America's deadliest road, explained

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  • Опубліковано 9 лис 2022
  • US road design favors speed over pedestrian safety.
    Subscribe and turn on notifications 🔔 so you don't miss any videos: goo.gl/0bsAjO
    Most American roads aren’t just unpleasant for pedestrians, they can be dangerous. Pedestrian fatalities have been rising in the past few years, and urban planners point to the way roads are designed as the culprit.
    A group of urban planners identified 60 pedestrian fatality hot spots throughout the US, and a 1,000-meter corridor of US-19 in New Port Richey, Florida, topped their list. Seventeen pedestrians lost their lives along this short stretch of road in the study period of 2001 to 2016.
    The fatality hot spots on the study’s list shared a lot of design characteristics. Many of them are arterial thoroughfares: roads historically built to keep high-speed traffic off of nearby residential streets. But the way US communities developed in a sprawling fashion along these roads meant these roadways also became business centers that pedestrians might need to access. The number of lanes and distances between crosswalks are among other dangerous design elements.
    For this video, we went to New Port Richey to walk along US-19 and document the design characteristics identified in the study.
    --
    Correction - A previous version of this video featured an interview that spoke to a memorial at Main Street and US-19. Locals from the New Port Richey area brought to our attention that the interview misrepresented the memorial, which honors a young man who was killed during an accident between two cars, not a bicycle as stated in the interview. Our sincere apologies for including the misrepresentation of the victim's story. We have edited the video to correct that error.
    This is a link to a GoFundMe for the victim's family which includes more details about the incident: www.gofundme.com/f/qe5jkz-fun...
    --
    This video is an adaptation of Vox.com reporter Marin Cogan’s investigation of US-19:
    www.vox.com/23178764/florida-...
    Local journalists have credited Marin’s reporting for pressuring local officials to follow through on planned improvements to US-19:
    www.tampabay.com/news/pasco/2...
    The pedestrian fatality study this story is based on is below:
    www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/a...
    A source for this story was Eric Dumbaugh, who authored a study on arterial roads:
    www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/...
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,5 тис.

  • @Vox
    @Vox  Рік тому +2786

    A lot of you pointed out that a 30-40 minute walk sounds like a lot for 950 meters (and yes, hi, American here who rarely uses meters, you caught me.)
    This is an overestimation, but keep in mind this wasn’t an ideal walking environment, with cars pulling in and out of driveways all along US-19. It would be closer to a 15-20 minute walk in an ideal environment, which is still a prohibitive demand of pedestrians trying to cross the street.
    -Laura

    • @weebl15
      @weebl15 Рік тому +358

      Not to forget, you also have to walk back the 950 meters on the other side.

    • @kolyngay-message6710
      @kolyngay-message6710 Рік тому +89

      I don't know if the people you interviewed where somewhat cherry-picked. But it seems those that use sidewalks may not walk at the same speed an average person would.

    • @errhka
      @errhka Рік тому +155

      my dad is disabled and that number would be accurate for the time it takes him to traverse that distance

    • @Moviefreak893
      @Moviefreak893 Рік тому +18

      Quick question, why didn't you translate the 45mph to kmh? Thanks

    • @thabokopane8739
      @thabokopane8739 Рік тому +40

      She did, when comparing 15mph and 45mph - there was an equivalent in kph below

  • @electrikoptik
    @electrikoptik Рік тому +5181

    As a european this looks so depressing to me. The roads are unnecessarily wide, there are non existing sidewalks and non existing bicycle lanes.

    • @riton349
      @riton349 Рік тому +364

      Walking in a US city (In my case TEXAS) felt like walking in a ghost town

    • @seanthe100
      @seanthe100 Рік тому +41

      The roads are wide for a reason

    • @davidvalencia129
      @davidvalencia129 Рік тому

      @@seanthe100 yes, the lack of infrastructure thr USA has.

    • @rjfaber1991
      @rjfaber1991 Рік тому +739

      @@seanthe100 Yes, for the wrong reason.

    • @lourencovieira313
      @lourencovieira313 Рік тому +211

      The road is like the size of a highway

  • @jonmcknlegg
    @jonmcknlegg Рік тому +4150

    Love to see good urbanism getting more attention these days

    • @dkaloger5720
      @dkaloger5720 Рік тому +179

      Absolutely, there are many city planning channels popping off on UA-cam which is great

    • @parsahasselhoff7986
      @parsahasselhoff7986 Рік тому +83

      @@dkaloger5720 I think he's referring to the fact that more "mainstream" media like Vox are also picking it up now.

    • @mike17032
      @mike17032 Рік тому +6

      It leads to moronic choices that vastly inconvenience the many many more cars that use the road to favor the 10 people that want to walk it.

    • @erifetim
      @erifetim Рік тому +59

      I'm always wondering if UA-cam just recommends me more of these videos or if there is an actual uptick of urban-related content

    • @nuansd
      @nuansd Рік тому +140

      @@mike17032 do you think only 10 people are walking the road by choice bc the road is good to walk? Do you understand that the way we build our roads and towns sets the method of transportation people can use?

  • @simonsaysism
    @simonsaysism Рік тому +674

    What's most depressing to me is how many people get angry when incremental changes are made to try to improve things like this.

    • @Cisco94
      @Cisco94 Рік тому +5

      I am one of those people.

    • @mxly_5095
      @mxly_5095 Рік тому +132

      @@Cisco94 why are you against something that can save lives?

    • @onorebakasama
      @onorebakasama Рік тому +56

      People whose way of life has been supported and subsidized forever resist change because they think one change will lead to a million changes and their free ride collapsing. That is why people like that tend to speak in extreme hyperbole to shoot down the idea (I.e., whenever increasing bike counts is mentioned, someone mentions that they're a plumber and can't carry pipes and tools and computers, ladders, etc., on a bicycle, so bike lanes are bad).

    • @Cisco94
      @Cisco94 Рік тому +4

      @@mxly_5095 I’m all for saving lives. But creating more traffic is not the way to go. Maybe cross over paths and roundabouts.

    • @stereotype.6377
      @stereotype.6377 Рік тому +137

      @@Cisco94 You’re not creating more traffic. A lot of people are currently driving because there are no viable alternatives. If all of those people could walk/bike/take public transit, there would be less traffic on the roads, freeing it up for commercial uses or those who don’t have the luxury to walk or bike safely. The best country in the world for drivers are the Netherlands, who also happen to have (some of) the best walking and cycling infra and public transit (both locally and nationally)

  • @Zippyduda
    @Zippyduda Рік тому +3925

    As a British person that has just come back from their first visit to the US (Florida to be exact) my family and I were SHOCKED at how badly designed pedestrian crossings were. Having to cross 4-8 lanes, no accessibility for blind or deaf people when to cross, drivers being able to turn right at all times, the speed limits and a severe lack of crossing points. God help you if you are unable to move quickly during your allotted crossing time, terrifying!

    • @DrTomoe-em7rs
      @DrTomoe-em7rs Рік тому +53

      may i ask why you visited? i love living here 🙂 but i truly don’t get why others spend so much time and money to visit the USA anymore 👀
      i hope we stay a travel destination though 😞❤

    • @RyanDottery
      @RyanDottery Рік тому +227

      I'm surprised they didn't mention right turn on red in the video! It's permitted almost nationwide, and incredibly dangerous for pedestrians when they have the walk signal, but cars are still permitted to turn.

    • @Agent-ie3uv
      @Agent-ie3uv Рік тому +12

      @@ConnorisseurYT japan isn't car or pedestrian friendly either! 💀🤣

    • @gimmins
      @gimmins Рік тому +23

      @@DrTomoe-em7rs no offense, but Brexit, high cost of living, poor universal health services, invisible racial discrimination (probably more blatant than US) and back-breaking taxes? Glad you are living there but it is no better than living in US

    • @mcmillsvlog
      @mcmillsvlog Рік тому

      Come one, that way better than London 😅😅

  • @Xeonerable
    @Xeonerable Рік тому +560

    As a former Floridian, basically all roads in Florida are like that. Urban sprawl car-culture death traps. And the rule of Florida is that the speed limit is actually like 10-20 mph above the posted limit.

    • @randomoneforstuff3696
      @randomoneforstuff3696 Рік тому +11

      But really it would be easy to enforce the speed limit. The margin of error for a radar gun is within 1-2mph, so being ticketed for 10+ mph over the speed limit can't be refuted. Essentially, part of the safety problem could be solved with better (or more) law enforcement.

    • @javi7636
      @javi7636 Рік тому +78

      @@randomoneforstuff3696 Speed limits are an ineffective way to regulate traffic safety. Drivers' behavior is mostly based on the conditions of the road, and most people will simply go as fast as they feel comfortable. On a wide open, continuous stretch of road, that's going to be very fast. It's been proven that the most effective approach is making physical changes like narrowing the road, adding surrounding greenery like trees, and including speed bumps at high risk areas like crosswalks. You mix and match these tools to tweak the desired driver behavior.

