Los Angeles synchronized lights; Traffic increases

Paul A. Eisenstein the Detroit Office may 30, 2013 at 7:37 AM ET
ROBYN BECK / AFP / Getty ImagesLos Angeles is famous for his car sucht-, whether in their convertibles cruising, or (more commonly) congestion sit in the monster traffic on the highway. But apparently, that traffic record, after planners synchronized traffic lights.

Los Angeles has become a symbol of America's traffic - its streets and paths that frozen still know often during the growing period, as rush hour.

But urban planners believe that they accelerate things can in the few months after completing a project, in the works of nearly three decades since come.

Of the smallest neighbourhoods, the largest downtown intersections, the city of all its traffic light has synchronized. Area of 469 square miles, Los Angeles is the first major city to achieve this milestone and is already a reduction in journey times by around 12 percent in some parts of the city.

"We actually see the flow of traffic. Michael Rose, a freelance film and documentary that so unusual, is what in Los Angeles,"said producer in the vicinity of Los Angeles/Santa Monica border. "It is such a relief."

Los Angeles is a city on wheels, and despite the efforts of the mass transit system, expand, few expect to move that many drivers off the road.

The traffic is so strong that highways - including the core-405 route - much of the day on a crawl to move. Off-highway traffic jams added to commuters know this often limited access roads to give surface streets.

The problem is that a single badly-timed light along a major street to create a massive ripple effect, creating tie-ups, to extend, for blocks, even miles in each direction.

Goal was to synchronize traffic lights so that travel, say a car, Wilshire Boulevard, one of the busiest boulevards of the city extremely freely miles could travel, if they maintain the posted speed limit.

The challenge was to coordinate a network of 4.398 street lights, especially if they contain complex intersections in the three, four, even, that merge more roads.

The project comes from the Olympic Games in 1984 that an event would be feared regional stop many officials of the city. The first attempt at lights focused sync on the area around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the Olympic key events.

"Due to the success of this system, the City Council asked that we expand it citywide,", said Verej Janoyan, senior traffic engineer with the City Department of transportation.

Part of that challenge came up with the computer capability, the city large traffic light network analyze calculate posted speed limits and then come up with the right timing algorithm. Add the network to control the traffic lights, 350 million increased the price for the project $. In the light of the California recall, the project was stretched for almost 30 years.

The programming is not inflexible. The project was also a network of cameras, the traffic manager a real time look at that happen on the streets of Los Angeles can give. You can quickly change according to shifting daily commute patterns - as well as construction and traffic accidents.

Experts warn that it even if the system is simply overloaded. At rush hour it is often impossible for motorists come close at posted speed limits.

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But for the rest of the day, it signs that up to 12 per cent in some areas will be cut off is time travel.

It remains to be seen how many funds follow example municipalities, especially in the densely populated Orange County, the city. But studies show that millions of dollars in lost productivity to generate traffic Snarls and exacerbate the region's problems endemic to smog.

"You really see a difference" says documentary producer rose. "It is truly amazing. The only question is why they previously does not do this."

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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Young women are more likely to die in traffic accidents than men

Paul A. Eisenstein the Detroit Office 30 may 2013 to 1:00 PM ET

Young women are more likely die in a car crash as a man her age, because they are much more fragile according to a report this month by Federal safety regulators. That changed when both age, but when men reach less robust and less likely to survive a crash.

The study, authored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was not intended, to determine, what sex is more like text or speed - risky behaviours that lead to crashes, even though research has found that young men more likely to accelerate. Instead, NHTSA is trying, compare how men and women fare, if otherwise similar crashes occur.

Total women were the most vulnerable, 17 percent more likely to be killed.

Between 21 and 30 years, female drivers are 25.9 percent more are killed, based on a study of 50 years to US women who are passengers 29.2 percent even more likely rather die in a plane crash than male individuals - crashes.

349 Pages study it, that young men tend to be brawnier and their bodies are more likely to forces of a potentially fatal accident. The study also says that younger women, to wear seat belts, rather be thrown out of a car, one of the biggest causes of serious injuries.

35 Are women and men even more in terms of the probability of dying in a car accident. Female drivers have retired to a better chance of surviving than men aged 65 to 74 years.

Older female passengers are however still 11.2 percent more likely than men, killed the NHTSA found.

