights in eight busy junctions and put in 20mph speed limits to give drivers and pedestrians equal priority as part of a "shared space" scheme.
Council leaders say the schemes will lead to road users paying more attention and make the city centre safer, more attractive and pedestrian-friendly. But Jim Smallman, aged 62, of Green Lane, Finham, says the European-style changes have created "no-go areas" for the blind.
Read More http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2011/11/23/blind-man-slams-coventry-shared-space-junctions-92746-29827275/#ixzz1eaBb4icJ
Friday, November 11, 2011
Exhibition Road Shared Space now open
Is it a mad idea to turn roads and pavements into one great big shared space? London's grandest cultural artery will shortly find out
By Justin McGuirk
"...Roads and pavements are rules, keeping hard cars and soft pedestrians apart. Lane markings, pedestrian crossings and steel railings are another layer of rules. Do we really need such nannying? What if we relaxed the rules a little?
This is exactly what's happening at London's Exhibition Road, the great Victorian thoroughfare that stretches half a mile from South Kensington tube station to Hyde Park in London. In the last 18 months, it has been ripped up and remade to a new design that all but abolishes the distinction between road and pavement..."
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Really Sharing The Road Means Vibrant Urban Spaces
August 7, 2011
Stop and go. Stop and go. Stop and go. Man, city driving can be a drag. What makes highway driving so much quicker?
City streets are designed to the exact same standards as highways — traffic engineers are trained to build highways and nothing else — so there shouldn't be a difference. So, why does traffic creep along inside city limits when streets are just like highways?
The problem lies at the intersections. Cars can, and do, achieve highway design speeds between intersections, but waiting at red lights kills the averages. Next time you're traversing city streets, reset your car's average mph computer (if your car is so equipped) and you'll find that even though you achieve bursts of 40 to 60 mph, your average speed settles in around 12 to 14 mph, unless congestion drops it further.
To be sure, no small effort has been devoted to combating the inefficiency of intersections, including traffic signals, convoluted timing devices for synchronization, striping lines, signs, etc. But so far the complexities of urban street systems continue to dog all such efforts. So we wait and wait for the light to change.
What would happen if we took the opposite tack? What if intersections were wiped clean of all the clutter? What if there were no stop lights, no signs, no striping?
As crazy as this idea may seem, not only has it received serious attention but it's actually gaining traction around the globe, including tentative forays in the U.S., with consistently impressive results.
It was first done to slow traffic speeds and improve safety, but mounting statistics indicate that where streetlights and stop signs are removed, top speeds drop from 40-60 mph to 20-30 mph, but average speeds increase from 12-14 mph to 17-19 mph. In other words, overall trip times drop when all signage and signals are removed, even though top speeds decrease. However, the biggest shocker is that accidents drop by half.
The simple explanation is that people, whether they are drivers, bicyclists or pedestrians, become more aware of each other, and preternatural avoidance systems take over to protect us from each other — just like the common sense that kicks in to prevent people from crashing into one another on a crowded ice skating rink.
The technique of creating "shared streets," where people, bicycles and cars all coexist in one shared space without signals and signage, found its roots in the late 1960s when Dutch traffic planner Hans Monderman worked with a largely grass-roots group to attack mounting safety concerns on roads. It was Monderman who first determined that common-sense instincts could trump all the separation and control devices that dominate roadway design.
His best-known early success was the Dutch "Woonerf," or "Living Street" project in Delft in 1968. He continued to develop the concept at intersections throughout the Netherlands until his death in 2008.
While Monderman's initiatives were primarily aimed at calming traffic and improving safety, other benefits emerged as signs and signals were removed. Merchants and property owners began to notice demonstrable increases in foot traffic in the newly shared streets, which led to increased retail sales, restaurant usage and demand for housing.
In other words, the unintended consequence of Monderman's safety efforts was to stimulate economic prosperity. The prosperity factor significantly widened the band of advocates for his cause, already named the Monderman Model.
In his spirit, Ben Hamilton-Baillie, a British architect and urban designer, began similar efforts. Like Monderman, Hamilton-Baillie began his career focused on street safety, in his case for bicyclists. He came to see that the Monderman Model offered obvious applications to safe bicycling.
Over the past 11 years, Hamilton-Baillie has created shared space, removing all traffic signals, signage and striping, at intersections in 56 communities in the U.K., including London, as well as in communities in Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Canada. In all cases, interventions consistently lowered driving speeds, shortened trip times and significantly improved pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety.
As in the Monderman Model, Hamilton-Baillie's projects increased foot traffic in the shared space areas, and increased economic prosperity, or "uplift," as the British call it.
At one such project, the Great Queen Street shared space in London, residential retail and commercial uplift has been more than $800 million, according to a study.
Of course the reverse lesson of shared space projects is the deadening effect of streets designed like highways. These streets were supposed to improve safety and mobility and don't even do that, much less foster prosperity. It is time to stop the madness. Joining pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles in shared space releases normative human behaviors that could rekindle that dusty old project, civilization. Let's speed it along.
Robert Orr is an architect and planner in New Haven.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Naked Street man wants to strip High Street bare
By Naoise Coogan
Kilkenny had a visit from the Naked Street Consultant this week. Ben Hamilton Baillie was in Kilkenny at the invitation of the Kilkenny City Centre Business Association (KCCBA) to assess Kilkenny's streetscapes and traffic management system.
Mr Hamilton Baillie is renowned for his radical and contemporary street layouts which includes the removal of signage, barriers, rails, speed limits and any other impediment that might obstruct the natural flow of both pedestrian and motorised traffic.
Unconventional as his views may be, Mr Hamilton Baillie has had his plans implemented in several other European cities including the Netherlands, France and of course his homeland in the UK.
Speaking to the Kilkenny Advertiser during his visit Mr Hamilton Baillie said that although he is not up to date on Kilkenny's system, he is aware of other medieval cities like Kilkenny that have implemented his street designs.
"I'm not a fan of one way systems personally. I don't think they work very well. I really believe that if you change people's mindsets, put the responsibility back on them to be careful that they accept this responsibility with gusto and this makes the streets a safer place.
"For example, a signalled pedestrian crossing has been proven to be two-and-a-half times more dangerous than no pedestrian crossing at all. This is because the lights and signage dictate your behaviour, however, if you are required to analyse the safety of crossing the road yourself, you are much more likely to be more careful — it makes sense," he said.
Mr Hamilton Baillie also met with the county manager, Joe Crockett, officials and some members of the council on Monday morning for a consultation. Mr Crockett said that the concepts were interesting but at this point there were no definite plans determined for Kilkenny's High Street.
"We are awaiting a report to be returned from WIT on research carried out on the affect of the one way system on businesses in the city and until we get this data, we really won't know what we will do."
The one way system trial was officially up after six months and business people are adamant that it has had a negative affect on their businesses. Some 100 people attended a meeting some two weeks ago organised by the KCCBA to voice their concerns, and this week more business people came along to a presentation by Mr Hamilton Baillie on his radical concept for traffic management.
"It's customers that are saying to us that it is simply too difficult to get in and out of the city. They psychologically can't get their head around having to drive all the way around the city to get to where they want to go because they cannot turn right from Bateman Quay onto Rose Inn Street and then they cannot drive up the High Street. We need to start from scratch and design a new plan for the city centre as the one in place is simply not working and this can be seen by almost every business in the city," said Phil Walsh CEO of Goods on the High Street.
Cllr Betty Manning who is also a business person trading on the High Street was also adamant that something new needed to be done to sort out the problems and that the council needed to heed the voice of local business who made up the heart of Kilkenny city.
There will be several meetings of the council members and officials before a resolution is decided upon, and whether Mr Hamilton Baillie will be commissioned to design a new concept for Kilkenny's High Street. Until then, the one-way system remains in place and Kilkenny businesses continue to count their losses.
Meanwhile pedestrians are happier and feel more confident and comfortable on the High Street as it feels safer and is less congested than before.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Birmingham UK - Residents plead for road safety
The safety calls were made in Moseley after a pensioner and four boys died in two separate incidents last month.
