Comments

1
Hey Charles- WSDOT has developed their 'Target Zero' plan for realizing zero traffic fatalities by 2030.

It's not just a New York thing and it's not just a city thing. FYI.
2
Charles,
Agree, this is important. I even support a "vehicle tax/toll" such as London has should one feel obligated to drive into the city. I'm all for enhancing public transit. It's safer, cleaner and more efficient. I'm also a fan of commercial taxis.
3
How many were drunk hobos staggering across the street to scream obscenities at a fellow bum? Kind of like the ones who play frogger on 99 by the Aloha?
5
Do you own a car? The question is salient after your confession yesterday regarding house ownership.
6
Thanks for bringing this issue to the forefront - way too many avoidable traffic deaths in urban settings that for some odd reason we look past. A month back I saw a child hit by a car in Seattle - hard to ascribe fault but but clearly could have been avoided. That child's wails of agony and horror from a crushed pelvis didn't have to be unavoidable collateral damage of modern urban living.
7
@2 Does London make exceptions for those who are required to drive as part of their job? If not, it sounds like an undue burden on blue collar work like construction. We need to distinguish between those who drive purely out of elective choice and those who drive as a matter of commerce. The latter shouldn't be penalized to punish the former.
8
@7 I don't know if there exceptions. I reckon there would be but I don't know for sure. However, I do agree with you. "Elective" is the key word. Elective use of the automobile should be curbed.
9
New York would probably have fewer pedestrian deaths if it was in any way illegal to run them down. As it stands, hitting pedestrians with your car and maiming or killing them, even if you come up onto the sidewalk and pin them against a building to do so, isn't even a traffic ticket. People smash into shit with their cars all day long every day and suffer no penalty for it (aside from having to wash the blood off).
10
Responsibility. Drivers have been allowed to dismiss the idea. But, a pedestrian is NEVER in any sense responsible for being hit by a car - no more than a child is responsible for being hit by an adult.

Drivers need to be constantly reminded that there are children, elderly, disabled, mentally ill ... all kinds of pedestrians who could appear -- very suddenly -- in front of their vehicle. If there were a consequence for hitting them (jail), one might drive with a lot more attention and responsibility.
11
@10 true, but I've just about had it with all the passive aggressive types in Seattle (transplants I assume, it wasn't like that when I was a kid) who walk right in front of a car without even looking to make eye contact. It's not like I don't use caution when driving over sidewalks.

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