    • @ScramJett
      @ScramJett Рік тому +3

      Sounds like California too. Especially with the speed limit rule.

    • @ScramJett
      @ScramJett Рік тому +30

      @@javi7636 exactly. Traffic enforcement should be the last line of defense in traffic safety. Safe infrastructure and a built environment that prioritizes people and safety over speed and volume should always come first.

    • @randomoneforstuff3696
      @randomoneforstuff3696 Рік тому +3

      ​@@javi7636 I disagree. China has shown that extreme enforcement of speed limits (with severe punishment) leads to fewer pedestrian deaths. Though, I cannot condone all of China's methods or verify their statistics. But, of course, other mitigation tools can be just as, if not more, effective as law enforcement. I personally am a big advocate of roundabouts.

  • @catcherzw
    @catcherzw Рік тому +1050

    My Dutch friend once said to me “Americans love to harp about their years in university because it’s the only time in their lives they lived in a walkable community”

    • @CRneu
      @CRneu Рік тому +113

      this is hilarious and true. I grew up near a US University campus and never needed a car. The entire town was a 10 minute bike ride.

    • @TikoVerhelst
      @TikoVerhelst Рік тому +57

      Hoi!
      Can totally confirm that's a Dutch thing to say.
      I keep wondering how Americans keep living like that. Fell into the 'urbanist rabbit hole' myself and though "Wait a minute. Y'all don't have to cycle/walk to school!?!?!? Your parents bring you every day!!!!! That would be a luxery for me! My parents would never do that for me." (as a Dutch person, your parents will only bring if it rains and usually not even then 'You're not made of sugar' they'll say sending you on your way to cycle 10 km)

    • @Ferrichrome
      @Ferrichrome Рік тому +11

      @@TikoVerhelst lol, it’s kinda nice sometimes, but honestly I wish I grew up in a more cycle friendly area, it has so many benefits

    • @RH-cv1rg
      @RH-cv1rg Рік тому +21

      The Dutch like to talk about how their country is so pedestrian friendly. Sure, but their ENTIRE country is 75% the size of San Bernardino County outside Los Angeles.

    • @mango9602
      @mango9602 Рік тому +73

      @@RH-cv1rg That's not the point. Europe has highways to carry cars long distances too. It's just that the European city's are more compact and discourage cars so that people walk or cycle. Our cities are large to accommodate car culture. The United States needs to change their future city designs to be more green and more pedestrian friendly over car friendly.

  • @juanchaves9845
    @juanchaves9845 Рік тому +138

    The impact of Not Just Bikes on this part of the UA-cam community is amazing. Bro causing changes in these big channels' content

  • @Ass_of_Amalek
    @Ass_of_Amalek Рік тому +42

    that woman with the disability preventing her from driving seems really terrified of that traffic. :(

  • @nicholaschilds2128
    @nicholaschilds2128 Рік тому +1099

    I live in Newport Richey and even as a driver I avoid this road because of how it encourages reckless driving. I can’t imagine having to walk across this road multiple times a day

    • @CadgerChristmasLightShow
      @CadgerChristmasLightShow Рік тому +73

      It literally looks like a freeway shoved in the middle of a town with tons of crossroads. No wonder it's extremely dangerous by design.

    • @the_rubbish_bin
      @the_rubbish_bin Рік тому +21

      I absolutely hate the way people drive so reckless on 19 and I am in Pinellas County.

    • @bobbirdsong6825
      @bobbirdsong6825 Рік тому +6

      @@the_rubbish_bin can't really blame em, it's design encourages speeding and competitive driving

    • @PaxxMontana
      @PaxxMontana Рік тому +1

      Yeah I’ve got a ton of fam in npr and Hudson and I hate going on 19 whenever I’m in town at all

    • @colespinjetsumaster
      @colespinjetsumaster Рік тому +6

      grew up using this road, I remember it used to be the deadliest road in the US for cars too when it had less lanes

  • @dbclass4075
    @dbclass4075 Рік тому +72

    Another factor is right turn on red light. In theory, it shouldn't be much of a problem because drivers are required to yield. In practice, many drivers tend to forget that (or if they do, only watches out for vehicles and not other road users).

    • @carultch
      @carultch Рік тому +2

      Not only are you required to yield, you are required to stop completely, and give way to all other traffic. You have last priority when you want to turn right on red. Right-on-red needs to be treated as a full stop, first and foremost.
      The purpose of right-on-red is to avoid the need for drivers to needlessly wait for a red light to clear, when their intended movement has no conflicting traffic.

    • @dbclass4075
      @dbclass4075 Рік тому

      @@carultch Partial solution to that is a traffic light for right-turn, in which its cycle is different from left-turn and straight traffic lights.

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 4 місяці тому

      @@dbclass4075 In my country, even with such a signal, vehicles that want to turn may only be able to do so from one lane that also allows vehicles to go straight, & the vehicles that want to turn may be held up by another in front that's going straight instead

  • @PurpleRhymesWithOrange
    @PurpleRhymesWithOrange Рік тому +70

    One thing not mentioned was the length of the crosswalk signals. I have a pretty fast walk, friends are often asking me to slow down. I can barely make it across the four lane roads in our city in the 10 seconds most of the cross walks are set for. That means the average person probably is still in the street when the light changes; not to mention someone who might be slower such as someone with a cane, walker, or wheelchair, who is forced to be taking the buses.

    • @vice.nor.virtue
      @vice.nor.virtue Рік тому +6

      The redundancy time built into crossing roads in Europe can feel absurd sometimes, but it's better. Sometimes the green man will turn red,as you start crossing but you still get enough time to cross also +5 extra seconds just in case you're in a wheelchair. So it could be 15 seconds from the man turning red, til the cars at the stop light get the green so they can move on.

    • @CRneu
      @CRneu Рік тому +5

      a lot of americans have a habit of running across crosswalks for this very reason. 20 seconds to cross 5 lanes of traffic is not enough.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Рік тому +2

      @@CRneu and of course if you trip someone in a tall SUV might not see you. It’s such a shame that they don’t just give you 30 seconds or something.

    • @Boby9333
      @Boby9333 Рік тому +1

      I used to live close to a 6lane boulevard in Montreal, Canada. You had the green man for like 15-20s (maybe more) then it changed to the yellow/orange hand for ~15s signaling that you might not have time to cross. Any less than that and people with disability can't cross the intersection in time.
      My grandpa was fully blind and walked very slowly with his cane. If we were to cross a large intersection we had to be there as the light turned green for us or we had to wait until the next green.

    • @RiannaPeterson
      @RiannaPeterson Місяць тому +1

      10 seconds??? You practically have to sprint across! 🤦

  • @razzle_dazzle
    @razzle_dazzle Рік тому +2447

    Vox should do more international comparisons in these kinds of videos - e.g. how much friendlier the roads abroad are for pedestrians, how jaywalking isn't a thing in the rest of the world, etc.
    EDIT: I just got recommended the channel "Not Just Bikes", which covers these comparisons and urban planning more generally. The few videos of his I've checked out so far have been really helpful and informative. In particular, look for the one on "stroads" - the street/road hybrid monstrosities like the one in this video - that only seem to exist in North America.

    •  Рік тому +45

      Jaywalking is a thing in countries that copied the U.S. logic of jaywalking such as Germany.

    • @bishop51807
      @bishop51807 Рік тому +46

      No jaywalking isn't, but dangerous car centric roads exist everywhere worldwide, thanks auto industry lobbyist.

    •  Рік тому +10

      @@bishop51807 The term might not be the same but people are still threated like jaywalkers in countries that adopted these styles.

    • @paxundpeace9970
      @paxundpeace9970 Рік тому +8

      They usually do this they had made a grrat comparison about schools in the US and Finland for example

    •  Рік тому +7

      @@paxundpeace9970 Yeah but these are kinda over the top. Systems outside of the US face the same nay sayers like you have.
      It's a bit like if you got to Canada and see something the U.S. had earlier.We in Europe have people that copy the tactic of right wing U.S. politicians just in their own flavour.

  • @EdoKarachannel
    @EdoKarachannel Рік тому +663

    One thing that bothers me is how often someone has to be killed by dangerous infrastructure to spur action - it's clear to see when these pieces of infrastructure are dangerous for people on foot, but often planning officials ignore it until it becomes fatal. A life should not need to be sacrificed to make our streets safer.

    • @BillionairesArentYourFriends
      @BillionairesArentYourFriends Рік тому +6

      Oh amen, say it. No one ever talks about the details.