Teresa Queenan was in collision with a lorry as she crossed the junction of Alcester Road and Salisbury Road on November 9 while four boys died when the car in which they were travelling hit a wall in Salisbury Road on November 14.
Now, the Moseley Forum group has demanded a so-called shared space scheme in the suburb as soon as possible.
The aim is to remove barriers, including road signs, bollards and lights, between car and pedestrian to turn the street into a self-regulated area used by all.
It has been pioneered with some success in Holland and is being introduced in various part of the United Kingdom.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
It IS happening here !
Bikes, cars share Oak Street
New 'sharrows' signs on pavement give notice
By John Darling, For the Ashland Daily Tidings, November 18, 2009
"...Oak Street officially became the city's first "shared roadway" this week when crews laid thermoplastic signs on the pavement between Lithia Way and Nevada Street..."
Monday, October 19, 2009
Traffic light failure reduces jams
The fault occurred early on Tuesday (October 13) where Southgate Street meets High Street.
The bottleneck often forces drivers to queue for several hundred yards along Southgate Street and the city's one-way system.
Yet there were only a handful of vehicles on both sides of the junction while the lights were broken. There were also no reports of accidents.
Nearby traders, who see the jams on a daily basis, said the traffic was much lighter.
Matt Lunney, a negotiator at Pearsons estate agents in Southgate Street, noticed the difference.
He said: "Everything is settling down and there's only been one or two people going a bit too fast along Southgate Street.
"The traffic isn't too bad. It often goes back a fair way from here but that doesn't seem to have happened this morning."
Across the road, Susan Whyman runs the Childhood's Dream toyshop, and said traffic was flowing freely.
She said: "I drove through it to get to work this morning. There doesn't seem to be any trouble outside but I'm not sure if it would stay that way if a large truck came around the corner."
Along with lorries, many buses also use the junction, including the Bluestar 1 service to Southampton.
Alan Weeks of the Winchester City Residents' Association often rides the bus into town, and went through the affected junction. While vehicles were doing fine, he said it was risky for pedestrians.
"The people crossing the road were taking their life in their hands, as there weren't any gaps in the traffic," he said.
Winchester Friends of the Earth spokesman, Chris Gillham, said they wanted pedestrians to have more priority over cars.
One idea to achieve this in Winchester is 'shared space', which includes reducing street furniture.
Mr Gillham said they would support having fewer traffic lights, not just as part of the scheme, but to reduce street clutter too.
County council engineers fixed the fault before Tuesday evening's rush hour. Traffic returned to normal the next day, with longer queues.
The county council was asked if it might consider switching them back off as an experiment, but it said it would compromise pedestrian safety.
Apart from the Southgate Street lights, there are nine further sets on Winchester's one-way system in Union, Eastgate, Upper Brook, St George's and Jewry Streets, along with North Walls and Friarsgate.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
A project implemented by the European Union is currently seeing seven cities and regions clear-cutting their forest of traffic signs. A project implemented by the European Union is currently seeing seven cities and regions clear-cutting their forest of traffic signs...The utopia has already become a reality in Makkinga, in the Dutch province of Western Frisia. A sign by the entrance to the small town (population 1,000) reads "Verkeersbordvrij" -- "free of traffic signs." Cars bumble unhurriedly over precision-trimmed granite cobblestones. Stop signs and direction signs are nowhere to be seen. There are neither parking meters nor stopping restrictions. There aren't even any lines painted on the streets...[more]
Drachten is one of the pioneer towns for such schemes. Accident figures at one junction where traffic lights were removed have dropped from thirty-six in the four years prior to the introduction of the scheme to two in the two years following it. Only three of the original fifteen sets of traffic lights remain. Tailbacks (traffic jams) are now almost unheard of at the town's main junction, which handles about 22,000 cars a day [more]
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Anarcho Traffic Management: is it the Future?
[Monderman]...also claimed that congestion, traffic jams and the rush-hour would be alleviated if not completely eliminated by removing all these state traffic regulations. He further argued that if traffic is slowed down it will actually move quicker.
At the heart of shared space lies the idea of integration. This contrasts with the traditional town planning practices of segregation, where traffic and people must be ruthlessly seperated. Monderman's attitude - which is well worth Bristol City Council taking on board - was:
"If you treat drivers like idiots, they act as idiots. Never treat anyone in the public realm as an idiot, always assume they have intelligence."
Of course for much of his life Monderman was himself treated as a dangerous idiot by traditional traffic experts, civil engineers and the huge and powerful corporate vested interests behind them. But where his ideas have been tried such as in his home town of Friesland, Holland and in Scandinavia they have been highly successful...
...Could this be the ideal place for the city to create a shared space scheme? What's there to lose? If it fails then our traffic engineer traditionalists can lovingly recreate their pensioner death trap again in a few years time anyway. [more]
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Pedestrian Safety in Sweden
...The general explanation to these remarkable results was that pedestrians experience a false feeling of safety when protected by zebra marking or signalization. Another way of expressing it could be that pedestrians cross more carefully when no help is provided...
...The conclusion from most recent research is that there is a need to guarantee either completeseparation between pedestrians and vehicular traffic, or create good conditions for properinteraction between the pedestrian and the driver... " [more]
Challenging assumptions, Ben Hamilton-Baillie
Allan B Jacobs has been described as 'the ultimate student of the street' by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS). The author of Great Streets and The Boulevard Book was asked by PPS to summarize the key conclusions from his long career as both a researcher and practicing urban designer. His response was two-fold. Firstly, he concludes that improving streetscapes and urban design requires utilizing the power of observation and questioning assumptions. Secondly, he advocates fostering interaction between pedestrians and cars in the public realm....
...Remove formal pedestrian crossings. They merely contribute to the conditions that, in turn, give them an apparent purpose. By introducing a false sense of safety to the pedestrian, they increase danger. Courtesy crossings are cheaper, simpler, and more appropriate. A wide-ranging review of pedestrian crossing types by the University of Lund suggests that informal crossings are significantly safer than puffins, pelicans, toucans, zebras and all the rest of the complicated and expensive zoological armoury...
... If any highway authority is nervous about risk or liability, refer them to the case of Corringe v. Calderdale. It is the duty of drivers to take the road as they find it…
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Building Good Roads
One problem in our transportation policy is that funding is unduly weighted to spending money on roads rather than spending money on mass transit. Another problem in our transportation policy is that funding is unduly weighted to building new roads rather than to doing the necessary work to maintain the roads we already have in excellent condition. But yet another problem is that there are roads and then there are roads. There are freeways, and there are boulevards. There are connected networks of streets that can be walked or biked as well as driven, and there impenetrable mazes of cul-de-sacs...[more]
This article is interesting - especially for the many reader comments that follow.
e.g. .."...the one on the left looks European, while the one on the right North American (gross simplification). In Europe the one of the left would have parks, footpaths and cyclelanes between the cul-de-sacs and would therefore be friendly to non-driving modes of transport."
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Students Give Up Wheels for Their Own Two Feet
This story came via a note on the BTA blog :
Today's New York Times reports on a simple step that has already reduced car travel by 100,000 miles in the town of Lecco, in northern Italy: kids walking to school.
Just as Portland contemplates cutting the Safer Routes program that serves families and kids at 25 Portland schools, other communities around the US and the world are realizing how much traffic, pollution and ill health could be avoided if those families within walking- or biking-distance of their school sent their kids under their own power, and not by car
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Civic Trust Special Award - 2009
...By adopting the concept of a shared space the scheme has transformed a traditional, motorist dominated street scene incorporating rigid features such as kerbs and crossings into one where pedestrians are able to move freely over the whole area and have priority over other users. The inclusion within the design of attractive features such as bespoke seating and lighting has improved the experience of many people who use the area, and has created a new café culture with a lively, welcoming atmosphere which is pedestrian friendly both during the day and in the evening. Local people were involved in the design process through a series of workshops and it is clear that the scheme has improved the experience for many people who use it...[more]
Woonerf is a Dutch word that translates roughly as "street for living," and refers to Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman's innovative and increasingly popular contribution to urban design: a streetscape stripped of lane markers, curbs, sidewalks, zebra crossings and other obvious boundaries denoting spaces meant for single forms of transportation. While at first blush such an experiment would seem to make the street more dangerous for its users, the woonerf actually ensures increased safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike, because of how the ambiguous design mixes otherwise discrete user groups...
