Re: 鈥淧roposed crosswalk on Blanshard has unexpectedly high cost,鈥� comment, March 2.
In a commentary on the proposed crosswalk on Blanshard Street, Bradley Cunnin makes the argument that designing and building road facilities that keep traffic flowing at high speeds results in lower greenhouse gas emissions due to less stopping and idling. This is simply not borne out in the real world.
Transportation planners have studied cities around the world, and those that have built extensive networks of high-speed roadways produce more GHG emissions than cities that build more balanced transportation systems with slower average speeds. High-speed roadways just encourage more people to drive more often, while the availability of alternative transportation options encourages more people to walk, cycle and take transit.
Rob Maxwell
Victoria
