Keeping the freeways flowing at rush hour

There are certain advantages to being an immigrant from the country which lost the Revolutionary War. One of them is acute awareness that the United States went on to become Top Nation after 1776, and due respect for that fact. This in turn tends to quell the natural tendency of newcomers to extoll the virtues of the places they’ve left – you know, the “Well, in [fill in name of city/state/country], we did it this way….” syndrome. Native Portlanders and those who’ve lived here long enough often don’t respond well to such evangelists. In general, we like to find our own way, make our own mistakes even if others have made them before us, and do our own thing. Many believe that Portland is different enough, and special enough, that solutions that work elsewhere won’t necessariy apply here. I think that’s partly why Portlanders decided by a huge majority to keep our now-unique Commission form of government. And certainly one reason I’m very cautious about even hinting that the way they do things in the Old Country might give us suggestions for dealing with an aging built environment and increasing population.

That said, I noticed a few changes in my week in England at the beginning of the month, particularly regarding traffic congestion and its solutions. With over 33 million registered vehicles in a country the size of Oregon, they just might be facing transportation issues similar to ours either today or in our future.

One tactic being used on English freeways is to lower the speed limit during peak traffic periods. Variable speed limits take enforcement, of course, but they’ve found the strategy successful in cutting accidents and congestion by 10-20%, for at least two reasons. Reducing speed means fewer, less destructive accidents. And with reduced speeds, the safe distance between vehicles is shorter, so drivers can safely squeeze closer together. Note – that first link is to a BBC article reviewing several options for “Creative ways to beat congestion”.

Another strategy used in the UK I thought worthy of consideration as A Good Idea, is painting chevrons on the highway to show drivers the safe stopping distance at the posted speed limit. Intermittently, signs are posted at the side of the freeway saying something like, “Stay at least one marker behind the vehicle in front”, with chevrons on the travel lanes at the appropriate distance. One study found accident reduction of 56% at chevrons sites, compared with the same stretch of road before the chevrons were installed. We’re taught in Driver Ed to estimate stopping distances, but these visual reminders are much more effective in reminding/educating all drivers.

Congestion pricing in London has decreased traffic, according to my brother who lives at the edge of the Green Belt. I wouldn’t have guessed it by observation. There seemed to be far more traffic everywhere – in London, Leeds, and everywhere in between, than when I visited last in 2001. I noticed far fewer SUVs, even little ones – hardly any minivans, either. Mini Coopers, Ford Focuses and Honda Civics are average size cars. And of course, lots of buses and trains. I wouldn’t want to consider congestion pricing here until we have better bus service, and rapid transit to Vancouver. It’s not fair to charge extra if people have no other way to get between jobs in a reasonable time. One option I noticed yesterday while driving near Salt Lake City was that the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane was labeled “HOV/Toll”, implying commuters can use it either if they have enough passengers in the car, or if they are willing and able to pay extra to drive alone. Those signs would have been more effective if they had stated how many people are required to make a High Occupancy Vehicle – I looked and looked, and never found out. Luckily driving past Salt Lake City at noon on Sunday, the other lanes aren’t congested at all, so I didn’t have to take the chance that three in the car would be enough to use that lane. If I were a regular commuter, I’d like having the option of finding carpool buddies instead of paying the toll to use the fast lane.

Back to observations in England: Despite the stop-and-go traffic pretty much everywhere I went, I saw very few breakdowns and therefore very few breakdowns causing congestion. Some motorways have free towing zones, where if your vehicle breaks down the tow is free (duh). Another contributing factor to the absence of disabled vehicles may be the country’s requirement for vehicles to pass an annual “MOT test” – a Ministry of Transport mandate that checks a whole host of things like working lights, brakes, “tyre” pressure, etc., as well as emissions. If your car doesn’t pass, you aren’t allowed to drive it. I wonder if some kind of periodic roadworthiness check for vehicles here would reduce the frequency of stalled cars clogging freeways and arterials, improve fuel economy by ensuring proper tire inflation, and cut the number of accidents, injuries, and deaths from failed brakes and malfunctioning signals.