Blurring the boundary between street and sidewalk, woonerfs combine innovative paving, landscaping and other urban designs to allow for the integration of multiple functions in a single street, so that pedestrians, cyclists and children playing share the road with slow-moving cars.
Where the sidewalk ends
At an intersection in Portland's Chinatown, the asphalt street suddenly gives way to an urban oasis. A pair of massive, granite planters with palm trees flank the entrance to the street, which opens onto a one-block space paved with concrete squares. There are no white lane dividers or sidewalks. Instead, rough-hewn granite columns distinguish places for pedestrians and places for cars.
"The idea of this street is that it's designed like a public square but it's open to traffic," said Ellen Vanderslice, a project manager for the Portland Department of Transportation. "We were very consciously trying to create a body language of the street that tells people something different is going on here."
...The approach appears to be working, she said. "Pedestrians tend to just mosey across the street every which way," Vanderslice said. "And drivers slow down and pay attention."
Portland's so-called "festival street," which opened two months ago, is one of a small but growing number of projects in the United States that seek to reclaim streets used by cars as public places for people, too. The strategy is to blur the boundary between pedestrians and automobiles by removing sidewalks and traffic devices, and to create a seamless multi-purpose urban space...
[ lots more ]
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
'Sharrows' aim to help cars and bikes share roads
"The sharrow sends the message to cyclists, 'yes, you are welcome here,' "...
...Pioneered in Denver in the mid-1990s, sharrows are attracting the attention of transportation officials around the United States. But the markings are controversial. In June, Boulder, Colo., became one of the few cities outside of California to install the shared-lane markings... [more]
See also story about introduction of SHARROWS in Cincinnati
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Main Street Dims Its Lights
A recent article shows that East Geenwich is, like Ashland, having ideas about street lighting, sustainability and safety issues.
Main Street Dims Its Lights
"..."We wanted to see if the cobra lights are really needed," he said. "If people decide it's not working, we'll change it back."The idea percolated out of the Downtown Planning Initiative, a subcommittee of the East Greenwich Planning Board. The town council approved the idea in December and National Grid turned off the cobra lights last week.He said the change will also save the town money on its electric bill and said the reduced light will have a "natural traffic calming effect" on Main Street. "Traffic will definitely slow down"... [more]
Another article in the newspaper shows that they too are also looking at light rail options for their community.
article: An East Greenwich Train Station
"...East Greenwich and the state have expressed interest in locating a rail station in East Greenwich since 2004, and some conceptual groundwork for transit-oriented development zones in town has already been completed..."
ICE VIP gets tour of town's shared space
...Judith Armitt, managing director of Ashford's Future, said: "Our shared space scheme has set the standard for transforming a major town centre road and several local authorities are looking to follow our lead. Following several high profile visits we are delighted to welcome the President of the ICE. Shared space is helping unlock the commercial development potential of Ashford and has made the area much more attractive to residents and visitors."
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
In Ashland, Cars Rule - OK?
Pedestrians, save gas by not making traffic stop for you
Pedestrians! Don't make autos stop for you at crosswalks! Although autos are required by law to stop for pedestrians, we'd use less gasoline and create less pollution if pedestrians waited for traffic to clear before crossing, or walked half a block to the closest stoplight...So all you oh-so-green Ashlanders, do your bit to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lessen the risk of global warming — don't make vehicles stop for you at crosswalks!
read entire letter at [link]
Perhaps a better solution might be to eliminate all the traffic signals and reduce the speed of vehicles such that pedestrians could safely cross anywhere between the slow-moving traffic. Drivers would be watching the pedestrians rather than the green-for-GO signal above them.
Sounds like - Shared space ! see video - Introduction to Shared Space
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Impromptu Shared Space Calms Soho Intersection
...Reader Tim Koelle sends this report of a busted traffic signal gone terribly right at the intersection of West Broadway and Grand yesterday morning:
I watched for an hour while cars, trucks and pedestrians shared this space quietly... with civility! Little honking, no aggressive driving, no traffic cop. Why? Because the light was out.
No one had to speed up and honk to make the green light on time; no one honked or changed lanes to take advantage of the narrow window of time the light granted them. Everyone came to a stop, looked around (wondering why the light was dead, and what they should do), and proceeded slowly thru.
Instead of a line of cars waiting for the light to change, alternate sides vying with each other for the few precious moments allowing them the right to pass thru... no one had to wait very long. And in fact the alternate sides traded back and forth, almost at a one-to-one ratio. No one had to wait, so no one got stuck in a line, so no one sped up, so no one honked, so there was no need for aggressive driving! Even pedestrians got their due... [more, with comments]
It reminds me of when a power cut in Downtown Ashland happened just at evening rush hour, shutting down all the traffic signals.
Everybody just quietly took their turn - bikes, pedestrians and cars all watching each other, rather than waiting for the eye-in-the-sky to tell them to GO !
I have also heard reports of early morning commuters stopped and waiting at red lights on Lithia Way - for the non-existing cross traffic. Do we actually need traffic signals in Ashland?
Comments welcome.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
New Inn Hall Street to get revamp
The West End Partnership will start work on Monday to transform New Inn Hall Street, following the completion of the £2m facelift of neighbouring Bonn Square in December.
The resurfacing project will last 20 weeks and is designed to encourage vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists to be courteous and give way to each other.
Although the full width of the street, including pavements, will be at the same level, the pavement areas will still be clearly marked.
Oxfordshire County Council, which is planning to pedestrianise more of the city centre as part of its Transform Oxford project, is providing £125,000 towards the work. [more]
Sunday, March 01, 2009
America before streets were civilised
by Ben Hamilton-Baillie Hamilton-Baillie Associates Limited, Bristol, United Kingdom
Contribution by the author to the world wide collaborative project "Messages for America: World-wide experience, ideas, counsel, proposals and good wishes for the incoming Obama transportation team". See www.messages.newmobility.org for latest version of this report of the New Mobility Agenda
Looking back at 2009 from the closing days of Barrack Obama's presidency, it is sometimes surprising to appreciate how much has changed in the relationship between people, places and traffic, and to grasp the effect of the dramatic policy change that took hold back then. Aware that successful cities are judged on the quality of their public realm, policy makers began to transform city streets from soulless arteries for vehicles into spaces shared equally by pedestrians, cars, taxis, buses, bicycles and every kind of social activity. Given the huge benefits that sprang from the multiple use of public urban space for safety, movement, accessibility, and economic vitality, it is now hard to recall how different typical streets once looked.Until 2009, they looked like everywhere else. In those days. the roadways providing running space for vehicles were carefully separated from pedestrian spaces. Kerbs, steel barriers, bollards and paint markings reinforced this separation. Different organisations looked after the two worlds that this segregation created, one managed by "traffic engineers", the other by "urban designers". Traversing this divide required specific crossings controlled by traffic lights, buttons and beeping signals. Standardised signs, traffic islands, poles, control boxes and illuminated bollards littered the spaces between buildings. Behaviour in the roadway was controlled by the state via cameras, and normal social courtesies were discouraged.Inspired by pioneering examples from Europe, and particularly by the work of Hans Monderman from The Netherlands, people suddenly realised that all this highway clutter was no longer needed. Without traffic signals, signs and markings, traffic flowed slowly and more smoothly. Congestion diminished. Casualty rates, particularly for children and vulnerable pedestrians, declined sharply. Shops flourished as pedestrian footfall increased, with people negotiating their way through slowly moving traffic using informal communication and courtesy. Bus companies reported more reliable running times. Every street in America began to reflect its history, context and purpose, reflecting the richness and diversity of the country's huge geography and infinite variety.Only the most busy traffic arteries remained segregated, such as the freeways and major arterial highways. All the remaining city streets became "shared space". Back in 2009, most found the change surprising and a little daunting. It seemed almost perverse and counter-intuitive to take away rules and regulations, signs and signals, and to rely on people's commonsense and adaptive skills. And yet, just as crowds seem to develop an intuitive choreography in busy complex spaces such as railway station forecourts and departure lounges, so drivers and pedestrians engaged in a new respectful relationship at busy intersections. Speeds remained below 20 mph. Delaying a bus or lorry became a serious social gaffe. Eye contact and hand signals became more sophisticated. Driving behaviour adapted to the times of day and rhythms of the city, with quite different styles when schools were coming out, when the bars were closing, or when streets were empty before dawn. Pedestrians walked where they wished to walk. Bicycling became the norm in the low speed, smooth flowing streets. Taxi drivers still grumbled. Traffic signal engineers were retrained as park keepers and window cleaners. Civility flourished.So many changes in the past eight years, but none more significant for the quality of everyday life in America as the moment when engineering merged with creativity and commonsense.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Bloomberg Puts Forward a Bold, Transformative New Vision for Broadway
New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan unveiled plans to pedestrianize a large swath of Broadway in Midtown Manhattan ...
