KLRU
Down With Red Lights
RECEIVED Fri., Aug. 29, 2003
Keep Austin breathable, it says.
Keep your engine tuned.
Car-pool.
Take a bus.
Combine trips.
All these things are good, though some are impossible for many of us, due to Austin's lack of centralization. All of us did, however, give the city $23 million a couple of years ago to reduce a major cause of our Ozone Action Days.
Whereas 10 years ago we spent around 30% of our trip time at red lights, now we spend 50% and more. No wonder air quality is low.
What with extra fuel burned at red lights and during reacceleration from red lights, I'm guessing that 50% of trip time could account for as much as 30% of every tank of fuel.
There exist federal studies and publications on the subject. Look them up. Urge the traffic department to look them up, too, and then do its part to give us a fair return on our $23 million investment.
p.s. I speculated to the Chronicle a couple of weeks ago that there would be a new red light at the Sprinkle Cutoff and Dessau Road, but I misinterpreted what I saw. Sprinkle Cutoff is being rerouted into the Shropshire light, which must be considerably less expensive. At least I know that my extreme left-turn wait last Monday of 25 seconds won't happen again. Instead, we who use the cutoff to avoid red lights will probably regularly, since the cutoff is a two-laner, be waiting for two light cycles to make our left turn.
Keep your engine tuned.
Car-pool.
Take a bus.
Combine trips.
All these things are good, though some are impossible for many of us, due to Austin's lack of centralization. All of us did, however, give the city $23 million a couple of years ago to reduce a major cause of our Ozone Action Days.
Whereas 10 years ago we spent around 30% of our trip time at red lights, now we spend 50% and more. No wonder air quality is low.
What with extra fuel burned at red lights and during reacceleration from red lights, I'm guessing that 50% of trip time could account for as much as 30% of every tank of fuel.
There exist federal studies and publications on the subject. Look them up. Urge the traffic department to look them up, too, and then do its part to give us a fair return on our $23 million investment.
p.s. I speculated to the Chronicle a couple of weeks ago that there would be a new red light at the Sprinkle Cutoff and Dessau Road, but I misinterpreted what I saw. Sprinkle Cutoff is being rerouted into the Shropshire light, which must be considerably less expensive. At least I know that my extreme left-turn wait last Monday of 25 seconds won't happen again. Instead, we who use the cutoff to avoid red lights will probably regularly, since the cutoff is a two-laner, be waiting for two light cycles to make our left turn.
Duane Keith