    • @onemorechris
      @onemorechris Рік тому +14

      that’s not just a US thing either. there are roads where people get hurt or killed in the UK and they are often on a list to get updated to make them safer ‘at some point’ and it’s not till that death happens that they suddenly get to the top of that list :/

    • @noefillon1749
      @noefillon1749 Рік тому +13

      @@onemorechris i think it's the same everywhere, as soon as it costs money or has a risk of being unpopular, they preer waiting for a fatality to have a justification for redesigning... I mean this is even human nature to procrastinate until you realize it's too late. I live in France, the administration and politics (but not only them) often work the same way.

    • @onemorechris
      @onemorechris Рік тому +7

      @@noefillon1749 yea. weird human behaviour. It must be frustrating to have the right answer as an expert in this situation and know that your idea will sit collecting dust until someone is really seriously hurt before anyone will do anything about it.

    • @onemorechris
      @onemorechris Рік тому +2

      @Zaydan Naufal i don’t disagree, but i’m not sure city planners and council officials are the best people to fight cancer

  • @timwatkins6559
    @timwatkins6559 Рік тому +78

    Vox should also do a piece about the average height and weight of cars and their change over time

    • @ilovesheryterry
      @ilovesheryterry Рік тому +3

      yes, that is a huge factor in the number of deaths.

    • @bigwatermelon4487
      @bigwatermelon4487 Рік тому +2

      And comparing them to European and Asian counterparts.

    • @louisnall3102
      @louisnall3102 5 місяців тому +1

      I’ve heard so many people complain that parking spots are too small. Is it that, or is your car too big?

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 4 місяці тому

      Meanwhile there're roads in my country with unladen vehicle weight limits as low as 1.5t (3306lb), which I think many cars would exceed today

  • @kareltracy
    @kareltracy Рік тому +31

    Just two days ago, I was starting to cross the street at an intersection with a pedestrian signal on "walk" and two cars in a row turned right by crossing in front of me in the crosswalk. I have had numerous close calls with cars turning left when I had a walk signal in my favor. This is in a suburb of Portland, OR, known for being less car-centered than many other places.

    • @ganjackbogle876
      @ganjackbogle876 Рік тому +1

      Keep your head on a swivel out there

    • @aaronsmegmasson7184
      @aaronsmegmasson7184 7 місяців тому +1

      Sorry, I didn't see you behind my a-pillar

    • @AssBlasster
      @AssBlasster 6 місяців тому

      Most of those suburbs are still largely car centric. Only Portland inner neighborhoods (west of 205) are walkable and safer with the narrow streets.

    • @lzh4950
      @lzh4950 4 місяці тому

      On the other hand in my country I've seen pedestrians continue to saunter across the road even as the 'walk' signal is ending, holding up not only turning cars but also public buses

  • @johanna7254
    @johanna7254 Рік тому +537

    Like many, I've fallen down the "urbanist rabbit hole" lately and I can't stop seeing problems everywhere in my own city. So that's why my town has had so many bike/ped deaths! No wonder I feel uncomfortable walking on stroads! There are many things I just accepted as "normal" before that I'm now questioning. It's both good and bad lol

    • @johnsmiff8328
      @johnsmiff8328 Рік тому +23

      Yes. Welcome to the rabbit hole! Invite a friend to the urbanism rabbit hole! The beautiful thing is unlike a lot of other policy spaces, you can get a ton done at a local level for urbanism. You don't even need to convince the whole country, just a few neighbors!

    • @cyan_oxy6734
      @cyan_oxy6734 Рік тому +14

      It blew my mind that US suburbs sometimes don't even have sidewalks.

    • @koidotjpeg9944
      @koidotjpeg9944 Рік тому +6

      There's this portion of a residential road I take to get home that I used to HATE. It's got small bike lanes on the sides (didn't ever hate that part), but it also has these stretches of curb that make you slow down as you have to go around them. It's like that through the whole road. Then there's this really small roundabout that killed me...
      A few years later and I've come to appreciate the design after falling down the urbanism rabit hole as it encourages slower driving and gives walkers and bikers a place to travel on the road.

    • @moroteseoinage
      @moroteseoinage Рік тому

      There would be fewer pedestrian deaths if those people had driven. Cars save lives. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk

    • @johnsmiff8328
      @johnsmiff8328 Рік тому +12

      @@moroteseoinage brain completely replaced with general motors marketing team

  • @Azeria
    @Azeria Рік тому +196

    of course it’s in florida

    • @nickjames7340
      @nickjames7340 Рік тому

      Lol

    • @davidplayzanimation7694
      @davidplayzanimation7694 Рік тому

      LOL

    • @buglerplayz7497
      @buglerplayz7497 Рік тому +6

      Florida man obviously had built it

    • @YogabyNanda
      @YogabyNanda Рік тому +6

      I live in Florida and said the same. I actually thought of several deadly roads when saw the video, they’re usually near the beach too :(

    • @zarc0n
      @zarc0n Рік тому

      If "florida" is in your joke pocket u need to broaden your horizons...

  • @jakesantangelo4
    @jakesantangelo4 Рік тому +16

    I’ve lived here my entire life 20 years. exactly where there filming and I lost one of my best friends at the traffic light about a year ago very dangerous intersection.
    That memorial is my friend Logan very sad brings a tear to my eye thank you vox for making this documentary

  • @timnoordewier8089
    @timnoordewier8089 Рік тому +30

    I’m a professional traffic operations engineer and I recently worked on a lane repurposing study in a small Florida town which I will not name. A lane repurposing study is what Florida DOT calls a corridor study to examine the roadway’s existing and future uses and make recommendations on how the roadway ought to be vs. how it is currently configured.
    On this recent study our corridor had above statewide average fatality rates (and that’s high because Florida is about as deadly as roads get) and 3 lanes in each direction. Our traffic models showed the roadway was operating at 19% of capacity during peak hour traffic and 2 of the 3 lanes were not needed for operations. We conservatively recommended reducing from 3 to 2 lanes (instead of 3 to 1) in each direction and providing streetscape improvements such as on street parking (good for businesses), bike lanes (proven to reduce crash rates for all roadway users), auxiliary turn lanes at driveways, and wider sidewalks with landscaping in some areas.
    The engineers and planners thought the recommendations made sense as they would not cause traffic congestion but would help make this small town’s downtown more walkable and pleasant and would create a sense of place-all good things for local residents and businesses.
    Unfortunately, due to local politics, the people who showed up to public meetings liked the 3 high speed lanes through their downtown. The population that showed up to meetings was mostly retired baby boomers who oppose any and all change, good or bad.
    So while it’s sad to see areas with high fatality rates, please don’t blame engineers or planners. In the end, if YOU the citizens don’t participate in your local government, then nothing will be done.

    • @milesmartig5603
      @milesmartig5603 Рік тому +12

      Interesting perspective. I'd like to add more to this.
      The people who have the time out of their day to show up to municipal public meetings are the retired boomers, and the privaledged wealthy people (who are wayyy likely to be white in most places). The YOU who needs to be represented often can't show up to public engagement efforts. It should be the job of local politicians to represent these people, but as goes with most things, the poor don't get spoken for.
      So yes, planners aren't to blame. The solution is not "hey, go to meetings!". The solution is change that's bigger than that. On the community level, doing door to door or on the street surveys. Creating an environment of people who actively try to find out what the less fortunate want and need. And still, bigger than that, reduce the barriers to public engagement by improving poor people's financial situations. Institute a higher minimum wage, or union protections, or UBI. Anything.
      As with most things, you miss a lot when you only think about individuals.

  • @b127_1
    @b127_1 Рік тому +257

    There is another massive issue with all this sprawling development: it is unbelievably expensive. The average surface parking lot costs thousands of dollars per parking spot to build . These arterial roads cost millions. Imagine how much good could be done if this was spent on literally anything else...

    • @ScramJett
      @ScramJett Рік тому +28

      Check out the work Strong Towns has done identifying the Growth Ponzi Scheme which explains the current state of car centric suburbanization. Not Just Bikes also did a “Strong Towns” themed video series that has a really good summary of how the Suburban Growth Ponzi Scheme works.

    • @elilevineg
      @elilevineg Рік тому +14

      The whole sprawling culture is extremely wasteful and expensive. It requires tons of infrastructure - roads, bridges, water, electricity, etc. to support sparsely populated areas, these endless expenses can drive cities to bankruptcy. Owning a single family home is expensive compared to an apartment, and owning a car can reach up to 1/3 of poor people’s income.

    • @jellybeansi
      @jellybeansi Рік тому +13

      Yep. People constantly complain about their "taxpayer dollars going to useless bike lanes and sidewalks", but they don't realize how much money they're spending over their lifetime to own a car (it's in the hundreds of thousands), and how many of their taxpayer dollars are going to road maintenance for damage, etc caused by vehicles driving over them all the time. They should be angry about that.

    • @benoit-pierredemaine3824
      @benoit-pierredemaine3824 Рік тому +1

      @@kaylathompson862 spamming can get you banned from Google.

