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Join the conversation. Help us go Beyond Traffic

Aug
18

Join the conversation. Help us go Beyond Traffic

Posted by Anthony Foxx

It’s crunch time for summer reading lists; folks are starting to head back to school. But there is still time to read Beyond Traffic – or the “CliffNotes version” – and to tell us how you would like to move forward in the future.

Our report about the next 30 years in transportation has been downloaded nearly 400,000 times since it was released earlier this year. And even if you haven’t read every word of it we still hope you will join the conversation.

Provide us with feedback on our findings in the report. Tell us how you travel. Commenting is easy!

Transportation is something we need to do together. We need to build it together. We need to plan it together. And we need to discuss it together, too.

Why? Because everyone uses our transportation system, which means everyone should play a role in shaping its future, too.

We hope to hear from you soon!

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Comments

Yashveer Arya replied on 10/06/2016 - 12:15
Hey Author, I want to join the conversion. But how can i join the conversion. Can you please tell me. Thank you.

Moderator replied on 11/02/2016 - 14:28
You can share your ideas here! https://www.transportation.gov/BeyondTraffic/ShareYourIdeas

Prof. Archana Sharma replied on 08/27/2015 - 13:27
Five steps to futuristic transportation planning and design My student team and I won the Maryland Sustainable Growth Annual Collegiate competition this Spring. We proposed guidelines for green streets for small town of Easton in Talbot County on Eastern shore. The challenge was how do you retrofit the narrow streets of a historic town that took roots in 1710. Our exploration as a team considered the concepts of all the current palette of living streets, complete streets and green streets and how they could be applied to current streets. Given the time constraints and scope of the project, we did not explore street design in view of futuristic visions of transportation planning. After all we have to think and act in present to meet future needs with some readiness. Thinking on, here is a futuristic vision on how USDOT can re-think, re-design and re-plan America’s transportation system with a view on future, in 5 steps. Step I. Un-sign the streets: Herald Smart-Sign Card • Remove all transportation related street signage. • Instead issue a GIS integrated, signage projection enabled Smart-Sign Card, which could be embedded on street corners and could be activated with a button-press to project the signage for pedestrians. Include a braille button included voice instructions. Provide Citizens with an option to buy these cards as well. Many automobiles already have this feature integrated in their in-built navigation systems to assist drivers; those without the feature could buy the Smart-Sign Card for installation on dashboards of all private and public modes of transportation. • Retail signage could follow suit. Step II. More with less: Artify and vernacularize • Essential street infrastructure should be re-done as multi-purpose, multi-functional infrastructure. For instance so that a bus shelter serves as a trash-bin, light fixture, solar energy harvester. • The multifunctional infrastructures could be designed by artists to bring out the vernacular, reinforce the sense of place and enhance the artistic value of the infrastructure. Step III. Free the roads: Zip-pod to work: • Free the roads of automobile traffic; make policies to implement such. • Innovate the transportation by thinking Zipline. Run the ziplines high up on sidewalks, accessible from first floor balconies, some of which could be designated pit-stops for people to hop on an zip to work. The ziplines could be modified to have a base-line as well for foot-rest. Additionally two to four person capacity transportation pods made of ultralight, weather resistant material but with, heavy load bearing capacity, could be installed to run on these lines for anybody to hop on and off. There could be a tax to recoup the installation and otherwise free usage of these ziplines and zipods. Step IV. Rethink Road Section: Inside Out • Freeing the road of automobile traffic opens up the possibility of rethinking the Road/Street Section. • Current street section could be inversed to bring the pedestrians/ skateboarders/ hover-boarders into the center of the road, with one side sidewalk could be widened to carry the automobile traffic inclusive of public transportation of ground pods, connected vehicles or whatever it may be and the other side of the sidewalk for bikers with efficient design buffers or treatments between the three lanes, such as a linear landscape such as raingarden that doubles as stormwater management tool as well. Step V. Free the land: Rethink Road Surface and Automobile wheels • Current asphalt-stripping projects to allow rainwater percolation to recharge our aquifers, should inspire us to rethink road surfacing material and design. It is perhaps logical to think that insertion of a percolation section every certain number of miles over the ground with porous sub-surface of land. This porous sub-section could either be constructed of bricks that allow water to percolate instead or of asphalt stripped surface graded with lose soil and gravel instead of compacted sub-grade. • Alternatively automobile wheels could be redesigned to preclude the need of smooth road-surfaces. Could future automobile wheels come with their own attached road surface? As outlandish, as it may sound, the idea is meant to trigger innovative thinking about current transportation modalities and road sections. This is a shout out to cost estimators and market researchers to come up with number crunching and innovators to come up with innovations. Baltimore is waiting to herald a paradigm shift in thinking on transportation planning to the world.

