Week 0 - Introduction to the Project

Hello readers!

Welcome to the first blog post of my Senior Project. As you read through these posts you will learn the basics of traffic engineering and design along with gaining insight to the financial processes that ensure quality infrastructure.

I love to cycle, my free time is filled with scenic rides around the bay area. However it is interrupted by the harsh reality of the lack of protected cycling infrastructure. Many people get around by car, as our transportation system is built solely around them. The benefits of cycling and walking are almost completely negated by the methods of urban planning found in the US that makes car dependency such a large issue for individuals and communities.

Because of this, I have been interested in finding methods to make active transportation safer and more appealing. And as many cities have started to move towards denser and mixed-use housing, intersections will take an ever greater role in dealing with multi-modal traffic. The city of Fremont, CA has already taken large steps in upgrading signaling and building safe intersections for cyclists and pedestrians. Its success has prompted me to research better designs and construction methods.

Since 1980 there had been a downward trend in pedestrian and cyclist deaths from around 7,000 deaths to 4,000. However, after 2010 this trend has reversed, with deaths reaching the same, staggering amount as in 1980. Why? President Obama’s fuel efficiency standards for cars passed in 2009, rather than actually creating more efficient engines, car companies decided to circumvent the regulation by creating bigger cars, which had fewer restrictions on fuel efficiency. With drivers now having a harder time coming to a stop, it has been the leading cause for the massive spike in accidents with pedestrians and cyclists.

My project will look at designs that prioritize safety and efficient intersections for active transporters to induce a modal shift from driving. However due to the severely aging signaling technology found at intersections, there also need to be updates to traffic lights so that cities can take advantage of lesser traffic to introduce road diets and expand public transportation networks. It will take into account the Vision Zero policy, with the goal of zero pedestrian deaths, adopted in California and view blueprints by transportation authorities throughout the state. I also want to use a traffic simulator to better adopt the correct signaling technology and to track its effects. Finally, I want to track the costs of building this infrastructure and methods for local counties to get funding from state and federal grants.

Thank you so much for reading and stay tuned for my discoveries.