    • @kaylathompson862
      @kaylathompson862 Рік тому +1

      @@benoit-pierredemaine3824 I could care less🤷‍♀️

  • @dustinmcdowell848
    @dustinmcdowell848 Рік тому +191

    Pedestrian bridges are not the answer. They will just be bypassed by people not wanting to walk up the stairs or ramps. This is still an old way of thinking about pedestrian design.

    • @onemorechris
      @onemorechris Рік тому +23

      yep. and if you’re walking, you still have to walk to the bridge and then from the bridge.

    • @lilybertine5673
      @lilybertine5673 Рік тому +32

      Pedestrian bridges are made for cars. It's a car infrastructure.

    • @airtrafficman972
      @airtrafficman972 Рік тому +6

      It's also ridiculous that someone could think that it's a sustainable/scalable solution. Even if they were perfect for pedestrians, saying ped bridges are the solution to these problems is like saying that vehicle overpasses are the solution to every dangerous intersection or high-risk conflict point. It just isn't feasible, financially or otherwise.

    • @Eowyn126
      @Eowyn126 Рік тому +2

      I mean, it’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing, and I doubt people in power will go for lowering the number of lanes and yknow, actually making a long term solution

    • @spyder629
      @spyder629 Рік тому +3

      Depends on how it is implemented - it is not necessarily bad as long as it is easily accessable for handicapped etc. A pedestrian tunnel is probably better

  • @kristahessey2367
    @kristahessey2367 Рік тому +44

    I imagine that the reporter just found people on the street to interview on the day. It speaks volumes that she was able to find three people who have harrowing stories about how dangerous the roadway is. The one woman almost cried speaking out of fear! The young man's friend literally DIED there? Wow.

    • @starryoshizumi9508
      @starryoshizumi9508 Рік тому +11

      Just so you know, the guy at 4:11 is talking about Logan Blakley who died in his car by a reckless driver going 85mph. The guy in the video who is speaking for Logan, Damion McCloskey, doesn't actually know who Logan he is. No one who was close to Logan knows who that guy is, whoever vox hired for that part is a liar and I think it's important people know this

    • @p_rry
      @p_rry Рік тому +3

      @@starryoshizumi9508 Vox seems to have removed that section

  • @warui-michi7295
    @warui-michi7295 Рік тому +11

    This topic actually touches my biggest worry when I was studying in the US as a student without car. I felt so fragile to cross the road and worried about homeless yelling at me.

    • @kaelthunderhoof5619
      @kaelthunderhoof5619 Рік тому +5

      No, the homeless won't yell at you but the people driving in their car will.

  • @ericwright8592
    @ericwright8592 Рік тому +240

    Reducing speed limits... Seriously? The problem is the road *looks* like a highway. You have get rid of lanes if you want people to go slower. And pedestrian bridges? Come on. They take forever to get across, you have to go out of your way, good luck if you're in a wheelchair, penalizing pedestrians for the benefit of the people in the cars. Cities are made up of people. People live in homes, people go shopping, people go to work, people pay taxes. Not cars. Yet we continue ot build cities designed for cars first.

    • @ape8404
      @ape8404 Рік тому +9

      Ya, well, people live in homes but how do they go shopping? In a car. To work? In a car. To run errands? In a car. It's just how it is. And yes, more walking around and public transportation would be great but people love their cars too much in America. Plus, unless you live in a big city, things tend to be pretty far apart. Like all these pedestrian friendly things sound wonderful, except no one is going to use them, and places in America that will, have significantly better public transportation and pedestrian friendly infrastructure than what is shown in the video. Still nowhere near as good as in Europe but at least it's a start.

    • @LdyVder
      @LdyVder Рік тому +16

      And widening the roads haven't make traffic run smoother, it just allows for more traffic. See it in my city, Jacksonville, Florida, all the time.

    • @zeugens
      @zeugens Рік тому +3

      us-19 in clearwater basically is a highway. they elevated that section, put on and off ramps and called it a day lol. I wish it wasnt like this but the commuters here don't wanna reduce lanes because it inconveniences them

    • @magical11
      @magical11 Рік тому +41

      @@ape8404 Your argument has largely been debunked. There are towns in Europe with the same or smaller population than many NA cities and yet their public transport is multitudes better. The US and Canada are simply not aware that you can do things differently. The car isn't the be all end all.

    • @ericwright8592
      @ericwright8592 Рік тому +18

      @@ape8404 you just described the problem. Many American cities were originally built for people. But following WW2 they were bulldozed to pave massive roads and highways. Cities that were built after WW2 were built for cars first and foremost. Plenty of European cities with populations of less than 100,000 have amazing trams, trains and busses. Because they never carved up their cities for cars. It's extremely difficult to have any human friendly places once you go all in on cars. I used to be nuts about my car until it started leaving me stranded and I couldn't afford a new car or to fix mine. It was shocking that I literally couldn't imagine how to survive without a car when that is normal in most places on earth. It's not even an option in the US. A car is basically required to be a functional member of society here. That's the issue.

  • @constancel4211
    @constancel4211 Рік тому +606

    Small error at 4:30: 950m is a 15 to 20 minutes walk, not the 30 to 40 minutes mentionned in the video. I guess metric distances confused the writers. It's still an outrageous distance.

    • @ChrisJones00918
      @ChrisJones00918 Рік тому +81

      Say you want to get to somewhere inbetween the 2 crossings on the otherside.. you have to walk the distance to the crossing and back again. That could end up being a lot more than the 950m so it could potentially add an extra 30 or so minutes to the journey

    • @constancel4211
      @constancel4211 Рік тому +66

      @@ChrisJones00918 Worst case scenario you're at the mid-point between the two crossings and want to reach a point just on the other side of the road. The total distance is 950m plus the width of the road (30 meters or so). Trust me, I'm a pedestrian !

    • @rockne2844
      @rockne2844 Рік тому +62

      12 min at 5km/hr which is a normal slow walking speed

    • @ellenkarlsson9490
      @ellenkarlsson9490 Рік тому +55

      You take 15 minutes to walk 950 m?? That shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes.

    • @equinox4467
      @equinox4467 Рік тому +28

      Yeah, if it takes 30 minutes, you're walking 1.9km/h which seems VERY slow. Average walking speed is about 5km/h.

  • @extrahistory8956
    @extrahistory8956 Рік тому +20

    As a regular pedestrian and public transport user in Dallas, Texas, I can relate to all of these issues.

    • @kaylathompson862
      @kaylathompson862 Рік тому +1

      Please spread this message in the comments! - ‼️‼️ THE MAN AT 4:03 DID NOT KNOW LOGAN (the man who the memorial was for) -Whoever made this video lied for content, and Logan’s friends/family are hurt by this. I’m not sure if Vox hired someone to lie about the manner of Logan’s death and about his life, but it’s not right. Please take the video down or cut that part out. HE DID NOT KNOW LOGAN! So incredibly disrespectful!!!

  • @Melissa0774
    @Melissa0774 Рік тому +13

    If you look back at history, a lot of towns in the U.S were initially designed for trains because, in the teens and 20's, people thought that was the future of transportation. A lot of roads had train or trolly tracks running right down the middle of them. But it was all mostly gone by the end of the 30's, into the mid 40's, once they realized that people were going to drive cars. Think of all that infrastructure they built and then tore down within only 20-30 years. And today look how long it takes to get anything done.

  • @Riplee
    @Riplee Рік тому +571

    Revelatory movement; *Strong Towns.* This topic is also extremely well covered by a channel called NotJustBikes, who talks at length about infrastructure design comparisons between car-centric vs welcoming to everyone else. Pedestrian bridges are not a solution, it's another slap on the wrist for wanting to walk. The US urban road system need a major overhaul. Until then, our system values the presence of machines over people.

    • @Riplee
      @Riplee Рік тому +26

      Ask yourself this if you're in doubt-
      Is your affinity for the ease of driving worth the human cost in life of those who can't afford your way of life?

    • @elweewutroone
      @elweewutroone Рік тому +17

      Stroads

    • @asantaraliner
      @asantaraliner Рік тому +20

      I watched Strong Towns and Not Just Bikes and their explanation about Stroads, athough I sense a shady reason why the US continues to build sprawling developments and car centric design. Because the US cities after 1950s were destroyed for the car, the one who were impacted were Children, Disabled, Hispanic, Black, Asian, non-White and poor people. This is what I believed that the reason the US continues to be like this, to sustain Racism and Inequality for poor people.

    • @TheLastScoot
      @TheLastScoot Рік тому +1

      I don't know much about this topic, why aren't pedestrian bridges a solution?

    • @asantaraliner
      @asantaraliner Рік тому +13

      @@TheLastScoot Because it forces the pedestrian to climb up and down. Disability cannot use the Pedestrian Bridges because it has no elevators and elevators are expensive to build and maintain in the open area. Pedestrian Bridges also permit cars to travel at high speeds, making it dangerous to people outside of car. In Jakarta, the pedestrian bridges were made like ramps to give disability access, however it was lengthy walk to the BRT station and it's often misused by motorcycles.