Prof. Archana Sharma replied on 08/27/2015 - 13:26
Five steps to futuristic transportation planning and design My student team and I won the Maryland Sustainable Growth Annual Collegiate competition this Spring. We proposed guidelines for green streets for small town of Easton in Talbot County on Eastern shore. The challenge was how do you retrofit the narrow streets of a historic town that took roots in 1710. Our exploration as a team considered the concepts of all the current palette of living streets, complete streets and green streets and how they could be applied to current streets. Given the time constraints and scope of the project, we did not explore street design in view of futuristic visions of transportation planning. After all we have to think and act in present to meet future needs with some readiness. Thinking on, here is a futuristic vision on how USDOT can re-think, re-design and re-plan America’s transportation system with a view on future, in 5 steps. Step I. Un-sign the streets: Herald Smart-Sign Card • Remove all transportation related street signage. • Instead issue a GIS integrated, signage projection enabled Smart-Sign Card, which could be embedded on street corners and could be activated with a button-press to project the signage for pedestrians. Include a braille button included voice instructions. Provide Citizens with an option to buy these cards as well. Many automobiles already have this feature integrated in their in-built navigation systems to assist drivers; those without the feature could buy the Smart-Sign Card for installation on dashboards of all private and public modes of transportation. • Retail signage could follow suit. Step II. More with less: Artify and vernacularize • Essential street infrastructure should be re-done as multi-purpose, multi-functional infrastructure. For instance so that a bus shelter serves as a trash-bin, light fixture, solar energy harvester. • The multifunctional infrastructures could be designed by artists to bring out the vernacular, reinforce the sense of place and enhance the artistic value of the infrastructure. Step III. Free the roads: Zip-pod to work: • Free the roads of automobile traffic; make policies to implement such. • Innovate the transportation by thinking Zipline. Run the ziplines high up on sidewalks, accessible from first floor balconies, some of which could be designated pit-stops for people to hop on an zip to work. The ziplines could be modified to have a base-line as well for foot-rest. Additionally two to four person capacity transportation pods made of ultralight, weather resistant material but with, heavy load bearing capacity, could be installed to run on these lines for anybody to hop on and off. There could be a tax to recoup the installation and otherwise free usage of these ziplines and zipods. Step IV. Rethink Road Section: Inside Out • Freeing the road of automobile traffic opens up the possibility of rethinking the Road/Street Section. • Current street section could be inversed to bring the pedestrians/ skateboarders/ hover-boarders into the center of the road, with one side sidewalk could be widened to carry the automobile traffic inclusive of public transportation of ground pods, connected vehicles or whatever it may be and the other side of the sidewalk for bikers with efficient design buffers or treatments between the three lanes, such as a linear landscape such as raingarden that doubles as stormwater management tool as well. Step V. Free the land: Rethink Road Surface and Automobile wheels • Current asphalt-stripping projects to allow rainwater percolation to recharge our aquifers, should inspire us to rethink road surfacing material and design. It is perhaps logical to think that insertion of a percolation section every certain number of miles over the ground with porous sub-surface of land. This porous sub-section could either be constructed of bricks that allow water to percolate instead or of asphalt stripped surface graded with lose soil and gravel instead of compacted sub-grade. • Alternatively automobile wheels could be redesigned to preclude the need of smooth road-surfaces. Could future automobile wheels come with their own attached road surface? As outlandish, as it may sound, the idea is meant to trigger innovative thinking about current transportation modalities and road sections. This is a shout out to cost estimators and market researchers to come up with number crunching and innovators to come up with innovations. Baltimore is waiting to herald a paradigm shift in thinking on transportation planning to the world.

Roy replied on 08/26/2015 - 23:12
To buy more local. Try to create less waste. Even school kids throw away food they don't like. The homeless should be offered the food that is thrown away. My wife and I had 2 million safe driving miles with Prime Inc. I was put on a cpap device 2/9/12. And sleep walked out of a semi while wife was driving about 60 WB on I 80 in WY 6/8/12. Was going to try and get cleared to drive 10/1/12. That morning I had a seizure. I can't even ride with my wife because I'm a risk. If people would have different start times. IT'S NOT ROCKET SIENCE. Rush hour traffic would be cut in half. In 20yrs how many times do you think I got caught in rush hour traffic?.. Roads that get closed do to weather like I-80 over donner summit. Rail cars could be made to go through feather river canyon. Semi's are not supposed to go that way. Some of the other ways would be let through trucks run left lane instead of playing with traffic getting on and off. Better signs. Go to a strange city that has missing street signs and street doesn't come up on GPS. Need example 4213 Lakeview N. Little Rock AR 72205. On my phone it showed it on S side of river. I had driven enough that I felt strongly that it would be on N. side of river. We meet our son at a Hobby Lobby near by house and followed him.. A place like Hunts Point NY that has a hundred trucks going into it. For the first timers some paint on the road was well as an extra sign or two could help. I've seen in years past the cars striped on the street, even set on fire. People jump on truck and offer to guide you in. I wonder how they knew they the street sign was gone?.. In CPAP industry I've found billions in fraud. If more effort was put into stopping fraud it could save Trillions. Have you seen the grants bigger company's get? Then the smaller stores can't compete. With cars and trucks more should be made in USA. Have you seen chart on oil just in the state of CO? Over 14,000 gold mines just in CA if I remember right. Water shortages in CA. One year lake is full and somebody decides to let water go. The farmers could have used that excess to maintain soil moisture. Try to make a living off the land. A consumption tax I think would help also. Those who know how can rite off a lot of income and even get money back. What a joke. Then insurance fraud. Zurich has paid millions in fraud. MERS 101 fraud I think also is a web site that tries to explain mortgage TAX fraud. I have an article on a car that could get 100mpg. Having people order ahead so stores can keep better inventory and may have less waste. Instead of stocking shelves they could delivery to people that could work with a route driver. 20 drops @ 5$ = 100. I used to drive and hope to make a 100$ a day. I know theirs cost in driving. A local store would be able to maintain it's truck local. One truck could serve several stores. I don't know why the rail road doesn't supply water to dry areas. Are food shortages planed? Be happy to give more if it's wanted.. Books by Scott Peck MD The Road Less Traveled. People of The Lie. Hands of Light by Barbra Ann Brennan. To name a few.
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