Chuck, I just finished your 2 most recent books and as a junior in college studying civil engineering they were life changing! I hope that I’m able to implement the lessons I’ve learned from you. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Love that we make MASSIVE parking spots (esp. compared to the rest of the world), then you see the pickup truck in the background that doesn't even care about the lines when parking.
My Connecticut town is slowly buying in to the states “Complete Streets” program. Already narrowed quite a few roads and put in bike lanes, roundabouts, a few pedestrian islands. I joined the Pedestrian Advisory Committee to get even more change put through
Hey Chuck, Kaleb from Medicine Hat here. Just wanted you to know the UA-cam algorithm sent me this video. I'm part of the Local Conversation, our City is doing a Community Action Lab and you've visited The Hat in person three times. From the look of it, this channel has been going for about two months at the time I'm writing this. Dunno what that means for the network effects, but I wanted to give some data and be a mile marker of sorts. All the best, I made sure to like and subscribe.
I got on the traffic commission for my small city last year (without any credentials either). It's certainly easier to get things done compared to state level roads, which we basically have zero control over.
Local Fire agencies pushed to have a new development put in wide streets; they even eliminated the traditional curbs to flat bland ones. Now everyone feels people drive too fast, I wonder why?!?
YES!!!! Streets are overbuilt. I tried to open up a meaningful discussion in my city about a street that got widened to conform to a new code requirement. This is bad on so many levels. I have to use every ounce of my knowledge of self care to not be long term traumatized by this. Rest assured a historic Elm was root damaged by this ( underground, you cant see the damage, and the resulting root rot can require 30 years to kill the tree, just like smoking usually takes years to kill a person). I got shut down hard, becase the beaurocracy knows how to do that wwith experience and skill.
How do you change a local street? My local street is overbuilt but how do we change that? I am having a hard time coming up with ideas. We could narrow the street with paint, but we can't reasonably tear out part of the street, tear out the sidewalk, replace the sidewalk where the road was, and plant more grass. I know there is someway to fix it but I just don't know how.
Use the surplus as a bike lane. This video seems to be aimed at new construction or major repair work rather than digging up otherwise functional roads, but that may be a place to start.
If the road is already built, then a possibility is to use street lanes as parking to narrow the driving lanes enough that the cars finally slow down. The government could always install street humps [not bumps!] to slow down traffic. Install bike lanes between the sidewalk and the parked cars, or slow the street traffic so much that it is safe to ride down the middle of the street. The best thing to do is not reinvent the wheel. Just see how the Netherlands did it. They have shared their plans and standards for us all to see.
Look in to what's sometimes called a "road diet". The width and/or number of the travel lanes are reduced and in many cases bike lanes are added in their place. Even better if the bike lanes are protected lanes with a barrier of some kind.
@@eugenetswong the things is that it is a very good street as is but just too wide. It is a strictly residential street that is a loop and sees very little (if any) traffic in both directions simultaneously. It is already very safe to bike on. Speed limit is 15 and people don't go over 25. I suppose the focus should be on how to ensure that people stick to 15 mph? The best way to "fix it" I can think of is to make it a one-way loop. The problem is that we would still have tons of extra space and there is no need for a bike lane bc of the traffic volume already being so low. Also, we already have ample parking on each side of the street. I just can't see how we can narrow the road effectively without tearing out some road.
@@reese924I don't understand. If the street is safe for biking, then what more do you want? Also, you could try converting parallel parking to diagonal parking to take up more space.
I look at car free design as both necessary for municipal viability *and* absolutely needed in response to climate change. The best economy in fuel/energy is the kind you never need to expend. It’s an opportunity benefit for other priorities. On top of this a robust non market housing sector means a stable cost of living for local business and ample disposable income for residents.
Literally had a conversation recently where someone was against narrowing streets because fire trucks…why is the priority the most massive trucks that we build? Thanks for bringing this up!
A more sensible argument would be a street wide enough for a school bus going one way to pass a snow plow going the other. Because if that can't happen, you're living in a failed town.
@@eugenetswong I should have also pointed out that "the most massive trucks we build" (they aren't, by a lot) are also the most necessary. Fire trucks and ambulances are fairly wide and rarely show up one at a time. Roads also have to be able to pass school busses, snow plows, garbage trucks, moving vans, delivery trucks, etc. Thankfully people more rational, or at lease more informed, than the OP are making these decisions.
as a reminder, youtube from time to time suggests videos that are the polar opposite of our views (e.g. democrat-republican; Strong Towns-non-Strong Towns, et cetera)
*_After attending one of the best universities in the midwest, Colorado School of Mines, in Colorado, I can say you're wrong._* We actually do need these oversizes for the off chance there is roadwork or any unexpected detours of traffic. These can happen anywhere, at anytime. So it would be reckless to have your stance, but it also doesn't matter. Die on a hill that matters. Is this the coolest video concept or most interesting concept a civil engineering discipline can actually come up with to entertain? Laughable.J Note: I stopped watching during your outlandish claims @0:53 - Make a better video
Chuck, I just finished your 2 most recent books and as a junior in college studying civil engineering they were life changing! I hope that I’m able to implement the lessons I’ve learned from you. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Love that we make MASSIVE parking spots (esp. compared to the rest of the world), then you see the pickup truck in the background that doesn't even care about the lines when parking.