...Extending from 59th Street at Columbus Circle to 23rd Street at Madison Square with substantial pedestrian-only areas at Times and Herald Squares, Mayor Bloomberg's plan for Broadway is, arguably, the boldest and most transformative street reclamation project since Portland, Oregon decided to tear down Harbor Drive in 1974...
Construction on the street redesign -- which is being presented as a pilot project and being built with temporary materials -- will start in May and continue through August...
...Sadik-Khan said she expected the bike lane would mainly be used by tourists and pedicabs. The bicycle rental company Bike & Roll is considering setting up a rental facility somewhere along the route. [more]
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Dim the Traffic Lights?
By Professor Hugo D Godoy Azar
"...I invite you to try an exercise of observation that clearly illustrates our idea:At night, proceed to a wide straight avenue, if possible 500-metres long, with traffic lights working at the end. You will see that despite the distance, you will be able to see clearly the lamps of the traffic lights, which have a minimum of between 75 and 150 watts. Wait until a car arrives and stops at the lights. You will be able to see clearly its rear lights – of 5 watts! Intriguing, isn't it?..." [more]
Smart Code
The SmartCode was released by Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company (DPZ)in 2003, after two decades of research and implementation.
The code is open source and free of charge.
[download pdf of the code]
Road Trip
(extract from his blog)
...The New Urbanists had not set out to build monuments to Yuppie-Boomer consumerism, but a peculiar destiny shoved them into that role for a while – even while they toiled elsewhere around the nation to reform town planning laws and generally provide an antidote to the fatal cultural cancer of sprawl, that is, of a settlement pattern guaranteed to comprehensively bankrupt our society. Anyway, the collapse of the housing bubble has affected the New Urbanists' business, too, and this may turn out to be a very good thing because they can put aside the distractions of building very grand places to sop up ill-gotten wealth and focus on the issues that Mr. Obama's people should have been paying attention to all along, namely, how are we going to reform the way we live in this country and what will be the physical manifestation of how we live in the decades to come.
The New Urbanists have preached for years that conventional suburbia would fail America in the long run, and that we'd have to prepare for this failure by restoring traditional modes of occupying the landscape. So far, the Obama team has not been willing to identify the suburban system as the heart of our economic problem. They can't recognize it for what it truly is: a living arrangement with no future – and an economic, ecological, and spiritual disaster. It is, of course, the primary reason why we find ourselves in the deadly predicament of importing over two-thirds of the oil we use every day. But then, more than half the population lives the suburban way of life, with its deadly mortgage traps, its mandatory motoring, and its civic disengagements. Nobody in power dares tell the truth: that we can't live this way anymore. But there are scores of places like Montgomery, Alabama, and thousands of traditional main street small towns that are sitting out there waiting to be re-activated. We need to do this much more than we need to build new freeways to the beach. Suburbia is not going to be abandoned overnight (even if it fails logistically and economically !) but we have got to arrive at a consensus about rehabilitating our forsaken small cities and small towns. The New Urbanists have gathered, organized, and codified all the principle and methodology needed to carry out this campaign. This should be their moment. Mr. Obama and his team should get with the program.
Just step out, pedestrians are told. Drivers will stop
Pedestrians are being encouraged to walk out in front of cars and traffic lights have been removed in a unique experiment on Britain's roads.
Drivers no longer have the right of way on the ring road in Ashford, Kent, and have to negotiate their way across junctions, with no signs or lines to guide them. All road users, whether travelling on foot, by bicycle, car or bus, have equal priority and must use eye contact to decide who goes first...
...But Ashford is the first place to introduce the purest form of shared space, under which traffic lights are considered not only unnecessary but a potential cause of collisions.
The theory is that lights lull people into a false sense of security, meaning that they pay less attention on a green light and fail to notice someone stepping off the pavement.... [more]
Videos here and here
Cities try to improve crosswalk safety
Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are ramping up efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets.
A pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash in the USA every 110 minutes; one is injured every nine minutes, according to federal data. Crosswalks can be especially perilous for the elderly. ..
In 2006, 471 pedestrians nationwide were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 10 years earlier, according to the NHTSA. Several factors contribute to danger at crosswalks:
•Highways are designed and built primarily to accommodate vehicles, not pedestrians.
•Most pedestrian accidents at intersections involve turning vehicles. Drivers who routinely fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks run little risk of being cited unless they actually strike a pedestrian.
•About one-third of pedestrian deaths result from their disobeying traffic signals or using poor judgment, according to federal data.
see story of yet another crosswalk accident in Ashland on Feb. 18. 2009 :
Car Hits Woman Crossing
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bike vs. Car vs. Transit
see who wins the NYC commute at StreetFilms
Friday, February 20, 2009
A Road Diet for Ashland?
Safety benefits:
– Reduced vehicle speeds
– Reduced conflict points
– Improved sight distance
- Improved pedestrian & bike safety
Read the Rosales handbook here or Dan Burden's 1999 paper on Road Diets here
Interviewed on JPR's Jefferson Exchange 10/10/08 , John Fregonese, former Ashland Planning Director stated:
"...We did an Ashland Street plan. It was one of the last things I did when I was here.......I think the idea was to try to make Ashland Street - which quite frankly has got two extra lanes - I mean, you could really take two more lanes out of that and make it a more livable, pedestrian-friendly street. It just doesn't justify the number of lanes it has for the traffic..."
Would a Road Diet also work for North Main between Maple and Downtown Ashland ?
Will new town embrace shared space too?
National experts on 'place-making' were brought in to help and advise on the best ways forward... [more]
Helmets Safer..or Not?
This is how the UK's Daily Mirror described the incident:
...Elle Macpherson is not exactly a model mum - as she cycles along with her son perched precariously on the handlebars.
Elle, 44, seemed oblivious to the dangers as she laughed and chatted with [son] Aurelius Cy while weaving through busy West London streets... [more]
The Guardian's Simon Jenkins however had a different opinion:
Elle Macpherson deserves a medal...
The press are idiots to condemn the model for cycling without a helmet. The real villains are over-active traffic managers
...Macpherson was probably the safest cyclist in London that day. Like the mayor [of London] , Boris Johnson, she is signed up (I guess by instinct) to the Wilde-Adams theory of compensatory risk assessment. By not wearing a helmet, she lowers her risk threshold and thus rides more carefully. She commendably cycles rather than drives a car and protects her child, who cannot manage his own risk. The society should give her a medal, not insult her. The press were idiots.