  • @ryanberry1
    @ryanberry1 Рік тому +222

    I live in the middle of a city here in England and hardly ever have to wait for the "green man" - walking when it's not your turn is common and walk pretty much everywhere within a 2-3 mile radius, we're far from the most pedestrian friendly city around but seeing US-19 is frightening. It's mental how the US was built

    • @racecardriverrr4201
      @racecardriverrr4201 Рік тому +29

      Just wish cycling was a more accepted, safe and common means of transportation over here

    • @GeorgeParros161
      @GeorgeParros161 Рік тому +1

      @@racecardriverrr4201 why cant afford a car? lol

    • @Agent-ie3uv
      @Agent-ie3uv Рік тому +2

      @@GeorgeParros161 unless you live in 🇳🇪

    • @racecardriverrr4201
      @racecardriverrr4201 Рік тому +25

      @@GeorgeParros161 stay mad 🤣

    • @veenorelation4008
      @veenorelation4008 Рік тому +31

      People in the US urbanist communities often say that the country wasn't built this way it was REBUILT this way. Before the popularization and widespread adaptation of cars, US cities were a lot like European cities. Dense cities with many pedestrians and multiple forms of public transit like trams, trains, and interurbans. However, when cars started gaining popularity and pedestrian deaths rose people were discouraged from walking, trams were torn out, and minority and low income communities were bulldozed to make way for highways to connect the sprawling suburbs with the city center.

  • @starryoshizumi9508
    @starryoshizumi9508 Рік тому +27

    The man, Damion McCloskey, at 4:11 is a liar. The memorial behind him is for Logan Blakely who died in a car crash by a reckless driver going 85mph at a red light. No one knows who this guy is speaking for Logan, and if anyone should have been asked for this interview it should've been someone who actually knew him. This is extremely disrespectful to Logan and his life, and those who knew Logan. Vox should take this section of the video out. Extremely disrespectful and wrong.

    • @Vox
      @Vox  Рік тому +15

      Hi Starr Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I apologize for miscategorizing the accident and for any offense to Logan’s friends and family. We did not intend to misrepresent the accident and fully recognize that we should have exercised more diligence to verify the interviewee’s claim. I’m working on a correction to the video that will no longer include the misrepresentation and interview at 4:11. - Laura

    • @starryoshizumi9508
      @starryoshizumi9508 Рік тому +1

      @@Vox Thank you very much

  • @ReconnectRochester
    @ReconnectRochester Рік тому +4

    What a great video, these are issues we're trying to tackle in our own community here in Rochester, neighborhood streets are becoming their own highways leading to traffic fatalities. Reducing the speed limit is great, but it really boils down to the street design that makes drivers become more aware of their surroundings and their speed. Would love to see more videos like this Vox!

  • @therogue1542
    @therogue1542 Рік тому +87

    Speedbumps right before intersections and pedestrian crossings!

    • @crozraven
      @crozraven Рік тому +4

      That's not a solution, only bring more troubles with even higher risks of accidents. speed bump is arguably the worst invention for the roads & will certainly damage vehicles to high degree.

    • @play005517
      @play005517 Рік тому +57

      @@crozraven What are you talking about? Speedbumps before every low-speed intersection and pedestrian crossing are long proven solutions in Dutch road design. Where are all those damaged Dutch vehicles you speak of?

    • @lourencovieira313
      @lourencovieira313 Рік тому +31

      @@crozraven the safest crossing in my city has a speedbump, it forces drivers to slow down to protect people

    • @play005517
      @play005517 Рік тому +25

      @@crozraven Candian UA-camr Not Just Bikes has a recent video titled "Crossing the Street Shouldn't Be Deadly (but it is)". At 20:35 he showed the Dutch speed bumps and humps before intersections and raised pedestrian crossings acting as huge speed humps themself
      Have a look and see what other countries are doing to save people's life

    • @dulguunjargal1199
      @dulguunjargal1199 Рік тому +36

      ​@@crozraven Driver complains about safety features because he cant just add 5 seconds to his travel time

  • @Delvis343
    @Delvis343 Рік тому +142

    I think an under appreciated aspect of increasing pedestrian fatalities is the also increasing size of vehicles. Large SUV’s have a different “hit box” than sedans that hit people in the legs and then roll into the hood.

    • @Davmm96
      @Davmm96 Рік тому +33

      Important note indeed, went to an auto show and my shoulders were barely popping over the hood of a Cadillac Escalade (and I'm 5'10"/178cm).. That thing should almost require a truck licence and I'm half-joklng here...

    • @kb_100
      @kb_100 Рік тому +22

      @@Davmm96 the new generation of full size SUV's is outrageous.
      The grill would hit most pedestrians directly in the head during a collision.
      And if colliding with a sedan car from the side that grill would come straight through the window and into the passenger compartment. Bypassing all the safety structures in the car's body.
      I can't believe those vehicles are legal.

    • @carloszambrano1124
      @carloszambrano1124 Рік тому +14

      This is also a result of the environment, how car centric it is. People who buy SUV get them because they are a lot safer for themselves if there is a crash, which the car centric cities make much more likely.
      Also since you have to drive to the store and everywhere else, due to everything being more spread out, you need a bigger trunk.

    • @areoladan5580
      @areoladan5580 Рік тому +15

      There is also the ongoing effort to soundproof cars as much as possible, even sometimes including active noise cancellation. No need to hear all those pesky pedestrians screaming while you run them over. Cars are much safer these days but ONLY for people *inside* the car.

    • @Zalis116
      @Zalis116 Рік тому +11

      Also bigger and worse blind spots, which are also a problem with the needlessly big trucks (i.e. the ones with huge/high cabs and barely any bed space for hauling materials) that're becoming distressingly popular.

  • @ZVEKOfficial
    @ZVEKOfficial Рік тому +4

    Not sure if any one else noticed but I gotta applaud the video editor taking the effort to add a blur effect over diagram on the windshield as the car passes through at 3:09 mark

  • @xandibarrett1144
    @xandibarrett1144 Рік тому +3

    Thank you for covering this. We need more awareness of the conditions that cause pedestrian fatalities.

  • @wesmooremedia
    @wesmooremedia Рік тому +82

    I really hope that the US follows through with more pedestrian friendly cities/developments. The benefits are staggering I like a cool car as much as the next guy but this country’s dependence on vehicles has become a problem.

    • @westasleep
      @westasleep Рік тому +16

      It's been a problem for 60 years. It's being recognized as a problem now that building/maintaining car-centric infrastructure is literally bankrupting cities.

    • @miles5600
      @miles5600 Рік тому +3

      @@westasleep yup, but thankfully cities are starting to change stuff

    • @randomname4411
      @randomname4411 Рік тому +1

      Why does it have to be 1 or the other? Some cities are better for cars (houston), some are better for walking (nyc)

    • @miles5600
      @miles5600 Рік тому +7

      @@randomname4411 the netherlands is good for all modes of transport

    • @kaylathompson862
      @kaylathompson862 Рік тому

      Please spread this message in the comments! - ‼️‼️ THE MAN AT 4:03 DID NOT KNOW LOGAN (the man who the memorial was for) -Whoever made this video lied for content, and Logan’s friends/family are hurt by this. I’m not sure if Vox hired someone to lie about the manner of Logan’s death and about his life, but it’s not right. Please take the video down or cut that part out. HE DID NOT KNOW LOGAN! So incredibly disrespectful!!!

  • @roboko6618
    @roboko6618 Рік тому +136

    Please continue making videos like these, this is one of those things that desperately need to change and the only way it will happen is if it remains in public consciousness. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

    • @kristinaterry8177
      @kristinaterry8177 Рік тому +1

      Please spread this message in the comments! -
      ‼️‼️ THE MAN AT 4:03 DID NOT KNOW LOGAN (the man who the memorial was for)
      -Whoever made this video lied for content, and Logan’s friends/family are hurt by this. I’m not sure if Vox hired someone to lie about the manner of Logan’s death and about his life, but it’s not right. Please take the video down or cut that part out. HE DID NOT KNOW LOGAN! So incredibly disrespectful!!!

    • @freeisalwaysme
      @freeisalwaysme Рік тому

      NOt just bikes. youtube.

  • @michaelleifels2004
    @michaelleifels2004 Рік тому +5

    I love how you show detailed insights in why a used concept is bad and also show solutions to how it could be turned for the better for all people to use it safely. ❤

  • @TheDutchMitchell
    @TheDutchMitchell Рік тому +10

    speed limits don't really exist in America, I've found that ALL of them drive 5-10-15mph faster than allowed. Everywhere and always. Absolutely terrifying

  • @khalilahd.
    @khalilahd. Рік тому +30

    These stats are terrifying 😢 I’m glad they’re looking into this

  • @Skarlett00
    @Skarlett00 Рік тому +57

    These videos make me want to be a city
    planner, I find the topic interesting.

