The Real Reason You're Sitting in Traffic
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มิ.ย. 2024
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There's much more to traffic than you might realize
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Sources:
Highway and Road Expenditures
www.urban.org/policy-centers/...
Transportation Spending
data.bts.gov/stories/s/Transp...
Cost of Crashes
www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/...
Traffic Fatalities
www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-...
IIHS Speed Variance
• Small speed increases ...
IIHS Crash Test
• 2021 Genesis GV80 driv...
Chapters
What is traffic? 0:00
Time & Speed 1:10
Distance 2:17
More lanes 3:48
Cars 6:53
Changing Priorities 7:35
Brilliant 10:00
Money 11:08 - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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This is happening in australia to especially in Melbourne where in America you including roundabouts where we are getting rid of them, and replacing them with lights,
I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to put the sponsor in the back half. Instead of the halfway point or at the end.
Been here since video 1, can’t believe you already have sponsors only 4 months in. Your quality and depth of your videos are amazing, keep up the great work!
i just joined Nebula for CityNerd, NotJustBikes and RM Transit.
6:23
Ironicly that interchange in texas (the I-35W / I-30 just outside downtown Fort Worth) isn't having traffic problems because it has just too many lanes, it's actually the result of something so, so, so much more worse.
In fact,
Its possible a few extra lanes in the correct places (meme moment unfortunately not intended) ironically could possibly fix it because the traffic being generated there is actually the result of another 3 interchanges all overlapping.
(Texas-121/SPUR-347/I-35W)
(I-30/US-287)
(US-287/SPUR-280/I-35W)
Heck if they simply remove/modify one of those 3 overlapping interchanges (and possibly the whole highway cross connection) they might be able to fix that clusterf*ck of traffic weaving problems which may allow for the reduction of lanes overall.
Don't show that clip of a 100 lane road to any government officials please
"Brilliant, that will work!"
Texas in 10 years:
I am not easily scared, but that thing... It scared the heck out of me
all fun and games until you need to merge 99 lanes through fast moving traffic to get to your exit
remove buildings, only lanes
Here's the problem with this video. Those that need to watch it, won't
very true
do you actually think that city planners, civil engineers don't already know all of this? the problem comes down to values. you can't tell people what they _should_ value (based on your own values, incidentally) and then expect them to thank you.
you can't tell people what they want. people don't want these priorities. you can't tell business owners they need to open a grocery store that people don't want, or say "you all need to go to this closer store now, even though it's more expensive and has a lower selection than the one you get to on the highway".
city planners, unlike city youtubers, generally realize that they can plan a city to accommodate what people value, but they can't plan a city to force people to value things. it's not 'if you build it, they will come', it's 'if people express interest in coming, they will build it'.
@@voskresenie- I'm not sure how accurate that is. Europe has made the transition in multiple places to accommodate walking, biking and using public transports, and there's been people against it. People generally don't like change very much. But if you go through with it, most will accommodate because that's not enough to justify moving elsewhere for most people. And in the end, if the change was a good idea, it'll show.
Sorry bob.. But yer Ooo football
@@pierreclausse2166 That's the difference between Europe and the US. Europe's governments tell the people what they should want. Americans tell their government what they should do.
I'm consistently impressed with how clear and thorough your explanations are of these very complex topics! The clear logical progression through how we got here along with the great visualizations makes this feel like one of the most effective videos I've seen on this topic
Thanks so much!
This aint nothing but a analyti al date math algorythmic waste of time . None of this is necessary . How about learning when mot to crooss the street that'll save your life every time...
This ia just like the dams thatvare being removed all over the world because you are trying to restrict and prohibit the flow of life just like in the rivers
You guys love to croos the streets like squirrels and dumb dogs how about you be more like fish since yall model your life after animals
Cars don’t create traffic, cars are traffic. I have never seen a bicycle backup. And even Pedestrian backups are rare (sport events maybe).
I just moved to montreal, and my first day here I went for a ride to get my keys to my new apartment and was in a a bicycle back up. It was so great seening that many people out on there bikes and it immediately valided my decision to move here.
The best part was we were still flying by the people driving, who were moving slower than the pedestrians.
@@liamnelski7083Apparently the same happens in the Netherlands as well. Too many bikes create bike traffic and jams from time to time. It's just that they clear up quickly, because in the worst case scenario you just pick up your bike and walk a little.
