Some sensible cost cutting, good bye and good riddance to half of the TMA

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 4, 2011 at 9:30am

I think that all street parking in the loop (including Wells, Lake, and Wabash) should be either eliminated or the cost should go WAY up and limits increased. The more expensive it is to park downtown, the more appealing taking public transit becomes. 

 

I agree that people need to be told not to induce gridlock, but many of the TMA workers do not actually prevent this.  I have also seen TMA workers yelling at cars for not turning, when there are pedestrians with the signal in the crosswalk.  The remaining TMA employees need to be better trained and placed in key intersections as needed. For intersections with turning concerns installing traffic lights with a turn signal is the way to go.  Paying $80,000 once to install the light is a much better investment than paying $44,000/year to have a worker stand in traffic. 

Matt Tennessen said:

Considering it took years for city govt to figure out how "bus bunching" occurred, I have little faith in seeing these dedicated bus lanes coming to be. Plus, they seem to want to utilize existing parking restrictions so these are rush hour-only lanes that will likely just get ignored. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear I'm not. I gladly go car-free but this is a city and that means numerous modes of transportation and that, like it or not, includes automobiles. Encouraging gridlock won't discourage car use, elimination of parking probably would, but not traffic jams. I think the city actually encourages traffic jams without designating turn lanes, actually paving bottleneck intersections, no restrictions on tractor-trailers, and part-time "no parking" areas. And people still get in their cars and give it a shot. I think its insane, but they still do it. Stop them from parking that vehicle and you'd get results.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on August 4, 2011 at 7:05pm

The worst part about TMAs, from my perspective, was giving some of them authority to control the traffic signal phases/cycle. You'll see the TMA at a signal control box on one corner of an intersection (Clark and Harrison, and Division and Elston come to mind) holding a controller that's wired into the box. 

 

Then you wait. For. Five. Minutes. 

And it has no positive effect. Traffic remains congested, but now consistently blocks the intersection. 

Glad to see many of them go. 

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 4, 2011 at 7:08pm

Contradictory statements ;-)

Steven Vance said:

And it has no positive effect. Traffic remains congested, but now consistently blocks the intersection.

 

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Permalink Reply by Joel on August 5, 2011 at 12:38pm

It is everyone's best interest that all modes of transportation move consistently and freely.  Cars blocking intersections are dangerous for bikes and make drivers frustrated, which is also dangerous. 

Gooseberry Pie! said:

Contradictory statements ;-)

Steven Vance said:

And it has no positive effect. Traffic remains congested, but now consistently blocks the intersection.

 

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on August 5, 2011 at 2:35pm

Oh man! That Division & Elston prolonged wait was the worst. It about gave me a panic attack.

Steven Vance said:

The worst part about TMAs, from my perspective, was giving some of them authority to control the traffic signal phases/cycle. You'll see the TMA at a signal control box on one corner of an intersection (Clark and Harrison, and Division and Elston come to mind) holding a controller that's wired into the box. 

 

Then you wait. For. Five. Minutes. 

And it has no positive effect. Traffic remains congested, but now consistently blocks the intersection. 

Glad to see many of them go. 

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