    • @warw
      @warw Рік тому +8

      Do it!!

    • @bishop51807
      @bishop51807 Рік тому +13

      @@warw Not that easy, you have to deal with U.S politicians who are in the pocket of lobbyists from the auto industry and big oil.

    • @fep_ptcp883
      @fep_ptcp883 Рік тому +9

      Go for it! Also try video games like Cities Skylines and other modern city building games, they're fun puzzles for people who enjoy city planning and this kind of problem solving

    • @TheJadedJames
      @TheJadedJames Рік тому +4

      Is the ultimate problem city planners, or interest groups who don’t want cities to become more walkable because that would hurt the bottom line of car companies etc ?

    • @UserOfTheName
      @UserOfTheName Рік тому

      don't become one in the U.S its illegal to build anything but developmenta like this

  • @bjorn-falkoandreas9472
    @bjorn-falkoandreas9472 Рік тому +5

    Cool. A stroad. Hadn't had one of those being a problem in all of 5 minutes. People are even ashamed of putting those nightmares into City Skylines.

  • @Alexrocksdude_
    @Alexrocksdude_ Рік тому +1

    Excellent video that perfectly captures the state of pedestrian safety in the US. Will definitely be sharing this, keep up this kind of content we love it!

  • @johnc6202
    @johnc6202 Рік тому +82

    The rise in pedestrian deaths mentioned at 0:36 is as much a result of the increase in high hood height trucks and SUVs as it is a result of car-centric design. The higher hood height means drivers have less visibility of pedestrians in front of them and when a pedestrian is struck they are more likely to be run over than run under. Design of modern trucks and SUVs is a much a problem as design of roadways.

    • @ejmikk
      @ejmikk Рік тому +1

      Source? Or are you just guessing?

    • @Cam16751
      @Cam16751 Рік тому +2

      if you get hit by either sudan or an SUV going 45mph you are still going to have a high chance of dying lol

    • @dustyoldhat
      @dustyoldhat Рік тому +8

      This is true. A neighbor in our development in central California recently ran over her own child, killing her. Driving a massively oversized SUV. Killed her own child in her own driveway, literally nobody is to blame but the woman herself. She has to live with that guilt for the rest of her life. But if she didn't have the massive SUV she simply wouldn't have fit in with all the other wives in the neighborhood, and can't have that.

    • @ramochai
      @ramochai Рік тому +5

      @@dustyoldhat Oh my God that's horrible. But how do we convince American people that regulation in the name of public safety doesn't mean communism?

    • @peskypigeonx
      @peskypigeonx Рік тому +2

      @@Cam16751 yeah, but there’s a difference between just going on the window and being run over.

  • @socialistsolidarity
    @socialistsolidarity Рік тому +165

    I'm so glad I don't live in the US and I can walk or cycle everywhere.

    • @cboyardee
      @cboyardee Рік тому +32

      It's a sad existence. NYC and SF are great for public transit and cycling options but nowhere near the Netherlands. Unfortunately the cost of living is ridiculous compared to the stroad filled cities all over the US. Still, I'm happy to ditch my car and pay higher taxes to have amazing transit/dining/shopping options within walking distance near my residence.

    • @seanthe100
      @seanthe100 Рік тому +12

      I'm so glad you don't live in the US either

    • @Benimbabyb
      @Benimbabyb Рік тому +52

      @@seanthe100 coping

    • @ianlulu
      @ianlulu Рік тому +12

      with everything going on in the US i dont wanna live here anymore either 😭

    • @seanthe100
      @seanthe100 Рік тому +2

      @@ianlulu if more people leave the inflation will definitely go down, please be my guest

  • @ThomasFromPHX
    @ThomasFromPHX Рік тому

    This video is insanely good-the editing, the explanations-everything is top notch. Well done Vox!

  • @Leo-or4qo
    @Leo-or4qo Рік тому +58

    My family and I (from FR) were going to Universal in Orlando. Our little hotel was quite literally across the road from Universal; it would have lit. taken us 5 min of walking to get there, yet we had to drive 20 min all the way around to get there.Blew our minds, also made us hella angry, so much traffic.

    • @divpatel1841
      @divpatel1841 Рік тому

      me looking at this comment... and also will be at universal orlando this weekend

    • @moroteseoinage
      @moroteseoinage Рік тому

      Maybe rent a car?

    • @gazquon
      @gazquon Рік тому +11

      @@moroteseoinage They just said they drove 20 minutes because they couldn't walk 5.

    • @HallsofAsgard96
      @HallsofAsgard96 Рік тому +1

      Funny my dad and I stayed in a hotel close to Universal abt 10 years ago and we decided to walk there cause he didn't want to pay the parking fees
      Edit: I'm mistaken it was SeaWorld

    • @aintnoh
      @aintnoh Рік тому +3

      @@moroteseoinage they said "we had to drive 20 minutes" so clearly they did? the problem here is not the lack of a car, the problem is that for a distance that would take 5 minutes to walk, EVERYBODY in that same hotel has to keep an engine running for 20 minutes when literally just a sidewalk towards the park would suffice for the overwhelming majority of people in that hotel.
      imagine a road with NONE of those "i have to be 500m away but the only way is a 20 minute trip" cars. especially imagine the part where you don't have to wait behind those cars to get to wherever _you're_ going. that's what good urban crosswalk design can do for a city

  • @RyanDottery
    @RyanDottery Рік тому +19

    I grew up in Pinellas county and US-19 is a notoriously scary street/road... The only positive of learning how to drive on such dangerous stroads is becoming defensive and aware of all the danger. Any time I get the chance to drive on a simple 2-lane road, it's a breath of fresh air, literally.

    • @kaylathompson862
      @kaylathompson862 Рік тому +2

      Please spread this message in the comments! - ‼️‼️ THE MAN AT 4:03 DID NOT KNOW LOGAN (the man who the memorial was for) -Whoever made this video lied for content, and Logan’s friends/family are hurt by this. I’m not sure if Vox hired someone to lie about the manner of Logan’s death and about his life, but it’s not right. Please take the video down or cut that part out. HE DID NOT KNOW LOGAN! So incredibly disrespectful!!!

  • @BPEKSupraInteractive
    @BPEKSupraInteractive Рік тому +30

    Straods...
    Straods are horrible. NotJustBikes channel talks all about this. If you've never heard of stroads before, this is a good place to start learning about walkability and bad road design in the US.

  • @mikeystark8015
    @mikeystark8015 Рік тому +1

    Commuted on the Florida gulf coast for 2 years. Highway 19 was what I had it mind before clicking on this. It makes so much sense

  • @callumhouse9043
    @callumhouse9043 Рік тому +4

    Can definitely recommend Road Guy Rob and Not Just Bikes channels. Both looking at transport from 2 different perspectives but both hating these roads and looking at ways that transport can be safer and better for everyone

  • @alexullrich5694
    @alexullrich5694 Рік тому +23

    Love to see Charles Marohn’s “stroad” concept going mainstream!!!

  • @Francois_L_7933
    @Francois_L_7933 Рік тому +24

    In urban planning circles, we say that it takes 20 years to undo bad planning... and that is only if the political class is cooperative.
    And BTW, those arterial roads are often referred to as Stroads, they try to be both a street that gives access to businesses and a road that rapidly moves you from point A to point B. But they sadly fail at both of these goals.

    • @kneesturnedvelvet3725
      @kneesturnedvelvet3725 Рік тому +1

      Is stroads a regional thing, or just urban planning jargon? This is my first time hearing the term, and I'm wondering if it's because I don't know enough about urban planning, or because I live in New England.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Рік тому +6

      @@kneesturnedvelvet3725 it’s purely an urbanism term, they’re strictly speaking classified as streets even though they’re clearly also built to handle through-traffic

    • @Boby9333
      @Boby9333 Рік тому +1

      45MPH aka 70KMH strode inside a city is alien to me who lived most of my life in Montreal. Highways in Montreal are for the most part 70KMH (tho people drive 100 given there's no/little traffic), boulevard are restricted to 50 (30MPH).
      You'll only see 70KMH on roads in the furthest suburb.

    • @milesmartig5603
      @milesmartig5603 Рік тому

      @@kneesturnedvelvet3725 stroads is specifically a "strong towns" thing. I'm an urbanist, and I am not a fan of Strong Towns, but I like some of their messaging, and stroads is one of the things I like. Its not a technical term, and it gets the message across to the non-experts.

  • @Golden_Kelsi
    @Golden_Kelsi Рік тому +3

    u.s road situation is unbelievably bad.
    I wish the government could pay more attention on basic infrastrurcture.