The only way to pick up a car and move it is with another, specialized car.
I see pedestrian backup everyday, sometimes 3 times a day, in rush hour to and from the subway and on the shopping streets. Pedestrian backup is super common.
Pedestrian backups are way more common than you think. And judging by these other replies, bike backups exist too. The real creator of traffic is stupid, inconsiderate, unskilled, and impatient drivers. The people who follow too close, don’t speed up for merges, don’t leave space for merges, change multiple lanes at once, etc. Honestly, the best way to fix this issue is to emphasize things like this more in driving tests, and to penalize these sorts of driving infractions and not people exceeding an arbitrary speed limit on a straight road.
You've never been to Amsterdam then. Bicycle backups happen all the time.
There's a big point you missed about building a lot of lanes: Width navigation (with your car). Changing one or two lanes on a highway is pretty easy and cool but crossing six to seven lanes is a nightmare. With the hypothetical 100 lane situation, the words "keep right" or "keep left" would lose all meaning. You wouldn't be able to tell the edge of the freeway or exactly which lane you're on unless you're on the extreme lanes since there is road and more road as far as you can view. Imagine you're in one of the inner lanes in pretty busy traffic. Now you need to get to your exit. Without a massive interchange that separately serves both the inner and outer lanes, you would probably be screwed. Also imagine the pressure on the regular highways that intersect with these since they have to bear the traffic of 50 lanes.
TL;DR
Don't do 100 lanes.
It's a bad idea.
Do you know those "I turn now, good luck everybody else" people trying to exit the highway from the leftmost lane? Imagine that with 100 lanes.
Dude come on, 6 lanes one direction are pretty fine. Sounds like a you problem.
my first accident was trying to switch lanes to the exit because there was 5 lanes and the exit wasn't properly signed
Germany figured this out a long time ago they use a dedicated road for traveling longer distances. For cities you take a single exit and then used side streets to get to the destination. In suburban areas it’s very common to have a separate freeway exit every 1/2 mile or less this causes congestion on the freeway rather than moving the cars off the highway onto side streets sooner. Lack of development planning means the cities will rely on federal or state funds to support their own lack of infrastructure budgeting and poor planning decisions.
Stack the lanes. 5 lanes per story. 20 stories = 100 lanes
People seem to have a really hard time understanding that transportation is full of tradeoffs. The train of thought is most often "there's traffic, therefore more car capacity is warranted" - but this way of thinking doesn't consider the costs of road expansion. This video does the best job I've ever seen of visualizing what the relevant factors are and how optimizing only for one of them (like road capacity) comes at the expense of all the others. AMAZING WORK!
This dude is awesome and should be protected at all costs. This information it’s vital. I work for the Pennsylvania department of transportation and called a meeting to show them this video.
Just the traffic safety department.
Keep it up!
Nah get the whole DOT 💀 nobody getting a license today at the dmv, we're watching TH-cam!
@@creamygg you thought you ate
I work for the Maryland Department of Transportation and my colleagues know these principles it’s just the public doesn’t support it SMH.
This is one of the few youtube channels that actually cite their sources. Kudos to you for doing that.
Awesome video! I just want to mention that decreasing speed does not always kead to slower travel time. It may reduce the "free flow" travel time (or as i like to call it, the "set google maps to depart at 2am" time) but it may not reduce the time during rush hour at all. In some cases, lower soeeds can actually lead to faster overall travel times.
Great point. In the Netherlands there’s talk of raising the daytime maximum speed back to 130 from 100, while it’s shown that travel times have actually reduced on a large number of routes after the speed limit was reduced.
Note that, at 3:17, the speed bar shortens when he explains that increased congestion leads to decreased speeds. So he's not talking about the posted speed limit, because the speed limit in that scenario certainly didn't decrease. He's talking about Distance / Time, purely mathematically. By that definition, speed does always lead to slower travel time (for one specific trip).
@@jellekoorn4184I’m pretty sure this is due to the fact that when people are traveling faster, braking or slowing down takes longer so it creates a chain reaction and essentially “ghost traffic”. So if people are all traveling slower, but more consistently it can end up being faster. (Think of it like the tale of the hare and the tortoise, slow and steady wins the race versus fast and erratic).
Weirdly enough, your last sentence is correct. If travelers go slightly slower and end up avoiding (almost) all tailgating, overall travel time is reduced. There's a video here at YT that shows point by point how this is a reality.