By chance, this week sees the publication of another tome in the mountain of evidence that Britain's safety culture is making us increasingly unsafe. Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic collates a mass of evidence about how we drive cars and use roads. It demonstrates the extent of mendacious brain-washing inflicted on the public by health-and-safety lawyers, bureaucrats and sellers of expensive equipment...Galileo had the same trouble with the Inquisition. I say give Elle Macpherson a Galileo medal. [more]
What do YOU think?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Shared-Use Streets
by Celeste Gilman and Robert Gilman
[excerpted from a paper presented to 3rd Urban Street Symposium,June 24-27, 2007 Seattle, Washington]
Langley, Washington, a semi-rural town of 1,050 people, is expected to grow by 40 to 100 percent over the next 20 years. One of the town's biggest assets is its pedestrian friendly character, which is currently supported by low traffic volumes.
Anticipating this growth, the City is developing new street design standards to support all users and modes. One of the new street types is "shared-use," which mixes pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers in a low-speed environment that emphasizes the community function of the street... [more]
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Intersection Repair
Ever dreamed of making the streets outside your abode more livable, pedestrian-friendly, and community-oriented?
City Repair in Portland, Oregon hosts an annual Village Building Convergence where hundreds of people come together to build diverse projects for the benefit of their communites and to take back their streets via a process known as the Intersection Repair.This involves painting streets with a high-visiblity mural that creates a public square for residents to gather and one which gently encourages drivers to slow down when approaching these spaces. Over time the neighbors further enhance the transformation by adding amenities like benches, community bulletin boards, and introducing gardens & art. As you'll see, the possibilites are endless.StreetFilms visited three of the Intersection Repairs and spoke with Mark Lakeman co-founder of City Repair, Greg Raisman, the Portland DOT Liason, and scores of residents & volunteers about why they were doing it.
[watch the video]
Monday, February 16, 2009
Removing Roads and Traffic Lights Speeds Urban Travel
By Linda Baker - Scientific American Jan 2009
...The idea is that the absence of traffic regulation forces drivers to take more responsibility for their actions. "The more uncomfortable the driver feels, the more he is forced to make eye contact on the street with pedestrians, other drivers and to intuitively go slower," explains Chris Conway, a city engineer with Montgomery, Ala.
Last April the city converted a signalized downtown intersection into a European-style cobblestone plaza shared by cars, bikes and pedestrians—one of a handful of such projects that are springing up around the country... [more]
Signal Failure
For decades, traffic engineer Hans Monderman had a hair-raising way of showing off his handiwork to anyone who took the trouble to visit his native northern Dutch province of Friesland. He would walk backward, arms folded, into the flow of traffic, and without horn-honking or expletives, drivers would slow or stop to let him safely cross to the other side. Monderman's stunt was an act of faith in the concept of "shared space," a radical street-design principle he quietly pioneered in more than 120 projects... Monderman explained that removing signs forces you "to look each other in the eye, to judge body language and learn to take responsibility — to function as normal human beings."
...Monderman long argued that the overuse of signage was due to a misguided culture of risk avoidance among town planners. "Each time someone complains," he told TIME, "something gets added to the system. And no one asks if it's effective." [more]
(To see Hans' stunt, watch videos on right.)


text:
Wall Street
GOP fights Lincoln on reform
Republicans aren't the only ones who don't like her derivatives plan, though.
Boost for labor in Wall St. bill
The legislation would make it easier for union-friendly candidates to get elected to corporate boards
Dodd and Shelby strike Wall St. deal
With a bipartisan agreement in place, the Senate begins voting Wednesday.
Reid: GOP 'making love' to Wall St.
He escalates rhetoric in reform debate.
Republicans slam bank tax
Geithner tries to cast proposal in best possible light, but GOP senators aren't buying.
Obama lays out defense of record
He tells top CEOs that, from health care to banking reform, it is all about helping the economy.
Lawmakers try to avoid bailout tag
Senators scramble away from the most politically toxic concept in the financial reform debate.
Corker bucks GOP without regrets
The senator takes aim at the financial reform ''circus'' in an interview with POLITICO.
Reid hammers GOP on reform delay
The Senate majority leader accuses Republicans of stalling on the financial overhaul bill.
Reid: Must finish reform by next week
He says the Senate must complete its work on financial regulatory reform "one way or the other."
Left sees chance to beef up bank bill
Liberals hope anger at Goldman will allow them to demand more robust reform.
Hedge funds get 'free ride'
Well-connected lobbyists have helped funds like John Paulson's duck reform, a watchdog says.
The Wall Street-Washington divide
The financial reform fight highlights how little the two power centers really understand each other.
Bunning calls Reid an 'idiot'
The Kentucky senator boils over as tensions rise between the GOP and the majority leader.
Reid: GOP filibuster 'anti-American'
He says Republicans "keep stalling" by blocking Wall St. reg bill from reaching Senate floor.
Regaining the public's trust
Opinion: It is little wonder Americans have lost faith in some of our government's institutions.
Citi's Pandit pens letter to W.H.
He writes to Obama pledging to support key reform principles.
Goldman brass: Don't blame us
Blankfein and other execs spend the day defending the firm's actions against withering criticism.
GOP holds firm on Day 2 of standoff
Both parties say talks over the next day or so will be crucial to the fate of Wall St. reform.
Blankfein testimony to deny charges
Goldman Sachs CEO will defend firm's investment, say it didn't bet against market and clients.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
McNeil Fired At Texas Tech
Posted: 01/14/2010 - Ruffin McNeil let go by new coach Tuberville
Posted: 01/14/2010 - Ruffin McNeil let go by new coach Tuberville
Updated: 01/19/2010 - Washington Wizards star now faces felony charges.
Posted: 01/13/2010 - Players are back with team, not yet completely reinstated.
Posted: 01/13/2010 - Oft injured reliever agrees to one year deal.
Posted: 01/13/2010 - Wednesday night girls and boys results from league play.
Posted: 01/13/2010 - MSU linebacker to pass on NFL draft
Posted: 01/13/2010 - Coordinators now filled at KC.
Posted: 01/13/2010 - Eight suspended players rejoin team. Four transfer.
Posted: 01/12/2010 - East Lansing girls drop first game of the season.
Posted: 01/12/2010 - Losing streak ends at 13.
Posted: 01/12/2010 - 6-0 loss on Long Island
Posted: 01/12/2010 - 41-year old MSU running backs coach inherits team with 12-2 record.
Posted: 01/12/2010 - Former Michigan star easily wins NFL's top defensive honor.
Posted: 01/12/2010 - Del Rio says no to his alma mater.
Updated: 01/19/2010 - Bessone held longest term of any Michigan State hockey coach.
Posted: 01/11/2010 - Says he was using when he broke the home run record.
Posted: 01/09/2010 - Franchise is suffering through it's longest losing streak in 15 years.
Posted: 01/09/2010 - Torey Krug forces OT with late equalizer.
Posted: 01/09/2010 - Purdue loss means MSU is atop the Big Ten Standings.
Updated: 01/09/2010 - MSU falls 3 games behind Ohio State in the Big Ten standings.
Posted: 01/08/2010 - Game will be played January 30th in Mobile, Alabama
Posted: 01/08/2010 - Abuse of player is reportedly reason for dismissal.
Posted: 01/08/2010 - Mora let go after one season.
Posted: 01/08/2010 - Friday's home games will be played as scheduled.
Posted: 01/07/2010 - Wolverines trailed by 16 with 12:24 to play


text:
Jack makes a decision about his livelihood.
Alison sees Chris kiss someone else.
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Amino AcidsAquasol AFolic AcidFolviteTravasolTrophAmineVitamin A
The US Congress has passed a bill setting the first safety standards for dietary supplements and allowing…
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Delta Health Alliance targets obesity
The Delta Health Alliance recently announced that it had awarded $2.1 million in new grants to six agencies to improve health care in the Mississippi Delta. Of that amount, $1.5 million will go toward a special initiative to combat obesity.
"These grants are a first step towards addressing the high rate of obesity in our state. " Karen Fox, President and CEO of the Delta Health Alliance said.
Latest News
Manhunt ends with arrest A manhunt that started...
Cookin with The Columns: Bring home the bacon! These bacon rollups are...
Debate introduces District 3 supervisor candidates to voters race first up The candidate debate...
