Comments on: Hans Monderman, Engineer of Livable Streets, 1947-2008 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:17:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: socialscientist http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42595 socialscientist Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:57:30 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42595 Great work! Now, imagine no private autos. Great work! Now, imagine no private autos.

]]> By: xue http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42580 xue Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:55:30 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42580 paul (steely) - in the US when shared/curbless streets have been done they have been done with faux-sidewalk areas on either side where the sidewalks used to be, delineated by ADA-compliant "truncated dome" strips. so along blocks, these kinds of designs are not a problem. curbless intersections could be a bit trickier but i think those have been done in the US as well. paul (steely) - in the US when shared/curbless streets have been done they have been done with faux-sidewalk areas on either side where the sidewalks used to be, delineated by ADA-compliant "truncated dome" strips. so along blocks, these kinds of designs are not a problem. curbless intersections could be a bit trickier but i think those have been done in the US as well.

]]> By: comentz http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42576 comentz Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:18:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42576 His ideas and work will live on but only if decisionmakers in this city are not afraid to experiment with fresh ideas...ok...how about fresh and tested ideas... His ideas and work will live on but only if decisionmakers in this city are not afraid to experiment with fresh ideas...ok...how about fresh and tested ideas...

]]> By: steely http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42573 steely Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:01:26 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42573 Indeed. great post, and great comment, Kathy. in case anyone is interested, here is a piece that ran in T.A. magazine about 3 years ago, about Hans' approach. it generated some controversy among those who advocate for sight impaired peds. is there a way to make such streets safe for the blind? http://www.transalt.org/press/magazine/045%20Winter/02provocateur.html Indeed. great post, and great comment, Kathy.

in case anyone is interested, here is a piece that ran in T.A. magazine about 3 years ago, about Hans' approach. it generated some controversy among those who advocate for sight impaired peds. is there a way to make such streets safe for the blind?

http://www.transalt.org/press/magazine/045%20Winter/02provocateur.html

]]> By: Kathy Madden http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42557 Kathy Madden Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:12:05 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/08/hans-monderman-livable-streets-traffic-engineer-1947-2008/#comment-42557 Last year we met with Hans in the Netherlands and he told us that although his work started by analyzing why accidents occurred in some areas and why they didn't happen in others, he said that there was one essential goal of calming any intersection. This goal was simply to slow the traffic down to where there could be eye contact between the various people who are meeting each other at the intersection - on foot or in a vehicle. While we were visiting him we had the honor to go with him to several of the intersections that he had worked on and experience them first hand. It was the most remarkable experience to walk through the intersection and, as a pedestrian, have the right of way just prior to bicycles, buses, private vehicles and trucks. One bus pulled up beside us and the driver opened the window and said "Mr. Monderman - I just wanted to thank you for what you did to this street - it works so much better now". Older people were casually riding on bicycles doing their errands and everyone was doing something we had not seen in a long time - using hand signals to indicate when they were turning. The experience we had walking in these "shared" intersections was like walking in slow motion - almost like being in some sort of ballet or slow dance! We have much to thank Hans Monderman for and much to do to utilize if his ideas and experience in US citites today. Kathy Madden Project for Public Spaces Last year we met with Hans in the Netherlands and he told us that although his work started by analyzing why accidents occurred in some areas and why they didn't happen in others, he said that there was one essential goal of calming any intersection. This goal was simply to slow the traffic down to where there could be eye contact between the various people who are meeting each other at the intersection - on foot or in a vehicle.

While we were visiting him we had the honor to go with him to several of the intersections that he had worked on and experience them first hand. It was the most remarkable experience to walk through the intersection and, as a pedestrian, have the right of way just prior to bicycles, buses, private vehicles and trucks. One bus pulled up beside us and the driver opened the window and said "Mr. Monderman - I just wanted to thank you for what you did to this street - it works so much better now".

Older people were casually riding on bicycles doing their errands and everyone was doing something we had not seen in a long time - using hand signals to indicate when they were turning.

The experience we had walking in these "shared" intersections was like walking in slow motion - almost like being in some sort of ballet or slow dance!

We have much to thank Hans Monderman for and much to do to utilize if his ideas and experience in US citites today.

Kathy Madden
Project for Public Spaces

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