I consume a lot of similar content and found this to be one of the most consumable AND comprehensive (difficult balance to strike). I like how you introduced induced demand without terming it.
Amtrak’s entire cumulative budget over the last 50 years doesn’t even add up to what is spent in a single year on highways and roads in the US. It’s shouldn’t be a surprise theres a ton of traffic, the deck is stacked in favor of roads and cars, of course transit isn’t viable when it gets zero funding.
Exactly. I know many people who would be willing to take rail over flying and buses. Especially if we built bullet trains, it's totally possible to get from NY to Chicago in 4 hours which is basically the same time to fly, security checks, and leave
I love how at the Apollo Beach exit near Tampa on I75, they extended the exit ramp for half a mile to “fix traffic” and it didn’t do anything
Road-car industrial complex had no end…
My town is installing new round-a-bouts. I can tell that traffic isnt building up as much, but there is one major problem. Nobody knows how to drive on them. Some treat it like a 4-way stop while others ignore all yield signs. They need to start teaching how they work in drivers-ed
I find it difficult _not_ to come to a near-complete stop when entering a roundabout, because you still have to look both ways: One way for cars and pedestrians, and the other way for just pedestrians (assuming there are sufficient islands to prevent people from drunkenly going the wrong way around in cars), and only _then_ look where you're going, so you can actually steer into the roundabout.
@@philipmcniel4908 that's actually, why cyclists on a bike lane or multi-use path should never go around a roundabout the wrong direction: Drivers entering the roundabout will only take a short glimpse to the right (looking for pedestrians, not for a much faster cyclists from much further behind) and then focus on traffic from the left.
In larger roundabouts, what you can do is to add a barrier to divert pedestrians so they cross on the leg before the stop line. That way you're splitting the task into three steps, watch for pedestrians first, then watch for traffic in the roundabout, and then watch for pedestrians when exiting the roundabout.
Good thing drivers Ed typically only occurs once in the United States. We need more frequent and more stringent testing
@@philipmcniel4908 when you get used to them you can navigate them without stopping. That's when the real efficiency of roundabouts comes into play.
Source: I live in a country where every second intersection is a roundabout
This is the best traffic/transit/urbanism channel on TH-cam. Bar none. Very well done 😃
Make more Cities content!
Every mayor or city commissioner should watch and follow this. Ps.: corner stores are a beautiful thing!
6:34
Absolutely. We need more mixed use zoning and the right to bring back cornerstones and front yard businesses!
WE CAN E MAIL SPAM OR JUST PLAY IT ON A BIG SCREEN OUTSIDE THERE MANSIONS.
YESS ALL CAPS
I have not seen any other urbanist TH-camr that can break down stuff like induced demand and competing priorities like you can. And it's all super entertaining to watch!
Nothing new for the seasoned urbanism, but very well put. Loved the talking about the different variables.
awww BummeR.. UGHH hit the road jack..
Really well explained. I especially appreciate how you explained that induced demand doesn't scale linearly forever. That point is lost on a lot of people. There is a point at which we meet demand, it's just a hellscape that no one wants to live in - And your explanation was on point.
it's why induced demand works with trains, they are simple more efficient at meeting demand
Said it before and I'll say it again! YOU HAVE THE BEST URBANIST CONTENT ON THE INTERNET.
Real discussions not just rambling, LOVE IT.
I don’t think I have watched a single video of yours that was hard to understand or stay interested in. The visuals are amazing, and it’s nice how you give realistic solutions on how something could change. Amazing.
Love how this guy takes these topics in a realistic way. He is not just here saying "road bad bike good" like a lot of your urbanism youtubers do.
Who says road bad bike good
NJB
@@SergioDiaz-ek5qi there’s things to criticize NJB about, but I don’t think he’s ever gone as far as some general “car bad, bike good” mentality. A lot of the stuff he talks about is the same as in this video, just in a more snarky tone
@@lchap0506 I agree with NJB on a lot of things but he strikes me as a person who thinks he's always right about something. Its his tone, not his content or message even.
@@rimlogger7697tone seems pretty fair considering at a minimum the thousands who die every year
Texas: "No we can't build places that allow people to live closer to where they work, shop, recreate, and socialize nor can we build safe bike lanes, efficient public transit, or protect pedestrians. That's too expensive and would be fiscally irresponsible."