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Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (602) 242-2500
Sites: 30 | Latest Rate: $35.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
I stayed at this park for an extended stay, about a year and a half, while I was in school. I really enjoyed my stay. The park was clean, well maintained, and well managed. The pool was always clean and was family friendly. - motoguy
We stayed here 3 nights in a 35-foot motorhome. We had to back in and then park our car in front. It was a tight squeeze for both, so I doubt that anything much bigger could fit. The park is old and small and with mostly permanent residents. It is clean and well maintained and the pool area was attractive. There is a charge to use the bathrooms and showers and the laundry area was kept locked, too. The owner was friendly to me but I don't think I would want to cross her. It is close to the expressway so there was a lot of noise, but that makes it convenient to most things. This would be a good location if you were planning long term because it is "homey". - sandrag
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (623) 869-8186
Sites: 70 | Latest Rate: $40.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
This park is "no frills" but meets all the basic needs. Small park with all back-in spaces. Sites are long, level with plenty of room for slide outs. Good hook-ups and cable. Easy access off Interstate. Plenty of stores and shops nearby. Located in North Phoenix. Staff very friendly and helpful, even providing a packet of tourist information when we checked in. Major problem was a lack of room to walk our dogs. Would definitely stay here again. - travelswithpuppies
Campground is mostly for full time residents. Pool not heated, "out of service" and locked during the winter. Planes flying overhead during the day light hours. Not the greatest neighbor hood, light industrial with a motor cycle training school near by. Sites not bad but you are hearing motor cycle and airplane noise all the time. There is no such thing a 'dog waste pick up.' RV'ers pick up, but long term residents do not! Some people are nice but most of the long term residents are stand offish. Would never stay here again! - cummins6.7
The park is clean and green. It's more of a full-time resident park rather than a vacation RV park. We were handed a couple of dozen pages of rules. The park is near a fairly busy road and also has planes flying overhead. Children are to be kept next to your RV, so it's safe to say it's not really child-friendly. It's quite suitable for a one-night stay. We felt safe here. The residents are quiet. Both restrooms were closed for repairs. Wi-Fi is no longer free: It's $3.99/day or you can buy a weekly or monthly Tengo plan. The Wi-Fi is strong. - beckydmc
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (623) 869-8178
Sites: 638 | Latest Rate: $45.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
This was our first stay at Desert Shadows. It is more like a trailer park than a RV park. We had a nice spot for the week right across from the office/pool/rec center. They serve coffee all day in the office. The pool and jacuzzi are both inside. The location was good for spring training games in Peoria. The people were very friendly and they had lots of activities going on and the place was full. Would stay here again for the location. - Sally Chew
Beautiful, well maintained park. We visited March 8-14, 2015. All of the orange trees were in bloom and it smelled amazing through the entire park. Sites are pretty close, but we didn't feel closed in. Concrete pad for the trailer, surrounded by gravel and plenty of room to park our truck on the site after we unhooked. They have a gentleman that escorts you to your site and then helps you back your trailer in. Very helpful. Lots of permanent homes here, but they are all immaculately maintained-no old junk here. The park is extremely quiet at night. WiFi is free in office and surrounding buildings, but the signal is very weak-it's only strong enough to use if you are sitting in the office lobby. The lobby is large with comfy chairs, so not really a problem, but it would have been nice to be able to use it in the laundry room which is right across a small courtyard behind the office. The laundry room has glass doors that connect with the indoor pool, but these are kept locked, even at 10 a.m. when we were there, so if you are doing laundry, you have to exit the building and walk clear around to go in a different entrance to the pool. Very inconvenient considering the fact that the doors are there, they are glass, you can see the pool 10 feet away, you just can't get to it to swim unless you go outside and clear around the entire building and then back every 20 minutes to check your laundry. The pool and hot tub areas could use a little cleaning, and maybe repaint, on the floors. They have a book lending library that is very nice. We decided to leave a day earlier than we had anticipated (because we were homesick-not because of the park) and they refunded the fee we had paid for the night we weren't there. We weren't expecting that at all since we had reservations and had paid in full when we checked in. Lots of activities you can participate in at the park, very convenient location in Phoenix. We enjoyed our stay here very much and will return! - Dani1081
Very close to I-17 exit, but road noise is not a problem. Not really marked well, so pay close attention to GPS or street signs. Entrance is on right before dead end, which concerned me as it was not marked well off 29th Street. Park is great, with excellent facilities except wifi. Free at clubhouse only, so we used Verizon exclusively. No cable TV but about 30 OTA stations. Laundry room had 19 washers, but 7 were inop. Water pressure dropped as the park filled up. We would camp here again. - Tomandgloria
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (623) 587-0940
Sites: 206 | Latest Rate: $46.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
Cool park on the northside of Phoenix. Lots of dog run areas including a dog wash station. Very well-maintained. - NotStockPhoto
This place is highly recommended. The sites are gravel with concrete table areas and are all tidy. Laundry was excellent and the games room / TV guest room was a big plus, (we didn't use the bathrooms). Staff are really friendly and helpful. I would stay again. - RRIJB
I think you'll find this park OK, not remarkable, but good enough. The interior roads are paved and in fairly good condition. The sites are gravel, reasonably level, and have aluminum picnic tables. Daily/weekly sites are pull-through, a little tight to pull into, no shade and little space between. Monthly sites are back-in, have more space between and some shade. Water pressure was very low (18-22 PSI) so we filled our tank and used on board water. There's a nice pool and jacuzzi, a couple of small dog runs and one large one as well as an outside pet wash station. The park is in an industrial area and adjacent to the I-17 freeway. It's a little less than 2 miles from a major retail and dining complex. - Big Murr
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (623) 581-3969
Sites: 100 | Latest Rate: $35.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
This is the worse RV park we have ever stayed in and we have stayed in at least 200 different parks in the past 25 years! The management is rude, unreasonable and unprofessional. The blonde lady everyone talks about is unbelievable and all reviews about her are true. If you complain or even ask about anything, you are asked to leave and there is a no refund policy. There is no customer service. The RV park is run down and dirty. Maybe the management should stop smoking and standing around and actually do some work! They should also take a communication course! There is an adult only section, but really the whole park should be for adults as they do not let children walk around the park or ride their bikes. The only people staying here are one`s forced to due to the low cost. Never stay here! Go park at Walmart if you have to! - igocampingalot
We stayed here for 2 months ONLY because it was the closest park to where our son lives and the rate was reasonable. BUT, there are some REALLY trashy permanent trailers in the park and a REALLY trashy trailer park behind the RV park. Staff was friendly but when a permanent resident moved a disgusting, piece of garbage, trailer right behind us we complained and they refused to do anything about it. Evidently a permanent resident had moved out of it into another junky trailer and was trying to sell it. It was finally moved after 3 weeks. The RVers were friendly and so were most of the long term residents. Also, when we arrived the owner told us that he was going to be replacing the ratty picnic tables. Saw in a review from 2010 he was saying the same thing. Still has ratty picnic tables. We could not use ours. We would not stay here again. Rate is based on monthly rate + electric. - User2209
Good location on north side of town with easy access to malls and restaurants and healthcare. Management was friendly and helpful. We ended up staying here 4 months instead of just 2 weeks that we initially planned. March-June. Pool and hot tub are on opposite sides of the park. Also some unusual campers here that work for the carnival. (Literally 20 people sharing a camper.) Lots of snowbirds, and year round residents, and students from the motorcycle school. Cable TV and internet are good. They also offer RV storage. If you are in search of a campground with the best weekly rates, this is it. Had a hard time finding affordable weekly rates in the area and lots of parks are 55+. They keep good tabs on the property and patrol it. We felt comfortable leaving our rig here for a week while we did a side trip. Sites are basic gravel. Occasional smells of garlic from the restaurant nearby. Also next to the castle adult frills store. - sysadmin
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (623) 582-0390
Sites: 310 | Latest Rate: $15.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
This is a really excellent park. My wife said "it feels like home here".
