Jamaica Hill Community Association

FIVE WAYS TO TURN TRAFFIC GREENER

Mar 31, 2009

In 2007, when Congress boosted fuel economy standards to 35 mpg by 2020, most consumer and environmental groups lauded the move as long overdue. It is enough, though? Certainly, sensible driving and sound maintenance have the most immediate effect on gas mileage, and they depend on you. But the government still can do more. In traffic management, for instance, the following 5 steps could improve fuel economy, cut
greenhouse gases and boost safety, in ways both small and large. This will be a series each month addressing each step. (1) ?– Build Os instead of Xs

Intersections controlled by stop signs or lights contribute to environmental damage. For one thing, they force drivers to idle, which wastes gas. For another, they case more pollution, since cars generate more emissions (including greenhouse gases) accelerating from a dead stop. On the other hand, traffic circles?—keep more cars moving, improve traffic flow and even reduce crashes. Researches from the Insurances Institute for Highway Safety recently studied 10 intersections where traffic engineers opted for signal lights or stop signs instead of circles. According to the study, roundabouts at these places would?’ve reduced delays by as much as 74 percent and saved 235,000 gallons of gas per year. Separate research shows that roundabouts improve safety, too, generally reducing crashes by 37 percent overall and injury related crashes by 75 percent.
Obviously, redesigning big-city intersections as roundabouts would become prohibitively expensive and no sane traffic engineer suggests doing this. But it makes sense to put roundabouts in new suburban and exurban developments and at outdated intersections due for an overhaul. For example, New York mandates that engineers consider roundabouts as the preferred design option on state roads due for rebuilding.