Category Archives:Cars+Tranportation

25
Mar

Spotted: Cross Walks Done Right

Awesome Cross Walk in Decatur GA

The whole point of cross walks is to make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street, but many drivers don't seem to see them. That's why I love the cross walks in Decatur, GA!

Decatur, GA is the city just east of Atlanta, and compared to Atlanta it's kind of a wonderland for folks wanting to get around on foot or by bike. Decatur has colored bike lanes to help motorists see where their territory ends on the roads and the cyclists's begins. These awesome cross walks in downtown Decatur are similarly well-designed.

In Atlanta and in Decatur cars are required to stop for pedestrians in cross walks, but they rarely do. Maybe they don't know the laws or they don't see the markings on the road? Whatever the reason, I've been almost hit many times just trying to cross the street, and it's very frustrating.

Decatur's solution to that problem was to design cross walks in their downtown area that are highly visible and explain the law, so drivers know what's up. Downtown Decatur is heavy on foot traffic, and this is a great way to make sure that pedestrians are safer, which is good for us and good for the shops and restaurants that rely on that foot traffic for their customer base. Sure, these cross walks cost more than painting some white lines, but this more visible setup is an investment in those local businesses downtown. And it makes me happy.

I'd love to hear about how your town manages traffic to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe! You can leave a comment here or send us an email through the site contact page!

Posted:   |   Categories: Cars+Tranportation, cross walks, Innovation, pedestrian traffic, pedestrians, safe cross walks, walkability
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06
Apr

Green Tips: Being Gas-Smart With Your Vehicle

Green car

Going green around your home isn't just an environmentally-responsible thing to do, but it can actually save you a lot of money. You've probably shopped around sites from your local area - from Atlanta to Houston, or wherever you live - to find the right electric company for your green energy, and hopefully made changes around your house to conserve energy. Now, it's time to turn to the one area where it's hardest to save gas: your transportation.

But back to the point at hand. Driving is something that's hard to avoid, but here are some things to help you be gas-smart with your car:

Brake Smart

It's amazing how much gas your car burns up when you push on the gas pedal, especially if you're in first gear. Instead of revving your engines to get a speedy start, why not slowly decelerate as you come up to a stop light or a line of traffic? Try and time it so that your car is still moving forward by the time the light turns green, so you won't have to push hard on the gas pedal to accelerate. Avoid hitting the brake and gas constantly when in traffic, but just let the car accelerate and roll forward at its own pace. It takes practice, but it can save a fortune in gas if you spend hours in traffic every day.

Use AC Wisely

Before you hit that AC switch, think about whether you really need it or not. The AC should be used only during the stifling American summer, and only when you're driving down the highway (driving with the windows down will increase drag, requiring more energy to move the car). If you are driving around town, try driving with the windows down and letting the breeze cool you off. Get yourself a little battery powered fan, or one that plugs into the battery of the car. Try and park in the shad whenever possible, and turn off your air con before you park to keep run time to a minimum.

Cut Weight

If you don't need to have the back of your vehicle loaded with people and stuff, empty it out. You may not want to take the time to unload your bikes after a weekend cycling trip, but that extra weight will force your engine to work harder. Reduce weight as much as possible, as a light car uses less fuel.

Fill the Tires

Everyone knows that filling your tires will help to conserve fuel, but they don't know why. The reason is that a partially filled tire has more weight on it, and it is harder for the car to turn the wheel and drive forward when there isn't enough air in the tire to keep the car off the ground. Fill up those tires, and take the pressure off your engine.

Turn it Off or Put it in Neutral

If you're going to be sitting in one place for a while, turn off your car rather than letting it sit idling. It will use some gas as it idles, so turning it off will ensure that you don't use excess gas. If you are waiting for your child to come out of school or sitting in line at a bank, put the car in neutral to disengage the engine and reduce your gasoline usage.

Keep each of these in mind next time you head out to the car!

Photo: Attribution Some rights reserved by wetwebwork via flickr

Posted:   |   Categories: cars, Cars+Tranportation, conservation, energy, gas, tips
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15
Jan

Need a crosswalk? Make your own!

portable crosswalk

Let's face it: not every town is pedestrian-friendly. If you're driving, going a block or so out of your way feels like no big deal, but on foot it can be pretty frustrating to have to pass your destination just to cross the street at a crosswalk.

"Urban hacktivist" Florian Riviere made his renegade crosswalk to make everywhere he went more walkable. It's made from a reclaimed piece of carpet, and the artist says he was inspired by video games to reinvent his landscape.

This would be a super easy project to make, if you wanted to create your own pop up crosswalk. All you'd need are:

  • An old piece of carpet
  • White paint
  • Black paint, if your carpet's not dark enough
  • Masking tape

Just measure and tape off your stripes, paint them white, and you're set! If you need to use the black paint, just tape again when the white paint is fully dry, so you have clean lines on your finished crosswalk.

Of course, there is a question of safety here, right? Would motorists in your town stop for pedestrians on a makeshift crosswalk? Here in Atlanta, most drivers won't stop for me at proper crosswalks, even when there are signs that say "Stop for Pedestrians: It's the Law." But Atlanta drivers might be in a special category. How do you think this would go over in your town?

Posted:   |   Categories: Art, Cars+Tranportation, Concept+Design, craftivism, crosswalk, DIY, DIY crosswalk, hacktivism, Innovation, pedestrian-friendly, pedestrians, renegade crosswalk
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