Also Texas: "Yes we lead the country in automobile and pedestrian deaths and just authorized hundreds of billions of dollars for more freeway expansions that won't be finished for another 50 years. That's called being fiscally responsible."
Also Texas: High speed rail is a threat to property rights. Meanwhile, let's take your house to build a wider freeway.
@@tonywalters7298 But of course! Using eminent domain to build a train would be communism. What’s next, gulags??
However, using eminent domain to bulldoze historic minority neighbourhoods and businesses to expand freeways originally built by bulldozing historic minority neighbourhoods and businesses is just the free market at work.
And the freeway expansions aren't just expanding existing freeways, Texas is also building new freeways such as I-69, I-14, and all their spurs and branches.
@@user-uo7fw5bo1o That’s astounding. After TxDOT dumped nearly 3 billion into the Katy freeway in Houston and a decade of lane closures and construction to make commute times significantly worse, they’re still going to keep doing the same thing.
@@ShowLSWH Yeah, crazy, innit? The state wants to make every urban freeway into a clone of the Katy Freeway 6 lanes frontage, 10 lanes free, 4 lanes toll and still choked with traffic! If I didn't know better I'd say it was a conspiracy between the Texas GOP and the highway construction industry to cover the state with asphalt and engulf it with choking fumes.
Among all the urbanist channels on TH-cam, your content provides hands down the best explanations both visually and in words for transportation and urbanism.
There's a reason why the government prioritizes cars despite their proven harms. It's for the convenience and profitability of oil, auto, auto insurance, trucking, road construction, building construction, and real estate development industries.
And when planners suggest new infrastructure for other forms of transportation or zoning and land use regs for mixed uses, a swarm of Karens and Darrens (NIMBYs) come out to public meetings to voice their implacable opposition.
As someone working in the building construction industry, we love apartments and mixed use buildings, but the zoning, reflecting the wants of the NIMBY's, doesn't allow them in most places.
Don't forget personal injury lawyers.
When the inevitable mouth breather commenter arrives saying “BUT MUH COUNTRY TOO BIG HAVE TO USE CAR”
1. Trains don’t get stuck in traffic. Especially high speed ones. They can get to places faster than cars.
2. Most people aren’t driving from Los Angeles to New York every day. Advocates for better transportation are talking about prioritizing local modes of transportation in populations centers, not plowing a random train line through a corn field in Iowa.
3. Places in the U.S. are far apart BECAUSE OF CARS and CAR INFRASTRUCTURE. The U.S. was built on trains and bulldozed for the car. Imagine how many more businesses, homes, parks, museums, schools, hospitals, etc. we could have if we tore down these wasteful 20 lane highways and interchanges for something that actually produces tax money instead of draining it and makes the surrounding community better.
"The U.S. was built on trains and bulldozed for the car."
I just want to highlight that.
And don't forget crucially, those that NEED to drive, or have to go to areas that require a car to get to, they still can! And it will be a more pleasant and quicker journey because the 90% of us that don't need to travel so far everyday have other options
Everyone getting stuck in traffic is Big Oil's wet dream.
You deserve SO many more subscribers! Your videos are simple, intuitive, use easily comprehensible graphics, and are well produced. Nicely done!
New video I'll share with everyone who gives a shit about why Im so annoying whenever they complain about traffic or parking. A concise summary of the problems we've created for ourselves. Please keep it up!
"Is preventing injuries and saving lives worth taking longer to get to our destinations?"
I laughed out loud as soon as he said that. After that I just sat there in silence thinking that this really is the modern society. I mean why the fuck does this has to be even a question? However and in any way there could be less accidents anywhere, especially dense living areas like cities, it should be done. Afterall we are talking about LIVES, family members, mothers, fathers, kids, grandparents and the loss of any of them puts an enormous amount of stress and a whole lot of other things. Is it really that important to get in a 3 tonne pickup truck, that is not used as supposed, and hurry and risk someone's life just to get your big mac with fries 2 minutes faster. This is a really ridiculous example but realistic. I am happy to be living in the EU where public transport is widely adopted and even more grateful for newer regulations that are coming in place like the new 30k/h(18 miles/h for burger guys) everywhere in the city center in Amsterdam.
I know(hope) he says this sentence sarcastically but damn this is awful.
Hopefully, things start to change. every time there is a car crash, we have to be aware that a crash is not just an accident; it happens due to the bad design of infrastructure and what the government prioritizes.