Everything is well taken care of. Dogs are well regulated w/ several dog parks. The pool and hot tub are nice. Lots of activities if you wish to participate. Nice laundry facility and the bathrooms and showers are really well taken care of.
The office staff goes above and beyond to take care of all the little everyday problems. The rates are also less than most other parks in the area. Our rate was based on monthly.
My only complaints with this park is space # I-25. All the spaces run from sewer outlet to sewer outlet but for some reason the outlet was not spaced properly causing this space to be about 5 to 6 feet smaller than all the rest. Really strange and very inconvenient when you have a 36ft RV with 4 slides. And all the spaces are short so large rigs are going to have a time maneuvering after you are in. Better hit it the first time.
There are also no picnic tables though not a problem for us. - digger2280
Small lots, gravel, no grass, real picky about dogs, some strange rules. Nice park but Waste Management odors may hinder your stay, very friendly people in park. - bobbodean
Nice place to stay to visit the Phoenix area - about 15 minutes north of downtown. Only back-in but since it was off season, we were able to back into the site behind us (no one there) with our 43' motor home. Rate reflects 3 nights at Passport America rate and 2 nights at regular rate - such a deal! Shopping not too far away. Good antenna reception and great Wi-Fi - free. Paved streets, gravel sites - level. Would stay here again but not in August - too hot! - Retired FL CSM
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (623) 465-7465
Sites: 580 | Latest Rate: $34.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
This is an UPDATE: Since we were here last December 2012, the park has changed management. It has also chanced it's name from an "RV park" to a "RV resort" with no change in amenities except a substantial rate increase: from $21 in December to $34 in April 2013. There is still no security whatsoever, and the speeding through the "resort" is atrocious. We stayed here for a week and probably will not return. - Mike1987
We stayed here for a week. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The sites were level, but not very wide; if the park is full, staff said April, the rigs would be very close. When we were there, we had plenty of room. Most sites are permanent residents and definitely no speed control of any kind. No free Wi-Fi and cable was not available, but plenty of Phoenix stations on the antenna. The activities were attended mainly by the residents; pool and pool room was great and many other activities were available. The park has a huge clean laundry room and showers. The park is in the country, but shopping was close. We would stay here again. - Mike1987
OVER 55 Park. Love it. Only has grand-kids for short bursts. Gave this park an 8 because no free WiFi and no cable TV. Beautiful 20' X 50' indoor heated pool and huge hot tub. Spent several days here. Rate is a tad bit high, but relatively quiet location is convenient to shopping and needs. Will stay here again. No staff on Sundays so you pick your own spot and settle up on Monday. - A Wedding
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (602) 943-5833
Sites: 124 | Latest Rate: $25.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
The staff was courteous and helpful, and the park is well maintained. We enjoyed the pool area and spa, and the laundry facilities were great. This park would have perhaps received a higher rating except for the fact we had a bicycle stolen off the back of our RV while parked there. This apparently is a fairly common occurrence, even though the park is gated. We stayed here two weeks. - User3615
The PPA rate of $16 is right for this park. Alot of road construction going on right in front of property. The pool and spa are very nice, clean and warm. Laundry facilities are older but only 50 cents to dry and 75 cents to wash. Only two showers within the pool area which closes at 10:00pm. Also only two restrooms which are in the rec hall which also closes at 10:00pm. They do have a nice gas bbq grill and two picnic tables for the RV/ trailer guests. But no table or chairs by your site. Sites are close, lined with palm trees and mail boxes which may makes backing in a little more difficult. - Liv4sun
Though a PPA campground, they did not honor the rate for Sat or Sun night. We paid two nights at full rate ($32) and two nights at half. So average of $24 a night is not bad. Spaces can seem tight, but are quite level and all utilities within easy reach. Step out patio is nice touch and there is clear space to park tow vehicle next to RV. Pool and hot tub were warm, clean and a great addition; laundry was reasonable and clean. Showers are now tile lined rooms (2) at pool side with lockable door, and shower head is rain-head in ceiling. Only toilet we found was in laundry and while "clean", was certainly not convenient nor adequate for campground. As someone said, be self contained. They have recycling program but do not take glass or Styrofoam. Biggest issue for me was Wi-Fi - it is pay ($5 a day or $15 a week) but NO ONE at check-in knew that or could tell me how to get on. I was advised, "Wait until Monday when manager is here." On Monday, SHE didn't know. That is expensive and inconvenient, particularly when staff hasn't a clue. Overall place was convenient for visiting a relative and sites were not bad. But it just felt like RVers were an afterthought. We'd stay again because of proximity to family. - Too-wow
Phoenix, Arizona (map) | (602) 942-4500
Sites: 100 | Latest Rate: $15.00 |
|Clean Restrooms:
|Clean Showers:
Mostly a permanent mobile home park but many empty sites used for RVs. Most full timers work at the race track and we had No problems. Nice residential area close to many stores, Walmart 1 block north. Big sites with gravel parking and concrete slab on door side. Power great, water needs filtering for taste, sewer hookup fine. No WIFI but 4G on Verizon MIFI. No cable but many OTA channels. Pool and spa are heated and seldom used, pool showers and restrooms are always clean. Big laundry room near pool. - Trikki Rikki
This is mainly a permanent resident park located next to the Turf Paradise Horse Park but they do use empty slots for short term visitors. We spent two weeks here and enjoyed our visit. The pool was heated part of the time and then the heater broke. The guy that would fix it was in the hospital for surgery over Christmas so I can't complain too much about it. The hot tub was wonderful though and we used it a lot. The residents were very friendly and we even had one that brought presents to all the kids in the park including ours for Christmas. This was a very economical place to stay for winter time in Phoenix, especially finding a place that allows kids. - Dudley Clan


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Nissan Expands Faulty Air Bag RecallJuly 28, 2014 1:43 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
Nissan is recalling more than 226,000 additional vehicles over a defective air bag that has affected much of the global auto industry.
Fertilizer Companies Blame Texas City for BlastJuly 28, 2014 9:36 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
Two fertilizer companies sued following a deadly Texas explosion are claiming the small town deserves blame for failing to properly train volunteer firefighters and first responders, who made up most of the 15 people killed by the blast.
GM Issues 6 More RecallsJuly 24, 2014 2:17 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
The largest is for faulty seats in just over 475,000 cars and small SUVs. Other problems include incomplete welds on seat brackets, turn signal failures, power steering failures, loose suspension bolts and faulty roof rack bolts.
China Detains Meat Seller's EmployeesJuly 23, 2014 2:10 pm | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | News | Comments
Five employees of a company accused of selling expired beef and chicken to McDonald's, KFC and other restaurants in China were detained by police Wednesday after an official said illegal activity was an organized effort by the supplier.
Officials Investigate Fire at Oil Supply CompanyJuly 23, 2014 2:05 pm | by Josh Wood, Associated Press | News | Comments
Federal and state investigators are at a Williston oil supply and logistics company where a massive fire erupted and disrupted road and air traffic.
Investigators: Overloaded Bins Caused Collapse, DeathsJuly 23, 2014 2:00 pm | by Josh Funk, Associated Press | News | Comments
Overloaded storage bins on the roof of an Omaha livestock feed manufacturer's plant caused the building collapse that killed two people in January, federal investigators said Monday.
Chrysler Recalls Over 792K Jeeps for Ignition Switch DefectJuly 23, 2014 1:57 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
The ignition switch defects that engulfed General Motors are now a rapidly growing problem at Chrysler.
Fruit From Trader Joe's, Costco RecalledJuly 22, 2014 2:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
A Central California company has issued a voluntary nationwide recall of specific lots of its fresh peaches, plums, nectarines and pluots over concerns of possible listeria contamination.
China's Suspect Meat Scandal SpreadsJuly 22, 2014 9:54 am | by Joe McDonald, AP Business Writer | News | Comments
A suspect meat scandal in China engulfed Starbucks and Burger King on Tuesday and spread to Japan where McDonald's said the Chinese supplier accused of selling expired beef and chicken had provided 20 percent of the meat for its chicken nuggets.
