I agree about the novelty factor; that ifevery town did it the impact might be lessened. But aside from the direct issue of signage, I think the Dutchman is right about dwindling ability to make socially oriented choices.

One thing that I think this country needs is a cultural shift. In the US (at least, in California) if a car hits a pedestrian it is assumed it’s the motorist’s fault. And cyclists seem to count as a sort of pedestrian. Here the blame is usually pinned on the person acting most unpredictably, which — due to prejudice — often means the cyclist, whether the other party was a child or a truck.

If we changed this to charge the larger vehicle with the greater responsibility, we’d see a lot more courtesy out there!

Your site is still going strong! I thought I’d check in and say hi, and this article is definitely interesting about traffic problems. In the US, I’ve gotten used to the bog open roads and sqaure city blocks, but that’s not to say they have their own novel ideas, and problems. For exampe, try crossing the street on the walk sign when the car are still turning for example – it keeps traffic moving, but hard to believe that cars can turn when the pedestrian has the right of way, sometimes. This all makes it even weirder when I return to the UK and have to readjust!

Anyway, good to see the site and good luck with the cycling!

Best,
Matt

I’d also like to see railings removed – they often herd pedestrians in a bad way and sometimes force them to behave in a counter-intuitive manner. Also, it makes it very easy for cyclists to get ‘hemmed’ in between railings and traffic. I wonder if this will be included with the removal of signs?