This is not to say that older women of less likely that die in a crash than younger women are: youth has its advantages for both sexes.

Each year by a person life, male or female, 21 years increases the risk of death about 3 percent. Other studies have found that an elderly woman died four times more likely in a crash as a 21-year-old woman.

For men, the increase is even more extreme, that could explain why the gap between men and women later in life. A 70-year-old male driver risk of death increases five-fold.

Proposed federal agency, perhaps simply reflects the fact, that "healthier seniors pursue further, while less healthy senior citizens only as passengers can ride."

The increased risk for older people has caused, auto manufacturers and regulators are looking for solutions. There were proposals for the creation of a separate crash-system of of rating to indicate how seniors in individual vehicles tariff.

Ford Motor Co. has expanded the use of a new system, combines the airbags and seat belts in a unit. The device is now offered on various Ford models including the Flex "People mover". There is an option for the middle row of the seven car, where older passengers are more likely to sit, the company says.

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Regardless of age, deaths have fallen car dramatically in the last fifty years. Dipped after NHTSA highway deaths to 32.367 during 2011. This was minus 1.9 per cent compared with the previous year and was the lowest number since 1949 there was a slight upturn in the last year, although why remains unclear. Experts suspect that SMS might reasons during driving and mild weather.

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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LA edges from Honolulu for the worst traffic

In Los Angeles, where traffic is a way of life that drivers call the busiest interchanges "Carmageddon."

After replaced by Honolulu a year is part of the country again, Los Angeles deserves the title of the most crowded Metro. 17 On a Friday in the year 2012, the average driver wasted more than 28 minutes in traffic according to INRIX traffic information and services group, which collects data for individual sections of the road.

In his 2012 traffic scorecard found INRIX that traffic at peak hours on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles drew only 14 miles per hour, 26 minutes add, what should be an eight-minute drive. Last year, the average American 38 hours wasted sitting in traffic; but for those, the life of the nation's most congested cities, jumped this number to 42 hours.

Not surprisingly, population density contributes to traffic congestion. Is overloaded by the 10 metro areas with the highest population density in 2010 six among the 10 of the nation's most.

INRIX generates a stowage factor, which is a compilation of factors such as population density, that average time spent commuting and the percentage of the population who drives to work.

In terms of the longest average commute daily, New York captured the honor with an average of 34.9 minutes. Washington, D.C. was second in a close at 34.5 minutes. But the availability and use of public transport the cities down to the top 10 list.

The congestion index is a metric of how long travel takes the average driver during rush hour when traffic is clear. Los Angeles has a congestion index of 28.8, meaning that that it takes 28.8 percent longer to make a trip during peak hours traffic jams as it does when there is no traffic.

This year on the most congested cities (with their congestion index in brackets):

1. Los Angeles (28.8)

2. Honolulu (26)

(3) San Francisco (23.5)

4. Austin, Texas (20.7)

5. New York City (19.9)

6 Bridgeport, Connecticut (19.1)

7, California (17.6)

8 Seattle (17.6)

9 Washington, D.C. (16.4)

10 Boston (14.7)

INRIX scale is supported by other surveys. Researchers at Texas A & M transportation Institute recently released its urban mobility report and similar results found.

In the Texas A & M rankings, Washington, D.C. leader, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland, New York-Newark and Boston. The second five are Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and Seattle. The urban mobility report contains a detailed presentation of the traffic problems in total 498 U.S. cities.

Overloading is frustrating, but researchers have found that it is also expensive - for the company and drivers.

"We all understand that the journeys take longer time, rush hour, but for really important dates, we have more and more time to ensure an on-time arrival," said Bill Eisele, TTI researchers and report co-author. "How traffic jams are so bad that it even more frustrating is that you cannot rely on the consistency of daily traffic jams. "These unreliable travel is expensive for commuters and truck drivers were move."

The 2012 report of estimating the attributed to congestion additional carbon dioxide emissions: ?56 billion--about 380 pounds per car commuters.

Moreover, the amount of fuel was wasted in congested traffic 2.9 billion gallons - enough, four times to fill the New Orleans Superdome. This is the same as 2010, but behind the 3.2 billion gallons are wasted in 2005.

