Lower speed limits within the city?

[danarchy]

Am I the only one who thinks that maybe this is a parenting problem? One of my earliest memories is my parents teaching me that a car is a heavy hunk of metal that moves fast and will ****ing kill me if I get in it's way. It's right up there with learning not to touch a hot stove. You don't need formal training for every stupid thing, just use common sense and teach it to your kids.

[OpenGambit]

because people didn't get hit by cars in the 80s? ridiculous.

[FiReSTaRT]

because people didn't get hit by cars in the 80s? ridiculous.

They did but a lot less than now because the parents were a lot more involved back then and there was more of an emphasis on common sense, especially behind the Iron Curtain.

[Gummiente]

So where's the "but Germany has higher speed limits" contingent? Oh, wait, that's right - Germany has had photo radar enforced 30kmh residential zones in place for many years now.

[FiReSTaRT]

So where's the "but Germany has higher speed limits" contingent? Oh, wait, that's right - Germany has had photo radar enforced 30kmh residential zones in place for many years now.

They decided to outpace us in the nanny state aspect. You think Canadians are the only ones saying "it's not my fault for jumping in front of the car without looking, it's the driver's fault for being there in a big hunk of metal - someone should lower the speed limits to below walking speeds - now what was that ambulance-chaser's number?"

[Vlad]

So where's the "but Germany has higher speed limits" contingent? Oh, wait, that's right - Germany has had photo radar enforced 30kmh residential zones in place for many years now.

Not to defend photo radar or lower speed limits, but at least Germans enforce the law where it matters, not where it's convenient to put a speed trap in order to collect more revenue.

Traffic culture in this city (country and continent) needs serious adjustment, but lowering the speed limits everywhere is doing it the wrong way and in the wrong direction. Just because some people won't obey the rules of the road and you are too lazy to enforce them doesn't mean you should screw everyone up. First they put all-way stop signs at every bloody intersection, including T ones where it's obvious who needs to wait for whom. Yield signs are as rare as unicorns in this city. Then they plant speed bumps every 50 meters. So what people do? Run stop signs, climb on the sidewalk to avoid the jolt from speed bumps, accelerate and brake hard between them...

The only good traffic trend that I've seen recently is more roundabouts, but they managed to screw up some of them by putting stop signs all around. They also started marking some crosswalks so they are actually visible.

Fewer, clearer and more relaxed laws. More consistent enforcement concentrated on safety, not revenue. My tax money spent on education and prevention, not enforcement and incarceration. I'm dreaming, I know...

[mimico_polak]

+1 for the response above...

In addition....what is the purpose of stop signs at a roundabout!? That seems totally ***** backwards to me! Yield signs are more than enough to keep the flow of traffic going.

[OpenGambit]

They did but a lot less than now because the parents were a lot more involved back then and there was more of an emphasis on common sense, especially behind the Iron Curtain.

common sense would practically ban cars from downtown because they are the most asinine things in dt toronto.

[mimico_polak]

common sense would practically ban cars from downtown because they are the most asinine things in dt toronto.

If they ever get around to building a PROPER transit system then I think you would see MUCH less car traffic in the city...with parking and congestion it doesn't make sense to drive into the city if you can avoid it...but the transit system is also very limited and it'll be a LONG time before it's anywhere near ready to support that type of transition.
This of course is assuming that this debate of subway vs streetcar is now put to rest and they can continue without more road blocks being put forth.