Traffic: Behavior Based Reality

Drawing upon a growing network of sensors embedded on our roadways several new books and articles show that once again few studies were done into actual human behavior before designing the conduits which we spend most of our waking hours in: our national roadways. Discoveries reveal that for example the $15 Big Dig project in Boston actually increased traffic in the suburbs (average commute times have doubled in some areas) while reducing it downtown (it just moved the bottle necks outward). Also, speed bumps are worthless because drivers just speed up between them.

Traffic: usability and social science of traffic

Low shutter speed traffic
Low shutter speed traffic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Traffic » Home.

This interesting book looks at traffic from a usability/behavioral perspective. For example it notes that speed bumps were proven worthless because drivers speed up between them to make up time!