  • @extrahistory8956
    @extrahistory8956 Рік тому +5

    I've personally been on a kick-scooter to the place in Dallas depicted at 0:16. It is an absolute nightmare to traverse that area, even just to cross Riverfront Street. It's even more ridiculous that the city choose to set up a park and sidewalk to cross the Trinity River, since it's pretty clear that no one that fears for its safety would even dare to traverse that area on foot. It's also located right next to various highway exchanges, where a large number of homeless find shelter.

  • @poochyenarulez
    @poochyenarulez Рік тому +23

    I actually just came back from that city this past weekend and was thinking the whole time how dangerous it looked for pedestrians.

    • @kaylathompson862
      @kaylathompson862 Рік тому

      Please spread this message in the comments! - ‼️‼️ THE MAN AT 4:03 DID NOT KNOW LOGAN (the man who the memorial was for) -Whoever made this video lied for content, and Logan’s friends/family are hurt by this. I’m not sure if Vox hired someone to lie about the manner of Logan’s death and about his life, but it’s not right. Please take the video down or cut that part out. HE DID NOT KNOW LOGAN! So incredibly disrespectful!!!

  • @ProfessordevilL
    @ProfessordevilL Рік тому +41

    That's not a road, that's a STROAD!

  • @lyssasletters3232
    @lyssasletters3232 Рік тому +1

    Thank you so much for making videos like this!

  • @Miamcoline
    @Miamcoline Рік тому

    Excellent reporting as absolutely always Vox. Thank you!

  • @nickmonks9563
    @nickmonks9563 Рік тому +20

    "Bumped." They're afraid of getting "bumped." Even our language has been trained to be driver-centric.

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Рік тому +2

      Right? I’d say “I’m afraid of a crippling collision”. But just like with how far “jaywalk” has osmosed into daily language, now it’s “bumping into somebody” 🤦‍♀️

  • @Eefbabs
    @Eefbabs Рік тому +19

    It's literally a stroad, just watch Not Just Bikes for a much more indepth view and more videos

    • @Gueldonc
      @Gueldonc Рік тому +4

      It's good that vox is covering this with its mostly american audience who have never thought about how North American cities are hostile to anyone outside of cars and consider things like stroads and very wide streets the norm.

  • @MagicMiikka
    @MagicMiikka Рік тому +16

    "Not quite a street, not quite a road."
    I know this one! A stroad!
    (Credit: Not just Bikes)

  • @korawichbikedashcam6293
    @korawichbikedashcam6293 Рік тому +1

    Just want to say that it's good that you put the link to the actual research paper as a reference.

  • @kirkwoodbharris5110
    @kirkwoodbharris5110 Рік тому +4

    Also not mentioned is how economically deficient car centric designs are. "Not Just Bikes" has some great work on this subject

  • @trevorguy63
    @trevorguy63 Рік тому +49

    950 metres is a 30-40 minute walk? 🤔

    • @leevancleef553
      @leevancleef553 Рік тому +7

      Yeah I thought the same... 15 minutes tops.

    • @LiamWallsIsRad
      @LiamWallsIsRad Рік тому +5

      Yeah clearly it's a problem of an American not knowing metric. Come on, vice!

    • @Warriors536
      @Warriors536 Рік тому +20

      The road they showed is constantly interrupted by driveways where they have to wait for cars to pass, so in that context it would definitely take longer than it should.

    • @Gozza0000
      @Gozza0000 Рік тому +2

      For those of you who don’t know metric, east way to remember is 1000m (or 1km) takes around 10 minutes at a brisk walk (6km/h)

    • @zarifpious7046
      @zarifpious7046 Рік тому

      i guess if you are a granny then

  • @Deathforce5555
    @Deathforce5555 Рік тому

    Great overview of some of the key factors, keep it up!

  • @mathbathh
    @mathbathh Рік тому +1

    THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO FINALLY A BIG UA-cam CHANNEL TALKS ABOUT THIS

  • @tylerwilliams5465
    @tylerwilliams5465 Рік тому +11

    I live in Palm Harbor; just south of new Port Richey, thank you for highlighting this dangerous and seriously messed up roadway.

  • @TheStickCollector
    @TheStickCollector Рік тому +31

    Um, all of them?

  • @rebekah620able
    @rebekah620able Рік тому

    Thank you for covering this. I am a sustainability and the built environment student. this is a great video to spread awareness and knowledge of something I feel upset about every day

  • @itskindofemily
    @itskindofemily Рік тому +1

    That end goal looks so nice. Makes me think about some of the roads around me in Australia!

  • @krystone
    @krystone Рік тому +11

    Good video that points out an aggravating problem. One mistake though, at 4:34 , 950 meters does not take 30-40 minutes to walk. That's a 10 minute walk, 15 max.

    • @carultch
      @carultch Рік тому

      It probably takes that long to walk that distance, and back, and cross the street.

  • @ryntintynvin
    @ryntintynvin Рік тому +2

    I lived just south of here, we used to drive on US-19 all the time. When I got my license, 19 was the one road I was not allowed to drive on. The problem with delaying green lights was that people would figure out that light had delayed green lights and just run right through the red figuring they had time, or even start to inch out into the intersection, which as you can imagine made it even more dangerous. If you delay the green light, you should at least add a photo enforcement camera so people are less likely to run the reds.

  • @456iner
    @456iner Рік тому

    Great video. Thank you for bringing awareness to this problem.

  • @MSmithNYC
    @MSmithNYC Рік тому +23

    I bet there are plenty of similarly dangerous roads that pedestrians simply don't dare to walk.

    • @CRneu
      @CRneu Рік тому +6

      lookup how interstates split up minority neighborhoods which eventually destroyed them. It's a contributing factor to the poverty in a lot of minority neighborhoods. white neighborhoods weren't divided at anywhere near the rate that minority ones were.
      systemic racism is still very active in the united states today.

  • @user-op8fg3ny3j
    @user-op8fg3ny3j Рік тому +90

    Someone made a very good video on UA-cam about how in Europe you have two distinct roads while in America you have an amalgamation of both.

    • @marischal3
      @marischal3 Рік тому +40

      Might be NotJustBikes' video on stroads (a "street-road"). This made me think of that video too.

    • @razzle_dazzle
      @razzle_dazzle Рік тому +2

      Distinct roads for what?

    • @drdewott9154
      @drdewott9154 Рік тому +15

      @@razzle_dazzle Well they specifically mention streets, common places for low traffic volumes, and roads/highways, fast segregated infrastructure intended for moving high volumes of traffic without disruptions, as the 2 bits. Stroads, like US 19 try to combine both with its designs, many driveways and crossings of this insanely wide road, while also not segregating it away from businesses and pedestrians, creating an environment that's not just worse and unsafe for pedestrians, but for drivers too!

    • @razzle_dazzle
      @razzle_dazzle Рік тому +12

      @@drdewott9154 Yeah, I didn't see the reply above mine. I'm watching that video now... it's pretty informative!

    • @user-op8fg3ny3j
      @user-op8fg3ny3j Рік тому +3

      @@marischal3 Yes, that's him! Thanks for reminding me 👍

  • @oleksandrpatriyuk6813
    @oleksandrpatriyuk6813 Рік тому +3

    Great video, smart urbanism is our future

  • @lakeleaf9
    @lakeleaf9 Рік тому

    thanks for talking about this. it's so important

  • @scruvydom
    @scruvydom Рік тому +12

    “Not quite a street, not quite a highway” why won’t you call a stroad a stroad?

    • @thewackywabbit5080
      @thewackywabbit5080 Рік тому +2

      It’s pretty remarkable achievement, making an entire video on people killed on stroads, without using the word stroad.

  • @TheBenLemonade
    @TheBenLemonade Рік тому +5

    I would really encourage anyone who liked this or found this interesting to check out the UA-cam channel NotJustBikes. Some additional points on this video that NJB deep dives into over many videos:
    1) This type of road design and the infrastructure they encourage is not financially sustainable for the towns that maintain them.
    2) This type of road design is not environmentally sustainable.
    3) This type of road design is actually worse for car drivers as well, due to raised risk of crashes and fatalities, as well as the fact that road design that encourages more use of cars means more traffic.
    4) This type of city design is not pleasing to be in. US arterial roads are essentially vast liminal spaces that no one wants to be in. The most financially viable spaces in every city in the world are mixed-use walkable spaces (which many places in the US/Canada have outlawed due to obscure and outdated zoning laws).
    I could go on and on, but these are just some major ones off the top of my head. No matter what angle you look at it, this design doesn't make sense - Not for pedestrians, for the cyclers, for the municipalities, or for the drivers.

  • @Hawk7886
    @Hawk7886 Рік тому +3

    Reducing the speed limit will do nothing but increase ticket numbers (and thus revenue), encourage over patrolling, and with that comes more police-related violence. It's better for literally everyone if the government takes literally any other step.
    Of course, any effort to change the road is pointless without addressing city planning that prioritizes cars over people.

