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Formergr t1_iuijt1h wrote

Reply to comment by Pipes_of_Pan in D.C. Revamps Vision Zero Effort by superdookietoiletexp

> I believe that the traffic calming efforts have made us safer from the average driver. You can feel the difference from even five years ago.

Except traffic deaths are at an all time high, as noted in the article. So just because it "feels" safer to you versus 5 years ago, doesn't mean it is. It actually is not.

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_iuikasa wrote

Right, if that’s your only metric but cycling down 14th St. NW is MUCH safer now than it was before. Same with cycling across town. Both places I was hit by cars on my bike are now protected lanes. So yeah, the effort has helped. Same story with the traffic calming around crosswalks.

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BrightThru2014 t1_iuixbwi wrote

I’m not sure what you’re point is, you’re against additional enforcement following a historic high in traffic fatalities? Infrastructure changes take time, we need to start saving lives now.

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_iuizsii wrote

I’m saying that the infrastructure changes are already saving lives and “enforcement” of people who are speeding or being reckless is not a simple process.

I am not an expert but I have read enough to understand that there’s an ebb and flow with traffic safety - some people will drive FASTER if they see protected sidewalks and lanes because they stop worrying about their safety. At the same time, sidewalk and bike lane protections DO protect pedestrians from the average driver.

I do believe in stepping up enforcement for bad actors, just that it’s not a simple flip of the switch.

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BrightThru2014 t1_iuj0pr0 wrote

I fully support more infrastructure changes. But I vehemently disagree that flipping the switch on enforcement wouldn’t immediately improve traffic safety within a few months. As of now DC is the only jurisdiction to my knowledge where you can receive an infinite number of reckless driving tickets and still not have your license revoked. Aside from license suspensions, if I remember correctly, it would take multiple decades for DC to boot every eligible car. I literally think it would be as easy as increasing DC’s booting team X20, start booting every car above the bootable limit, and you’ll have people obsessively following the laws in no time.

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_iuj0w9z wrote

Ok. How do you increase the booting team 20X overnight; you're talking about hiring like 200 people

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BrightThru2014 t1_iuj1js0 wrote

Subcontract existing towing services? Train new people? How hard is it to tow a vehicle, it’s not rocket science, they could ramp that up fairly quickly.

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_iuj1w3n wrote

With what money? And tow them where? Have you ever lived in a city where private towing companies run the show? (It sucks)

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BrightThru2014 t1_iuj2kh2 wrote

You would appropriate more money and identify/create new lots to tow them too. Doesn’t DC have a budgetary surplus? DC Metro Area has a population of 6.5 million~ it would really not be hard at all to tap into existing infrastructure.

I don’t care who runs the show I care about not having 40+ people (predominantly lower income POC FYI) die every year due to traffic fatalities.

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Pipes_of_Pan t1_iuj2xnh wrote

So would I, but I am also realistic about the fact that many (most?) of our worst drivers come from states that have decided to not give a shit about our traffic enforcement

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