20 replies to this topic

[amor de cosmos]

Speed bumps increase greenhouse gases: study
Kathryn Young, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Monday, October 29, 2007
Speed bumps -- a stopgap solution for bad street planning -- not only fuel drivers' tempers and create noise pollution, they add greenhouse gases to the air we breathe, says a new federal housing agency report.

When vehicles slow down to approach a speed bump, then speed up, then slow down for another one, they use more gasoline, emitting more carbon and other noxious gases than they would if travelling at a constant speed, said Fanis Grammenos, senior researcher for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

*snip*

Traffic calming measures have been introduced in many Canadian cities to deal with problematic street patterns, particularly the grid system, but they also create other issues.

Speed bumps, speed humps (which are wider bumps), raised intersections, traffic circles, stop signs and other traffic calming measures "increase automobile emissions and noise, reduce air quality and often lead to driver frustration," the report said.

As well, nearby pedestrians and cyclists breathe in more pollutants, especially when their breathing rate is elevated. Accelerating from zero to 40 kilometres per hour in four seconds uses 50 per cent more gasoline than in eight seconds, Mr. Grammenos said.

Because grid patterns were introduced in city centres before cars were a major influence, those neighbourhoods are highly walkable, but they're noisier, have higher accident rates and promote traffic gridlock, which also intensifies greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollutants.

"Rather than a Band-Aid solution after the fact, do the right street pattern from the beginning, where streets actually force drivers to slow down because there's no straight-through avenue," Mr. Grammenos said.

http://www.canada.co... ... 38&k=47602

[davek]

More information on the unintended consequences of speed bumps, and traffic calming in general, right here;

http://www.secondscount.org/

[G-Man]

Not sure why there was a different story in the TC but definitely better version as it focuses more on the street grid then on speed bumps. I mean so few places actually use speed bumps that that version of the story is kind of dumb.

The Better version
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=a9b05106-2087-4e91-90f8-462ab54784b8&p=2

Couldn't find a site plan or pics of any of the places to see how they actually look but let's just say I am not holding my breath. I will take short block grid pattern anyday.

[VicHockeyFan]

There is some guy some where in Canada (sorry, short on specifics, but saw it on Venture) that plans to harness the power of cars driving over speed bumps, or thru drive-thrus, essentially stealing energy from them to give the owner of the road/driveway energy they can sell back to utilities. So everyone that drives thru uses more fuel, and unbeknownst to them adds a few more bucks to McDonalds bottom line.

Sounds brilliant to me, but sketchy: second guy here:

http://www.cbc.ca/ve...how-112206.html

[G-Man]

Oh yeah, I think mall parking lots as well. They do it in Britain already.

Still if your driving I don't think environmentally you can complain about speed bumps or traffic calming anymore then you can complain about traffic lights and speed limits.

[todd]

 

Victoria at risk of missing green targets, report says

http://www.timescolo...-says-1.2324250

 

Victoria needs some Volkswagen engineers.

 

Also you can trick a speed bump by treating it like going over a big wave with a small high speed boat(lot more gas + noise). Please try to use roundabouts for traffic calming.

Edited by todd, 17 August 2016 - 07:04 AM.

[todd]

If the speed limit is 50 Kilometers am I required to slow down for a speed bump?

[VicHockeyFan]

If the speed limit is 50 Kilometers am I required to slow down for a speed bump?

 

I think almost anywhere that speed-bumps are present, has a lower posted speed.

[VicHockeyFan]

Why would Lisa Helps be "shocked" by our greenhouse gas emissions?  We don't really do much different here than anywhere else.

 

The CRD "where do you go everyday and how to you get there" survey thing has not budged in over a decade, as to walking, driving, riding a bike etc.

 

 

Sep 14, 2012

 

Victoria, BC - The new CRD Origin Destination Household Travel Survey Report will be featured at a Regional Transportation Plan workshop with stakeholders, municipal and provincial governments on September 19, 2012, and presented to the Planning, Transportation and Protective Services Committee meeting that afternoon.

 

Key findings show that trip length has increased steadily over the last ten years and the percentage of people using transit, cycling and walking has hardly changed, which means that there is an increased number of cars on roads.

 

 

- See more at: https://www.crd.bc.c...h.I44m0AHa.dpuf

[todd]

I think almost anywhere that speed-bumps are present, has a lower posted speed.

Definitely a couple streets in Victoria with no posted speed limit and speed bumps.

 

 

..Maybe they could have tried lowering the speed limit first....

Edited by todd, 17 August 2016 - 07:31 AM.

[todd]

Why would Lisa Helps be "shocked" by our greenhouse gas emissions?  We don't really do much different here than anywhere else.

 

The CRD "where do you go everyday and how to you get there" survey thing has not budged in over a decade, as to walking, driving, riding a bike etc.

 

 

 

- See more at: https://www.crd.bc.c...h.I44m0AHa.dpuf

 

Build(rebuild) me a rail network and I will sell my car.

[sebberry]

Maybe they could have tried lowering the speed limit first....

Between the lower limits and engineered congestion around the city, I'm getting dismal fuel economy now. I'm talking 14+ l/100km.

[aastra]

 

“This trend is not in effect for all cities; Vancouver is leading with reduced GHG emissions of 15 per cent since 2007.”

 

 

“With leadership in the cities, like we see from Vancouver, then nationally we have a chance.”

 

Nobody finds it funny that re: this subject (and this subject only) Victoria needs to be much more like Vancouver if it wants to improve itself?

 

Okay, so Victoria should remove height restrictions and create incentives to encourage a doubling of the core's population ASAP? This is what we're saying?

[Nparker]

...Okay, so Victoria should remove height restrictions and create incentives to encourage a doubling of the core's population ASAP?...

That's my interpretation.

[Rob Randall]

Why doesn't the City's chart include emissions from cruise ships and float planes? I can't believe it's less than one percent. If not, the whole chart is meaningless.

 

 

Edited by Rob Randall, 17 August 2016 - 09:56 AM.

[Marilyn]

Why doesn't the City's chart include emissions from cruise ships and float planes? I can't believe it's less than one percent. If not, the whole chart is meaningless.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget those huge tour buses. Hop on Hop Off idles at every stop. But tourism is a god in Victoria. I would like to know how many tourist dollars actually stay in the city and how much of it is profit for business outside the city.

[Mr Cook Street]

Don't forget those huge tour buses. Hop on Hop Off idles at every stop. But tourism is a god in Victoria. I would like to know how many tourist dollars actually stay in the city and how much of it is profit for business outside the city.

 

Regardless of where the profits end up, Tourism is a huge employer in Greater Victoria. That being said, I'd be very supportive of cleaner tourist transportation around town.

[Rob Randall]

Don't forget those huge tour buses. Hop on Hop Off idles at every stop. But tourism is a god in Victoria. I would like to know how many tourist dollars actually stay in the city and how much of it is profit for business outside the city.

 

I assume tour buses are accounted for under commercial vehicles. I'm interested in polluters missing from the chart, which you astutely noticed. The whole process is flawed if we are being diplomatic and omitting certain money-making polluters.

[rjag]

I wonder if the report is based on the population of Victoria (70,000) and only their actual ghg usage or does it include all traffic and usage of the CRD (300,000+)?

If so how do they remove the non Victoria resident data?

This report should be regional anyway

[Coreyburger]

Why doesn't the City's chart include emissions from cruise ships and float planes? I can't believe it's less than one percent. If not, the whole chart is meaningless.

 

 

 

Because this data is from the provincial work called CEEI, not done by the city. It only includes some things.