  • @EveloGrave
    @EveloGrave Рік тому +2

    Phoenix, Arizona is basically this road but everywhere. You never see people walk here, even in the winter when it is actually nice out.

  • @warw
    @warw Рік тому +133

    If you found this interesting, please check out the channel 'not just bikes'
    This was an incredible video. Thank you

    • @razzle_dazzle
      @razzle_dazzle Рік тому +16

      Yep, also the channel "City Beautiful"... and there's probably a few other good ones about urban planning that we're forgetting.

    • @Pockyliciousness
      @Pockyliciousness Рік тому +5

      @@razzle_dazzle if you haven't seen Eco Gecko, they're worth a watch!

    • @kb_100
      @kb_100 Рік тому +7

      City Nerd is a good channel too. A bit lower budget than some others but the creator's acerbic humor and planning expertise is great to watch.

    • @Jabid21
      @Jabid21 Рік тому +3

      I’d also throw in RM Transit, it’s more transit oriented but it is urbanist friendly.

    • @josharden6793
      @josharden6793 Рік тому +2

      adam something and alan fisher also

  • @LimitedWard
    @LimitedWard Рік тому +16

    Urbanists have been screaming this message from the rooftops for years. It makes me happy to see this being featured by major news outlets since it means more people will see it.
    Not mentioned in this video are dozens of other issues brought about by car-centric design. Things such as the environmental and financial impacts as well as racial/socioeconomic inequality.

    • @Zalis116
      @Zalis116 Рік тому

      Car-centric design in the US was largely a result of racist fears and resentments, which spurred the "white flight" to the suburbs and anti-transit political decisions in those suburbs. Taking lanes away from private car traffic, as urbanists propose, isn't going to make those attitudes go away.

    • @LimitedWard
      @LimitedWard Рік тому

      @@Zalis116 no is arguing that it would, so idk what your point is. Our over-reliance on cars puts a massive financial strain on our economy, which disproportionately impacts the impoverished. Urbanism is not about "removing lanes". It's about diversifying transportation options while simultaneously making our cities more livable.

    • @Zalis116
      @Zalis116 Рік тому

      @@LimitedWard "no is arguing that it would [change underlying attitudes], so idk what your point is"
      So would you admit that urbanist street reconstructions are just intended to punish motorists with more congestion and delays and not actually change anything? If that's the stance urbanists want to take, they're entitled to do so, but they shouldn't turn around and deny the existence of a war on cars.
      "Urbanism is not about 'removing lanes'." Yet one of the chief complaints about "stroads" is that there're too many car traffic lanes, and virtually every "how can we improve this awful stroad?" graphic includes a reduced number of car traffic lanes. Again, urbanists are free to advocate these changes; I just ask that they not dump rocks on our heads and tell us it's hailing.

    • @peskypigeonx
      @peskypigeonx Рік тому

      @@Zalis116 Urbanism in some cases, can result to just removing lanes. I admit that. Removing lanes and constricting motorists changes lots, with slower speeds through a driver’s instinct, better pedestrian environments, and just more space for human-scale cities. Actually showing how these new, safer environments could work may show opponents what they’re arguing against.

  • @mcfrisko834
    @mcfrisko834 Рік тому +2

    Compliments to the b-roll and delivery. Very good camera work!

  • @MrAronymous
    @MrAronymous Рік тому +2

    Not distinctly mentioned is that this type of road is trying to mix two functions that are preferrably not to be mixed: (high speed) through traffic and local business access. Pull those two categories apart and safety will improve loads. You can do this by building bypass roads and converting this ti a proper street with traffic calming features (amount of lanes, parking trees, building right along the street) or installing parallel local access lanes that have those features and have the middle part be for through traffic. Those would be have to be only two lanes maximum in each direction, and have incredible traffix throughput, because the current extra lanes are only there because there is so much turning traffic and the space is used inefficiently.

  • @izzieh9342
    @izzieh9342 Рік тому +11

    Heh, I saw Seven Corners, VA made the list of cities with one of the most dangerous roads. That’s because the main intersection in Seven Corners is literally 7 corners/7 busy streets converging into 1 intersection.

  • @JoJoJet100
    @JoJoJet100 Рік тому +4

    7:16 I grew up here I had no idea there was such a beautiful view behind the big box stores. All I ever saw was the sprawling concrete hellscape

  • @Ildskalli
    @Ildskalli Рік тому +4

    When I visited Wichita, KS, last year, I was flabbergasted at how horrible/nonexistent pedestrian infrastructure is. There were intersections with literally no facilities for pedestrians, only traffic lights for cars, and segments without sidewalks. You can immediately tell that pretty much everyone drives everywhere, and pedestrians simply aren’t a consideration.
    With that said, I live in a rural area in a developing country, and our pedestrian/cycling infrastructure is depressing… despite the fact that a large percentage of people walk or cycle.

    • @rafangille
      @rafangille Рік тому +2

      i felt the same visiting parts of arizona, i’m from california which isn’t the most walkable outside of san francisco, but at least we have pedestrian/cycling infrastructure

  • @safe-keeper1042
    @safe-keeper1042 Рік тому

    I'm surprised @Not Just Bikes hasn't appeared in the comments thread yet. Excellent vid btw.

  • @Vahlee-A
    @Vahlee-A Рік тому +6

    Spokane Washington, where I live, is bisected by United States Highways 2 and 395, via a seven-lane stroad called Division Street. It's very hard to cross the stroad unless there are no cars, and that's rare except at night. Consequently I often ene duplicate missing busses or have to wait 15 minutes in freezing temperatures just to be early.
    There are plans to reduce Division's traffic by turning the right lane on each side into a bus-only lane, then adding bike tracks and street parking down the whole length. I hope they don't go through with the street parking, we have enough parking lots as it is.
    I don't have or want a car. They are too expensive and two clunky.

  • @makeupbyjessx13
    @makeupbyjessx13 Рік тому +16

    I'm from CT, where there are 1 or 2-lane roads but for one summer, I lived 5 minutes off US-19 in Palm Harbor, FL. I wasn't expecting to know the roadway that would be mentioned in this video but after watching it, it reminds me of how chaotic driving up and down that road was, so much so, if I could, I would take 611. The speed limits on US-19 are too fast with too many lanes of traffic and you have to react very, very quickly, more often than not.

    • @the_rubbish_bin
      @the_rubbish_bin Рік тому +2

      Drivers do not obey the speed limit on 19. I can go 10 over and still get passed by a lot of other drivers.

    • @kaylathompson862
      @kaylathompson862 Рік тому +1

      Please spread this message in the comments! - ‼️‼️ THE MAN AT 4:03 DID NOT KNOW LOGAN (the man who the memorial was for) -Whoever made this video lied for content, and Logan’s friends/family are hurt by this. I’m not sure if Vox hired someone to lie about the manner of Logan’s death and about his life, but it’s not right. Please take the video down or cut that part out. HE DID NOT KNOW LOGAN! So incredibly disrespectful!!!

  • @lyannastarkweather
    @lyannastarkweather 9 місяців тому

    Living in Maryland, I could identify that exact stretch of road in Langley Park shown at 0:17. They put up fencing about a decade ago on a few stretches of that road to cut down on jaywalking. However, the situation still is not great for drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists.

  • @boarderking133
    @boarderking133 Рік тому

    So cool to see my wife's hometown! In a most dangerous place video no less. And I love that Holiday is also in that top list. It's right next to New Port Richey

  • @forktailedd3vil82
    @forktailedd3vil82 Рік тому +4

    I wonder how much the push towards SUVs and trucks has played into rising pedestrian deaths. Getting hit below the hip vs the stomach, chest and potentially head.

    • @FiredAndIced
      @FiredAndIced Рік тому

      It doesn't matter how big or how small the size of *private vehicles* are. We should disincentivize obsessive car centric designs.
      Remove the roads, send in the train, build the city to incentivize people living in cities to commute to the city. But some segments of your society would rather run over a grandma than to reduce their car use.

  • @brandonjones9347
    @brandonjones9347 Рік тому +12

    Please check out “Not just bikes” and “city nerd” as well as other UA-camrs that focus on transportation heavily. Most people that are raised in places with stroads don’t know any better and they help shed light on ways we can and should be better. Cheers

    • @CRneu
      @CRneu Рік тому +2

      road guy rob is also good. he does more of the "why it's this way, this would be a better design" type of video.

  • @peter-paulkutschlojenga7336
    @peter-paulkutschlojenga7336 Рік тому +3

    Mind blowing, although I'm from the Netherlands, which has the best traffic design in the world. But really makes you appreciate the decisions that our government made to combat this

  • @adventuresofla2638
    @adventuresofla2638 Рік тому +3

    This is like a motorway that interects with a country road. Just plain lack of common sense. 😂 Lol

  • @stoprainlty
    @stoprainlty Рік тому +4

    Not just bikes but with interviews!