Western Sugar Cooperative Issued 39 CitationsJuly 21, 2014 3:16 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
Wyoming workplace safety officials have proposed fining Western Sugar Cooperative $194,000 for 39 citations at the company's two processing plants in the state.
EPA Tells Army To Clean Up Louisiana ExplosivesJuly 21, 2014 9:58 am | by Jeff Amy, Associated Press | News | Comments
Federal environmental officials have rejected an appeal from the U.S. Army and reiterated their order to clean up 15 million pounds of artillery propellant improperly stored at a northwest Louisiana site.
Senators Call On GM To Fire Top LawyerJuly 18, 2014 2:33 pm | by Marcy Gordon & Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Business Writers | News | Comments
Lawmakers demanded General Motors fire its chief lawyer and do more to help crash victims as a Senate subcommittee delved deeper into GM's mishandling of the recall of small cars with defective ignition switches.
Blast Reported at Iowa Ethanol PlantJuly 18, 2014 2:27 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
The blast occurred Thursday night at the Flint Hills Resources plant in Arthur. Flint Hills spokesman Jake Reint says the explosion occurred in a grain dryer.
Disaster Strikes Twice for Malaysia AirlinesJuly 18, 2014 9:49 am | by Stephen Wright and Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writers | News | Comments
Hit by two astonishing tragedies in quick succession, the Malaysia Airlines brand may become the airline industry's equivalent of asbestos or News of the World: toxic to the public and, experts say, impossible to redeem.
Chrysler Can Fix Recalled Jeeps Faster Than ExpectedJuly 17, 2014 1:42 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments
The development could end a spat between the automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has accused Chrysler of moving too slowly to repair about 2.7 million SUVs.
Recall Hearing Targets GM Legal StaffJuly 17, 2014 1:40 pm | by Marcy Gordon, AP Business Writer | News | Comments
Lawmakers on Thursday demanded General Motors fire its chief lawyer and open its compensation plan to more potential victims as a Senate subcommittee delved deeper into deadly recalls.
Airbus A380s Tested for Air Leak ProblemsJuly 16, 2014 1:20 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
Airbus has advised airliners to test noisy doors on the world's largest passenger airliner, the A380, after identifying a problem with the door seal that could lead to a fall in the cabin pressure.
BMW Recalls 1.6M CarsJuly 16, 2014 9:41 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
BMW is expanding a recall of its most popular models to fix a growing air bag problem that is hitting much of the auto industry.
F-35 Jet Gets Limited OK After FireJuly 15, 2014 2:07 pm | by Robert Burns, AP National Security Writer | News | Comments
The U.S. Navy and Air Force have approved a limited return to flight for their new-generation F-35 fighter jet, keeping alive the possibility that it could make an appearance at the Farnborough International Airshow in England this week.
Infant Formula Recalled in OntarioJuly 15, 2014 9:40 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
A brand of baby formula is being recalled in Ontario after Walmart shoppers in Brampton and Mississauga reported finding bottles that had been opened and resealed with tape.
Tracy Morgan Sues Wal-Mart Over Fatal CrashJuly 14, 2014 9:30 am | by Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press | News | Comments
Lawyers for Morgan filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., claiming the retailer was negligent when a driver of one of its tractor-trailers rammed into Morgan's limousine van.
NHTSA To Probe 500K Ford CarsJuly 11, 2014 2:55 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is investigating steering problems in about 500,000 Ford cars.
CDC Safety Lapses Shut 2 LabsJuly 11, 2014 2:52 pm | by Mike Stobbe, AP Medical Writer | News | Comments
Citing an anthrax scare and a recurring problem with safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday shut down two research labs and stopped shipping highly dangerous germs to other labs.
Harley-Davidson Recalls Over 66K MotorcyclesJuly 10, 2014 9:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments
Harley-Davidson is recalling 66,421 Touring and CVO Touring motorcycles from the 2014 model year because their front wheels can lock up without warning.
Ford Recalling Over 100K VehiclesJuly 9, 2014 1:15 pm | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments
The company announced the six separate recalls Tuesday. No injuries, accidents or fires related to any of the defects have been reported, Ford said.


text:
So I recently discovered a tool to build Vagrant images called Packer. It allows you to script the install via key presses over VNC to automate the install of any OS. I am running on a rather fast machine (Core i7, 16GB of RAM, SSD), so I suspect there might be some lurking problems for people on slower machines due to timing of the commands.
Everything is available from my Github repo: https://github.com/so14k/packer-freebsd
To get started:
- Install Vagrant and Packer
- Clone the repo onto your machine
- Build the Vagrant box:
packer build template.json
- Wait while it builds..
- Start the Vagrant box:
vagrant up
- Start hacking:
vagrant ssh
Give it a spin and let me know what you think!


text:
Book your room at Hotel Feehof Garni
Hotel with a bar/lounge, in Saas-Fee (Saas)
Collect 200 points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when prompted. Your points will be credited 30 days after you return from your trip.*Offers may apply
This hotel is located in Saas-Fee (Saas), close to Stafelwald Ski Lift, Saaser Museum, and Leeboden Ski Lift. Also nearby are Alpin Express Gondola and Saas-Fee Ski Resort.
Hotel Features
Hotel Feehof Garni offers a complimentary buffet breakfast. Other amenities include a bar/lounge, complimentary wireless Internet access, and dry cleaning/laundry services.
Room Amenities
Televisions come with cable channels. Guestrooms also feature complimentary wireless Internet access, sofa beds, and separate sitting areas.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. A complimentary breakfast is offered each morning. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access.
This Saas-Fee hotel also offers a fireplace in the lobby, dry cleaning/laundry services, and an elevator (lift).
- Total number of rooms - 7
- Bar/lounge
- Free breakfast
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Fireplace in lobby
- Free WiFi
- Luggage storage
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Room Amenities
- Separate sitting area
- Furnished balcony
- Private bathroom
- Hair dryer
- Bathtub or shower
- In-room safe
- Sofa bed
- Cable TV service
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning.
Onsite venue - bar.
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Downhill skiing nearby
- Cross-country skiing nearby
- Snowboarding nearby
- Snowshoeing nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Ski lessons available nearby
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at noon
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is 10 AM
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available.
- City/local tax: CHF 2.50
National Rating
Hotelstars Union assigns an official star rating for properties in Switzerland. This property is rated 3 stars.


text:
Comment: DHS red alert! (Score 1) 134
Because, just like with robbery, the government hates competition.
We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates).
Because, just like with robbery, the government hates competition.
yes. does this help people who believe stuff like "you can vote with your wallet" understand that they are working with a flawed model of the world? sadly, no.
Fat Freddie! Is that you?
The internet will be powered by " . .
But then what powers the . . .
We are all whores; always have been, always will be. We perform tasks for money, and have no control over the results of those tasks once performed.
Lay back and enjoy!
Fundamentalists. They hate us for our chocolate.
40 hr workweeks at Walmart? And then you woke up. .
Oh yeah! I drive through Ontario all the time, tune in CBC two, and they really bring great unheard of (even on alt US stations) bands. Along with every Gordon Lightfoot song ever, over and over.
Using one of the 3rd party start menu replacements helps a lot of the symptoms, but it doesn't cleanse the taint.
Stop punching yourself! Why do you keep punching yourself?
. . . then at the end of the year, I have a few days to myself.
- Steven Wright
Actually, most mentally ill folks know very well that something is not right with their thinking; the sad part of mental illnesses is to make you not trust people who see you as mentally ill, and only some of that is irrational. Drug and alcohol abuse are almost always inseparable from mental illness as well; there is no such thing as a mentally "well" addict.
If anything screams kickstarter, this is it.
this is the way of the electronic revolution, where once again (like in the village), whatever you do is "public", and you better behave the way you are "supposed" to. the only fun part of the story is watching the watchers spazz out as they look through their panopticon and discover a big eyeball blinking at them.
Anything known by more than one person is no secret!
It is masked but always present. I don't know who built to it. It came before the first kernel.