I don't think it's sarcasm. Too many Americans (and Canadians too) have accepted car crashes as a fact of life. Even if your example was meant to be sarcastic, there are people who unironically think that. Hell, a few months ago there were two teenagers who filmed themselves running over and killing a cyclist for fun. Some parts of the continent are coming around to their senses, but for most places I don't see that happening.
It's a legitimate trade-off, and pretending that choosing the safest option is always moral makers you come off as unserious.
There's hardly anything in life that doesn't increase your chance of injury or death.
@@kanucks9 Except, as the video shows, rarely is it an equal trade off of time/convenience versus safety. In fact, there are plenty of jurisdictions worldwide that have achieved zero road deaths and injuries, and they didn't spend infinity money or reduce mobility to zero to do so. Mostly they just reduced car speeds to 30 km/h or less, first through laws and signs, and then by applying some basic infrastructure. In this case the safer option is so by far the better one (financially, environmentally, socially, heck even calorically) that the choice is incredibly obvious. We just have status quo bias and powerful special interests pushing on the other side.
The problem in the US is that a lot of non-motorists tend to be from "lesser-than" social classes and racial groups, whose lives and humanity are considered cheaper, less relevant, and ultimately expendable.
As someone who grew up in the lakewood ranch/bradenton area, LOVING all the clips you used
THE FACT YOU ALIVE is A Wonder of Holy crap.. Bradenton love crash vroomeee woo
Best youtuber at breaking down for people that are used to cars, why car centric infrastructure isn't good for them either - because it isn't good for society at all.
I love how respectful your videos feel. They are mostly thing I have heard before, but presented in a clear and friendly way that some other channels sorely lack.
I've watched so many creators on these topics and your videos are just absolutely nailing it, the absolute best. The mindset shifts required. The framing, to make them palatable and reasonable. Not being antagonistic. Like I *LOVE* me some NJB but this here... this... I could share in a friendly chat with local government personnel. There's real power of change here. Not everyone can do this so well.
The answer to "why are you sitting in traffic" is, and always has been, and always will be, "you ARE traffic". If you don't like it choose some other mode, sorted.
Low density development has made housing more expensive, transportation more expensive, health outcomes worse, and environmental outcomes worse.
Maybe it's time to rethink how we do things.
Wow, that was quick. Love to see another one of your videos.
This is honestly one of the best urban planning videos I've seen. This is the video that underlies the planning factors of transportation, and how each of them are interconnected with each other.
Oh my lord, this is so well explained. Absolutely amazing job, one of the best videos on this topic, I've ever seen.
If you ever hear anyone suggesting adding lanes, ship them here to Toronto. We will show them Hwy 401. That'll set them straight.
Katy freeway says hold my beer.
Another Banger from Streetcraft!!! Definitely worth the wait between videos!!!
It's a culture thing with things like time. Some Americans think they're so fed up with things to do they can't spare 10 more minutes to ride a bus or metro, but waste hundreds of hours yearly on social media.
Or they can't walk a few city blocks from a parking space but they'll walk across a big mall parking lot.
He forgot to mention phantom traffic jams, where the flow of traffic is concentrated so much on one end, that it creates a traffic jam for no reason
Great video! Seriously, this is a fantastic explainer of a complex topic. One point of feedback:
At 7:57, you discuss how decreasing speed will increase travel times. When you say speed, the average viewer likely hears *speed limit*, and I think it’s helpful to address that head on. Because reducing speed limits doesn’t necessarily increase travel time; the critical metric here is average speed. It’s quite possible to reduce a road’s speed limit, say from 40mph to 25mph, and also reduce overall travel time. Your top speed will certainly drop, but your average speed may increase. And we still get all the safety benefits associated with lower traffic speeds.
Those of us interested in urbanism likely understand this, but given that this video’s target audience is for a more general viewer, I think it’s important to go into detail on this particular topic. Keep up the good work!
I wish we had interstate trains 😭😭 I hate driving long distance and planes are way too expensive!!
I'm fond of quipping that "traffic is other cars" every time someone complains about bike lanes going in
This video is absolutely amazing! It perfectly verbalizes everything I have learned over the past 3 years about urbanism and does a great job at explaining induced demand. I think I finally understand how adding more lanes results in more traffic. Thank you!!
