Mobility Matters Daily #356 - 20mph and learning lessons
Good day my good friend.
I am writing this after a rather nice evening in the company of good friends and colleagues at the annual TPS Dinner. And it has given me a lot of reasons to feel good about the profession and the direction it is heading in. Also, thank you very much Glenn for the shout out. I guess that it pays to be a bit gobby on LinkedIn occasionally!
If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.
You should also join a lot of like-minded people at Mobility Camp in Bristol in September. Get your tickets now. Seriously, they are starting to really sell now.
James
Will 20mph limits save lives?
You have probably seen the news about the Welsh Sennedd passing a new law to make 20mph the new default speed limit in built up areas. It has been broadly welcomed by a lot of people. But the critical question is this - will it save lives? Well, it depends on what is delivered.
The best available evidence indicates that 20mph zones (essentially limits with complimentary physical infrastructure measures) can have a significant impact on traffic speeds, although limits themselves have less of an impact. They do reduce the number and severity of collisions, but the impact on public health overall needs more research. They also perform well in terms of a cost-benefit analysis. So while it is unlikely that this will set the world on fire, what the Welsh Government has done is a good thing.
You can learn from people, even when you don’t agree with them
A new initiative from the US Department of Transportation called Momentum has caused a bit of a stir. In summary, the USDOT wants to share the US’s transportation expertise with the world. That has gone down very well with sustainable travel advocates. By well, I mean terribly. Pedestrian Observations is one of the more articulate in terms of its critiques, which essential boil down to this: the US is rubbish at sustainable transport, so what can ANYONE learn from them?
This is a blinkered, myopic view that must be challenged. Firstly, the US is pretty good at a lot of things. Yes, road building is one of them, but considering that many countries have practically no road network at all, some expertise may be welcomed. The US is also excellent in data analytics, traffic modelling, shared mobility, new mobility business models, regulation of smart mobility, data standards, and cyber security. Secondly, its based on a flawed assumption that just because you don’t agree with them, you can’t learn from them. Which displays such a basic lack of common sense its unreal. At the very least, you can learn how NOT to do things, and if you take the time and dig deep enough, you may find that their lessons learned may be relevant to your own work and experience. Don’t just dismiss these things lightly. Be better than that.
Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
The World as a Game (Liberties)
The Energy Crisis Will Deepen (Project Syndicate)
What To Do Now About Tomorrow’s Code Cracking Computers (The Economist)
Can Permaculture Alleviate Poverty & Ensure Food Security? (Madras Courier)
‘It suits the strong-willed’: Scotland’s mountain path makers – a photo essay (The Guardian)
Something interesting
The super-rich to engage in a lot of transport gluttony, and certainly their carbon footprint is significantly larger that most people. So keeping track of their movements is pretty important. Not least in terms of tracking their private plane usage.
If you do nothing else today, then do this
Give this excellent article by on the Beautiful View from Shared Mobility a read. Sometimes, travelling can be both educational and fun.