The financial cost for congestion in the year 2011 was $121 billion, up $ 1 billion from the previous year, or $818 per commuter. It was about 27 billion $ value wasting time and diesel fuel from the truck of goods on the system.

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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A different kind of standstill handles D.C.: hellish traffic

AFP - Getty Images file

Commuters move slowly in heavy traffic on a highway in Los Angeles in 2011. California among the States with the highest percentage of people who commute an hour or more.

The jokes about Washington, D.C. normally refer to policy deadlock, but she could also talk about the traffic.

A new Government report finds that more than a quarter of the people who are working in the Washington, D.C. an hour or more each way to work commute.

District of Columbia has the highest rate of workers with long commutes, but it is not so unusual that Americans commute for hours every day.

Overall, a report of the Census Bureau released Tuesday, found that 8.1 percent of American workers 60 minutes or longer getting any way to work issued in 2011. This is a little more than double the average travel time for commuters that 2011 was 25.5 minutes.

The good news is that the people with the longest commutes much rather use public transportation. The bad news is that most of them were still alone in her car.

The census report finds that 23 percent of workers with comparing times of 60 minutes or more public transport, with only 3.7 percent of workers with shorter commutes here were.

Nevertheless, 61.1 percent workers with ran times of 60 minutes or more alone. That set back compared with 81.5 percent of workers with less than 60 minutes. The rest were carpooling or with other means of transport.

The majority of people who commute to Washington, D.C. are from other countries, and it is not uncommon that people with long commutes to go where they work from a State to a different place of residence.

Here is a list of the States with the highest percentage of workers in that State, and are an hour or longer commute to work.

10 Georgia: 9.1 %
9 Virginia: 9.4 %
8 California: 10.1 %
7. New Jersey: 11.1 %
6. Illinois: 11.3 %
5. Massachusetts: 11.7 %
4. Maryland: 11.8 %
3. Puerto Rico: 13.9 %
2. New York: 18.2 %
1. Washington, D.C.: 27.4 %

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US traffic deaths at lowest level since 1949

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau


U.S. traffic fatalities continue to plunge, reaching their lowest level since 1949, well before the creation of the American interstate highway system.

According to estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,310 people died in traffic accidents in 2011, a 1.7% year-over-year decline. That marks the seventh consecutive year that the death rate has declined.

Since just 2005, traffic fatalities have fallen by more than 25% — and when measured in terms of deaths per mile driven the figure has reached its lowest level since record-keeping began in 1921, according to NHTSA.

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While federal officials declined to point to specific factors, experts suggest there are several reasons behind the sharp drop. These include a crackdown on drunk driving – which some once linked to as many as half of all highway deaths – increased use of seatbelts and improved vehicle design complying with stricter federal safety requirements. In just the last several years, NHTSA has mandated the installation of electronic stability control systems on all new vehicles, along with tougher roof crush standards.

But some experts also point to the economic downturn which has been credited – or blamed – for a sharp drop in the number of miles the average American has been driving in recent years. The preliminary NHTSA study shows U.S. motorists collectively drove 35.7 billion vehicle miles fewer in 2011 than the year before – a 1.2% decline. As the economy recovers, some observers warn, fatalities could rise as people again drive more.

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But even when adjusted to an apples-to-apples, the death rate is down, reaching a low of 1.09 for every 100 million miles driven compared to 1.11 deaths in 2010. At its peak, that was closer to 7 per 100 million vehicle miles.

As recently as 2005, traffic accidents were responsible for 43,510 deaths in the United States – a figure that includes pedestrian fatalities.

The decline varied by region, and New England experienced the biggest drop, fatalities down by 7.2% last year. In the American heartland, including Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, the death toll dipped 5.3%. But the three-state region including Hawaii, California and Arizona bucked the trend, with fatalities actually increasing by 3.3% last year.

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Despite the overall decline, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has repeatedly said the traffic fatality rate is still too high and is pressing for further efforts to bring it down. The agency is in the preliminary stages of preparing new rules to address what LaHood has described as an “epidemic” of distracted driving deaths.
NHTSA, meanwhile, is proposing new rules that would mandate a brake-throttle override, a system that would cut engine power if a motorist were to inadvertently hit both the brake and throttle at the same time. Such driver error has been blamed, in many cases, for reports of so-called unintended acceleration.

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