One of your best videos. I've been talking about urbanism and transit to relatives who love their cars and just don't get it (and constantly complain about traffic). You breaking it down into the value structures really helps, even with those who disagree.
This is by far the best explanation for why we need to stop building cities around cars. At a certain point, cars provide no benefit for what we really care about (the time it takes to travel somewhere). It regularly takes 15 to 30 minutes to travel somewhere by car, because car centric infrastructure spreads everything out so much. So the benefit that cars are supposed to provide is lost. Yet, we still have to pay the hefty price for relying on cars. I love how clearly you laid this concept out; putting all the variables together and comparing them shows just how ridiculous car centric infrastructure is.
So cool to see such a comprehensive set of topics all covered and linked together in a video. Makes it super simple for anyone to understand, even people who have never thought about this topic before!
I absolutely love your presentation style! Very informative, professional, and engaging. Keep up the great work!
I actually don't think most people most of the time want to absolutely get places in the fastest possible way (ie - on roads with faster speed limits); what really upsets people in getting delayed or stuck in traffic. It's why people might take 30mph surface streets with a very predictable travel time over a 65mph highway but where you may or may not be stuck in 30 minutes of traffic
I think cost us the main factor when choosing mobility. People who can afford to bike vs walk, bike. People who can afford to drive vs bike, drive.
"people might take 30mph surface streets with a very predictable travel time"
And then they anger the people living on the 30 mph streets.
People love their cars, but everyone hates _other people's_ cars.
Sad to see the US is such an unoptimized country when it comes to traffic. Dump traffic lights, almost no roundabouts, basically no busses (with express lanes) or trains/trams/metros and cycling there is just asking to die early. It horrifies me that someone from the US can rent a car here in Europe, their driver license is a joke (which also doesn't help with traffic flow). I hope the US will look at countries like the Netherlands, Germany or other examples.
I love this channel!! i ve seen other videos explaining induced demmand but non of them explain it so well as you! And with great explanation of all the factors involved.
One thing that might save a lot of time is to MAKE THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS SMARTER. If all the lights in a congested area had more sensors and worked together, traffic would flow a lot better even if we left the roads the same.
yeah but the thing is, in most areas with traffic, the lights arent the problem. theres just too many cars in the area for the lights to be able to handle all of them.
I currently have to take a 12 minute drive from my home to where i work. I f I could take a 30-40 minute bike ride instead, I would absolutely bike without a second thought
You drive??? So not free
I love the way you introduce these ideas unobtrusively and without sounding preachy. Ideally this will make people who haven't really thought about the implications of our car centric world truly ponder if the benefits are worth the costs.
Playing city skylines taught me that the number of lanes is rarely the problem to traffic jams.
You do realise the algorithm for CS is based on the shortest route and does not include varying speed limits?
It picks the shortest route not quickest
True that. I'm not sure if CS simulates induced demand (at least without mods), but still building more roads or adding lanes just moves traffic jams elsewhere. There are cases where more roads and lanes helps, of course (such as ring roads or adding designated exit lanes), but CS is a good lesson in how important it is to build good public transport networks.
@Coffeepanda294 no, CS is not am example unless you use mods, even then....
Great job visualizing and explaining all the variables that impact our transportation system and built environment!
Wow this channel is perfect! I can't believe that TH-cam algorithm just made a video from this channel pop in my shorts. Thanks you very much!
The solution too all big cities with traffic problems: modern trams
1. They have enough speed with other factors to be the same speed if not more than traffic
2. Although most cars are faster then trams, because of traffic, trams might be faster
3. Because trams have more safety procedures because they are public transit, they are safer.
4. It will decrease the distances between places because the areas that are serviced by the tram would be hubs for the city
5. Trams can be electric trams and trams are usually quieter.
6. Trams can also be thinner and just wider if they have their own tracks so it wouldn’t use land
7. Trams are cheaper then cars because it’s generally cheaper to use one and trams also run on one route and just have a few cables so it wouldn’t cost much
Houston, tx has multiple lanes & all of them will still be backed up 😅😅😂😂!!
This is a good way of looking at things, but you neglected to mention that in most cases SPEED IS IRRELEVANT for 2 reasons:
1. The highway itself is almost never the bottleneck, the limitter is usually intersections at the destination. If the popular intersection can only move 500 cars per hour, and there are 500 cars on the road ahead of you, it doesn't really matter if the limit is 30 or 130, you're still going to take an hour to get there.
