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Albanian rope trick
Via Roadwitch, here's a witty example of DIY traffic calming in Tirana - two lengths of thick rope spread across the road. And apparently it works:
Surprisingly, traffic approaching these almost always slow to a crawl while crossing them.
But for how long? I've sometimes thought you could achieve a good traffic-calming effect by placing dolls (how about life-sized ones?) in the street - perhaps half-cementing them in place, maybe with a bicycle scultpure alongside.
After a while you'd have to come up with something else - just as with rock-solid engineered speed-humps, because the SUV industry markets vehicles designed to treat them, and human beings, with disdain.
Posted by Kevin Harris on August 3, 2007 at 10:00 PM | Permalink
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Comments
Hello Kevin. Just to let you know that the ropes are still working. There is an occasional idiot who refuses to slow down but most cars still do.
However, I think this is less out of concern for their vehicles - the roads in Tirana are covered with much more destrcutvie potholes - and more to do with some kind of social solidarity.
What's happening I think is that the ropes indicate to motorists that there is some reason why someone in the area wants traffic to slow down - a bar and a nursery school - so they slow down.
It would be interesting to see if speed bumps placed by the local authorities would be as effective.
Posted by: ourmanintirana at 4 Aug 2007 10:04:12
Thanks Our Man
Potholes surely play an important role in slowing down cars, although unfortunately they discourage cycling. One day perhaps technology will allow us to generate holograms on the road, and vary them every so often. Also, vehicles will be loaded with sensors so that they do not need to be so heavily- and defensively-built: they will be lighter, meaning (a) drivers will feel less protected and less distanced from pedestrians; and (b) there should be less damage to road surfaces and therefore less expense. So we could have smooth road surfaces for cyclists; slower traffic; and more liveable neighbourhoods. Am I being over-optimistic?
k
Posted by: Kevin Harris at 4 Aug 2007 10:36:53
