Street Life
I did a lot of walking outside today, to Family Video and the new lift station behind the Panther Lounge, to Toads on the Parkade for a bowl of chili and the CF library for some light reading. Along the way I noticed how ugly Valley Park Drive has become with multiple “Share The Road” signs, sticking out of the ground every 100 feet like a series of sore yellow thumbs. I appreciate the city’s interest in promoting alternate modes of transportation, but I think the bike sharrows are sufficient.
With that said, I would like to share a few pics of beautiful streets. First up is Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho, located in Porto Alegre, Brazil, lined with over 100 massive tipuana trees along 3 city blocks.
Then there are the Jacarandas in Johannesburg…
And finally, the revamped and uncluttered Exhibition Road in London. The intention is to make drivers more observant to their surroundings:
Experience seems to show that when you dedicate space to traffic and control it with signs and green traffic lights, motorists develop a claim on it. It becomes ‘my space.’ Drivers become annoyed if people move into it. … This new scheme is more like the behaviour in a supermarket car park. Drivers know there are people around pushing shopping trolleys and so drive more cautiously. They are looking out.
Speed limit signs are placed at each end of the road and also on lampposts along the block. (which makes me wonder why CF doesn’t utilize streetlight poles to post signs…)
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