2. Relatedly, because safe following distance being typically based on something like 2 seconds, a single lane will NEVER move more than one vehicle every 2 seconds. This means that if the highway is at capacity, the actual speed you move on the highway is dictated by the slowest speed of any car ahead of you
"the actual speed you move on the highway is dictated by the slowest speed of any car ahead of you"
Which is why people change lanes a lot. But then that reduces the average capacity of the lanes; often doesn't actually do much in practice; and contributes to 10% of crashes.
So the solution is increase density
Keep making more of these!havent watched this yet but have been binging your other content. Wanted to post on newest vid. Super interesting and engaging format with practical solutions. I plan to become a long-term viewer!
He doesn't offer any practical solutions, nobodybhas, that's why every video is an attack on cars and not a video promoting walking and giving details.
It's pure propaganda
Another wonderfully clear and well presented video. I think its incredibly important to help people understand the true cost of our car dependent infrastructure and how alternative land uses and transportation options actually make driving better.
You have to look at the whole infrastructure problem, not just the cars and roads. It should be possible and legal to build a grocery store, a school, access to forest and sea or lake within walking distance in all residential areas. I live in Copenhagen so I can swim in the harbour. The bicycle and public transport are the fastest way around the city, so there are no traffic jams in the cities. I use the car when I go to the countryside. It is only those who live here, in the countryside outside residential areas, who need a car on a daily basis.
Adding lanes is not a solution to anything other than making a parking lot into a bigger parking lot. It’s the capacity of exits that matters.
I've been finding myself pondering this lately, and this video reflects exactly what I have understood of infrastructure.
As a person who went from taking public transportation in Los Angeles to driving in Los Angeles, I can say with full confidence that I’d rather drive a car through LA traffic than take the bus. First it’s a lot slower, like on average, it takes significantly longer to get anywhere by bus than by car, even in traffic. So a 20 mile drive by car is about 30-40 minutes dependent on traffic whereas by public transportation, it could take around 2 hrs and 10 minutes to get to the same place, depending on route. By bike, it would take about an hour and 45 minutes and ride shares would take 50 minutes or so. If you have a car with 24 to 32 MPG and at the current gas prices of $4.60, you’d use between $2.88 and $4.08 of gas whereas the public transport cost would be $2.25 and around $40-$50 by ride share. Even with the repair costs and the remote possibility of a car crash, I would always choose driving. Beyond the speed, taking the bus in certain neighborhoods in LA is dangerous, unhygienic, and uncomfortable. I’ve also had multiple bad experiences on ride shares as well. We prioritize the car because the car is significantly better for commute. I’m not against spending money on more public transportation cause there’s some advantages of that, but I can say with confidence that even with a fully funded public transportation, just the culture of public transportation is not going to be fixed by money.
Philippines built Skyway Stage 3 as a traffic solution. Motorists still suffer in traffic!! Paying toll just to get stuck in traffic
Efficient Metro System is the solution.
This is a really great video! It covers all the foundational questions very well!
Great video man!
I really the focus on various aspects of transport, not just 1 or 2. You were more thorough in the consideration of traffic than most such video-makers.
I have to say, for only having 6 videos, this channel makes exceptionally good videos.
Just reduce the distance between homes and workplaces/stores and add trains, trams or busses to connect communities with cities and when the distance between home and work is small enough people tend to use the bike and not the car or they walk to work for 14 minutes.
And the USA was literally build on Trains, the concept of Manifest Destiny wouldn't exist without trains, there would not be a west coast without Trains.
Horrific idea
The thing that strikes me is when you see a motorway with 4or more lanes, you can understand that all of those people have at least a part of their trip in common, if not the would’t be stuck in a traffic jam.
At least in the common part a form of rail transit would have enough demand to self-sustain.
Last mile is always the problem as most of us aren't going from directly adjacent the motorway to somewhere else directly adjacent. If I need to drive ten minutes to reach the motorway and need to drive ten minutes after exiting, then you need transit at both ends as well.
another banger from StreetCraft! The best channel on planning!
For some reason this video reminded me of an issue we had in Memphis, TN back in the 1970s. People were writing letters to the editor complaining about the lack of parking spaces at the local university. Another writer said there was no problem... just come in earlier and there are plenty of parking spaces.
I hope most people will understand the fault in this "logic".