My Connecticut town is slowly buying in to the states “Complete Streets” program. Already narrowed quite a few roads and put in bike lanes, roundabouts, a few pedestrian islands. I joined the Pedestrian Advisory Committee to get even more change put through
Hey Chuck, Kaleb from Medicine Hat here. Just wanted you to know the UA-cam algorithm sent me this video.
I'm part of the Local Conversation, our City is doing a Community Action Lab and you've visited The Hat in person three times.
From the look of it, this channel has been going for about two months at the time I'm writing this.
Dunno what that means for the network effects, but I wanted to give some data and be a mile marker of sorts.
All the best, I made sure to like and subscribe.
I got on the traffic commission for my small city last year (without any credentials either). It's certainly easier to get things done compared to state level roads, which we basically have zero control over.
Local Fire agencies pushed to have a new development put in wide streets; they even eliminated the traditional curbs to flat bland ones. Now everyone feels people drive too fast, I wonder why?!?
YES!!!! Streets are overbuilt. I tried to open up a meaningful discussion in my city about a street that got widened to conform to a new code requirement. This is bad on so many levels. I have to use every ounce of my knowledge of self care to not be long term traumatized by this. Rest assured a historic Elm was root damaged by this ( underground, you cant see the damage, and the resulting root rot can require 30 years to kill the tree, just like smoking usually takes years to kill a person). I got shut down hard, becase the beaurocracy knows how to do that wwith experience and skill.
This is such a good point, thank you!
How do you change a local street? My local street is overbuilt but how do we change that? I am having a hard time coming up with ideas. We could narrow the street with paint, but we can't reasonably tear out part of the street, tear out the sidewalk, replace the sidewalk where the road was, and plant more grass. I know there is someway to fix it but I just don't know how.
Use the surplus as a bike lane.
This video seems to be aimed at new construction or major repair work rather than digging up otherwise functional roads, but that may be a place to start.
If the road is already built, then a possibility is to use street lanes as parking to narrow the driving lanes enough that the cars finally slow down.
The government could always install street humps [not bumps!] to slow down traffic. Install bike lanes between the sidewalk and the parked cars, or slow the street traffic so much that it is safe to ride down the middle of the street.
The best thing to do is not reinvent the wheel. Just see how the Netherlands did it. They have shared their plans and standards for us all to see.
Look in to what's sometimes called a "road diet". The width and/or number of the travel lanes are reduced and in many cases bike lanes are added in their place. Even better if the bike lanes are protected lanes with a barrier of some kind.
@@eugenetswong the things is that it is a very good street as is but just too wide. It is a strictly residential street that is a loop and sees very little (if any) traffic in both directions simultaneously. It is already very safe to bike on. Speed limit is 15 and people don't go over 25. I suppose the focus should be on how to ensure that people stick to 15 mph? The best way to "fix it" I can think of is to make it a one-way loop. The problem is that we would still have tons of extra space and there is no need for a bike lane bc of the traffic volume already being so low. Also, we already have ample parking on each side of the street. I just can't see how we can narrow the road effectively without tearing out some road.
@@reese924I don't understand. If the street is safe for biking, then what more do you want?
Also, you could try converting parallel parking to diagonal parking to take up more space.
local streets are important because you can find schools on them and use that as an appeal in downsizing and reconfiguring focus for transit.
I look at car free design as both necessary for municipal viability *and* absolutely needed in response to climate change. The best economy in fuel/energy is the kind you never need to expend. It’s an opportunity benefit for other priorities. On top of this a robust non market housing sector means a stable cost of living for local business and ample disposable income for residents.
Literally had a conversation recently where someone was against narrowing streets because fire trucks…why is the priority the most massive trucks that we build? Thanks for bringing this up!
A more sensible argument would be a street wide enough for a school bus going one way to pass a snow plow going the other. Because if that can't happen, you're living in a failed town.
A fire truck saves lives. A house fire costs a lot and tends to lower the quality of life.
@@eugenetswong I should have also pointed out that "the most massive trucks we build" (they aren't, by a lot) are also the most necessary. Fire trucks and ambulances are fairly wide and rarely show up one at a time. Roads also have to be able to pass school busses, snow plows, garbage trucks, moving vans, delivery trucks, etc. Thankfully people more rational, or at lease more informed, than the OP are making these decisions.
@@willythemailboy2Yes, exactly. I feel like the Strong Towns audience is treating every good idea like supersticion.
as a reminder, youtube from time to time suggests videos that are the polar opposite of our views (e.g. democrat-republican; Strong Towns-non-Strong Towns, et cetera)
new sub from recommend - mico
So people by cheap socks and find they’d be better off paying more for decent socks ! Brilliant.
*_After attending one of the best universities in the midwest, Colorado School of Mines, in Colorado, I can say you're wrong._* We actually do need these oversizes for the off chance there is roadwork or any unexpected detours of traffic. These can happen anywhere, at anytime. So it would be reckless to have your stance, but it also doesn't matter.
Die on a hill that matters. Is this the coolest video concept or most interesting concept a civil engineering discipline can actually come up with to entertain? Laughable.J
Note: I stopped watching during your outlandish claims @0:53 - Make a better video