We are not alone when it comes to our attempts at resolving congestion and making our transit systems safer. Some countries and some communities are a little more adventurous when it comes to trying new ideas. With your permission, I’d like to share these ideas from time to time with the underlying question being, would that work here? For example …
If it’s true that “music has charms to soothe the savage breast,” might it then be of use to discourage gangs and drug dealers from hanging out at bus stops? In Tacoma, Wash., city officials are installing speakers at a local transit center that will pipe in Bach, Beethoven and a little Mozart from a local classical music station in an effort to chase away the bad guys. They feel that this music will be so abhorrent to these young toughs that they will simply go elsewhere, although it’s unclear where.
Interestingly, the plan is to mount the speakers on the tops of the busshelters or on poles that are high enough so they are not at risk of being pummeled by baseball bats or clubs.
The other option, if the music doesn’t work, is to remove the tops of the bus stops so that they are more open to the weather and are therefore not as comfortable a place to hang out for long periods of time. Of course, this would also have a negative impact on the riding public, so it’s something I would think they will try to avoid.
Red-light rigging
Regarding the light on K Street NW at 25th Street that I feel has been unfairly rigged to increase the chance of red-light runners being caught by the camera there, Bill writes: “I work near the intersection of 25th and K streets NW, and I’d like to add some more information to the discussion. I do not know if the green light on the main lanes of westbound K Street is adequate. However, the two westbound main lanes usually back up a good bit during the evening rush hour. That is because many travelers are turning left from K Street onto 25th Street so they may continue to either the Roosevelt Bridge or Rock Creek Parkway. So, it may not be helpful to extend the green for those drivers in the two westbound lanes of K Street. The backup in the two main lanes also affects the two lanes of traffic coming down the ramp from Washington Circle.
“There is another problem for the pedestrians crossing K Street at 25th. It occurs at all hours, not just rush hour. Frequently, drivers rush down the ramp from Washington Circle onto westbound K Street and run the red light at 25th and K streets. The pedestrians have to be careful crossing K Street. It is very unsafe for pedestrians. There is no red-light camera for the ramp from Washington Circle, unlike K Street. I think a red-light camera should be installed for the ramp, also.”
It’s unsafe because it is very poorly designed. If I recall, the intersection of K and 25th was one of those nominated as being the worst in the city by one reader.