Great overview of traffic -- and what we can do to help reduce traffic and increase options for people!
Very well presented. Thank you. The views of those gigantic highways are like nightmares.
The reason why traffic backs up is due to traffic lights and poorly designed intersections especially off ramps of interstates
Seperating roads vertically is also even more ludicrously expensive than regular roads already are
Elevated and underground roads can often cost several times what a regular surface road would cost
Love it when Streetcraft drops a new video
Not where I live, we got 3 stop lights in the entire county (431 square miles)!
Country of freedom of choice: you can only and have to drive cars to get to essential places :)
"You can have your Model T in any colour you want, so long as it's black! And I'll throw a hissy fit if anyone wants a different colour, because I like my freedom to drive my black Model T, and I'll take any desire for options as a sign you want to take away my freedumb to drive a black Model T!"
--Car people in urbanist discussions, 2024, colourized
I remember seeing a guy on Road Guy Rob's channel talk about how adding lanes adds capacity where you don't need it.
Incredible video as always! I've see many on car dependency and this will be my new go-to to share with those interested, bravo!
Very well put together video, simple and to the point. Keep it up
best video i've seen on this topic. i think you're the only guy that doesn't annoyingly insert his own politics into this subject + you actually mentioned the fact that people use their cars because it gives unmatched personal freedom and privacy. you > not just bikes, road guy rob etc etc
Love your channel my guy! Your visual and editing is top notch. I'm currently doing a masters thesis on the social acceptability of sustainable urban projects in suburbs, here in Montreal. My goal is to understand what can we do with suburbs, and how we can transform these places into sustainable neighborhoods while keeping the key attributes that suburbs have that people love so much.
If you're interested, i'd love to send you my stuff once i'm done (this summer) and maybe you could make a great video about it! ;) Keep up your awesome work!!
I did not know crashes were that expensive. That's pretty incredible.
The methodology would be interesting to see, but here's a crude attempt: there are 40,000 deaths from car crashes. The government uses a statistical value of human life of around $9 million for evaluating regulations. So that's $360 billion of "value" in deaths alone. Even if you think $9 million is absurd, try $1 million (lost wages; grief to the survivors); that's still $40 billion, half of what the whole country spends on public transit ($79 billion in 2019)
A NJB video said that major injuries are around 10x deaths, so that's 400,000 major injuries; if on average they cost $50,000 in medical costs (that's a blind guess), that would be another $20 billion.
you forgot to mention by doubling time we quadruple energy consumption, which is only good for texs oil companies.
We need the government to see your videos
we need TRAINS
Trains to where? Trains are only useful when you can put a station close to your origin and destination. You see how decentralized the US is. Where are you going to put trains that connect people to origins and destinations? That number isn't zero (Amtrak is a thing) but it isn't enough to scale back our road networks.
Still misses the key point that society is too 9to5 monday thru Friday!!! I Seldom have a problem with traffic because I do the bulk of my driving during the evening and at night and on the weekend. If society where more 24/365 we would have less congestion.
This is easily the best video about this topic that I have seen
I don't think that high speed rail will reduce "traffic". I would say that the vast majority of roads in this country have very little traffic. It's just in the cities. Remote work and home delivery are two more factors that will help reduce traffic. Reducing the number of people that are on the road during peak hours, rush hour, and whenever the delivery arrives. People will not switch to public transportation unless it is faster and more comfortable. In Portland Oregon public transit has become unsafe and uncomfortable, while biking is only feasible for half the year for all but the most stout individuals. This is coming from someone who bikes and takes public transportation more than most.
" It's just in the cities."
So, it's just where most people live.
"Remote work and home delivery are two more factors that will help reduce traffic."
Many jobs cannot be done remotely, and the effect of home delivery on traffic is unclear. Maybe Amazon reduces it, but stuff like DoorDash increases it in practice.
"People will not switch to public transportation unless it is faster and more comfortable"
Various factors induce switching. Those are some, another is gas costs, and yet another is parking costs. People who have to pay a fair price for parking at work become much more interested in alternatives.
Memorial Day Weekend and summer tourism in Florida. That all means one thing: Traffic, Traffic, TRAFFIC!!! Car dependency is killing us.
"Car dependency is killing us."
Literally.
I'm a big fan of your content, keep up the great work. The clean visuals really help me understand your topics.
Thanks!
Like all the examples around Sarasota :)