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2 inches of snow is not extreme weather - nor unheard of in Atlanta. The problem was Atlanta's complete dependence on a few corridors - once they shut down, there were zero options and the system collapsed.
A true network of streets is resilient. Shutting down one or two doesn't choke the system.
"But there’s a problem with funneling. When the funnel clogs, it reduces the number of alternate routes, causing a “traffic heart attack.” Think of how you can get around in Chicago—if someone wipes out and blocks an entire major artery, there are multiple routes to another one, usually in three or four directions."
Nice article.
Basically I-75 at I-285 got clogged and so did the rest of the city. The worst problems were in that north and northwest direction. People going east didn't have it nearly so bad. Atlanta has almost no alternative roads.
By the way, MARTA's south train was shut down for 3 hours during the peak of the traffic, so our trains contributed to the problems. It didn't provide an alternative.
In addition to the lack of through routes, Altanta is very hilly. So once those cars stopped on a hill in traffic, they had a hard time starting again in the ice.
There is, the nearest intersection was .3 miles away and her apartment was almost across the street. It would have nearly 10 minutes extra to cross at the light. Article I found said the mom and her kids safely crossed to the median, and one of the kids left her and darted into the road. Could have happened at an interesection, too then if there were turning cars.
Though, I wouldn't want to drive either if it's snowing pretty hard. I sometimes avoid driving for a bit during/after a snowstomr.
I've crossed that street by myself, without children. I will walk the extra distance and cross at an intersection. It was idiotic to cross in the middle of the road with kids. Its almost like trying to cross a freeway.
I've crossed that street by myself, without children. I will walk the extra distance and cross at an intersection. It was idiotic to cross in the middle of the road with kids. Its almost like trying to cross a freeway.
Thank you. Several people on this forum have been trying to get us to believe that this mom only did what all the rest of us would have done in the same situation. Mind you, as I have said before, I would do anything to avoid hitting a person, including take some risk to personal injury myself, but this mom did not do what I would have done in the same situation.
I cross mid-block at times. As long as you can see traffic, I don't think it's particularly unsafe. Wait for a gap and go. And expecting someone to make a 10 minute detour to avoid crossing mid-block is completely unrealistic; I wouldn't do it. The safety of crossing mid-block depending on the volume and speed of the traffic. And the road width. Your S Boulder Rd. example is very wide; it looks like it would rather terrible to cross mid-block unless the road is completely empty. And just because you're crossing at the intersection doesn't mean it's perfectly safe:
not sure how the traffic is here, but in my experience any intersection with a wide, fast road can be iffy because you have to deal with turning cars moving rather quickly. That road looks rather pedestrian-unfriendly, there's a large gap between crosswalks. In contrast this road isn't that bad to cross mid-block. Much narrower:
From your posts it seems like you equate snow with ice. Maybe Denver is different than here? Usually after a snowstorm, there's little ice for the next few days because it's chilly enough not much melts and refreezes. I often enjoy walking after a snowstorm whether the sidewalks are shoveled or not. Ice generally comes from storms that have a mix of rain and snow, or freezing rain but not as much snowstorms.
You'd have to be nuts to cross Buford Highway in Atlanta mid-block. The driver wasn't punished because the kid ran in front of his car. There was nothing he could do.
But there’s a problem with funneling. When the funnel clogs, it reduces the number of alternate routes, causing a “traffic heart attack.” Think of how you can get around in Chicago—if someone wipes out and blocks an entire major artery, there are multiple routes to another one, usually in three or four directions.
The grid is a robust system; the street hierarchy is not.
And that is not a "sprawl" issue. Houston has a robust grid system. They significantly improved it in the 80s. Atlanta has chosen not to do anything about its grid. If Chicago had a bunch of winding cul-de-sacs, it would have the same issue despite its density.
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