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Spaced learning and FiT Roads

Pioneering headteacher, Paul Kelley (Monkseaton, North Tyneside), uses "spaced learning", a theory which shows that children get most out of lessons when they have plenty of breaks. The biological basis of memory (Scientific American, 2005, Douglas Fields) is a pathway of cells in the brain. To link up, cells need to be "switched on". Constant mental stimulation doesn't do it. It's the gaps that count. Spaced learning allows 10min gaps between three intensive teaching sessions of 15-20min. In… Continue

Added by Martin Cassini on June 12, 2010 at 13:00 — No Comments

No lights, no congestion - again.

If further evidence is needed of traffic improving when motorists are free to negotiate movement without signals dictating their every move, see the story below about lights out of action in Exeter. The alarmist news reporter/ editor warns of "chaos", but to a man and a woman, the commentators report blissful freedom from congestion, aggravation and delay. See…

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Added by Martin Cassini on May 29, 2010 at 16:30 — No Comments

Rules of the road spell danger

At 2.20pm on a day in January 2009, Victoria Johnson, 23, a trainee barrister, was crossing Mile End Road as the green man started to flash. Foysal Ali, 24, a trainee social worker, driving a Ford Ka, saw amber-flashing lights ahead, so he carried on. "She came out of nowhere", he said.…

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Added by Martin Cassini on May 28, 2010 at 18:00 — No Comments

A near miss

Outside Lambeth North tube this evening, as I was about to cross the road, a bus come to a stop in the left-hand lane just short of the traffic light. A guy had already started to cross in front of the bus, apparently unaware that the (shaded) traffic light was green. He must have assumed the light was red because the bus was stationary. I began to follow him, but an instinct prompted me to hold back and call out, "Careful!" At that instant, a BMW sped past in the outside lane, missing the guy… Continue

Added by Martin Cassini on May 27, 2010 at 22:30 — No Comments

Death by regulation

Was the crash that killed 3 people and injured 35 on the A66 near Keswick an accident? Or was it an event contrived by the rules of the road? It happened at a T-junction. The rules tell main road drivers to ignore side roads, so they barrel along at…

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Added by Martin Cassini on May 25, 2010 at 7:30 — No Comments

Justice and equality

In his book, Injustice,…

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Added by Martin Cassini on May 24, 2010 at 9:30 — No Comments

Still here

Thanks to those who have been in touch via email: the absence of recent posts is due to pre-occupation with a book synopsis and re-editing of the film as part of a presentation to a traffic management conference. The presentation caused a bit of a stir and some positive feedback.

Added by Martin Cassini on May 23, 2010 at 11:00 — No Comments

Perverse policy

Just back (on foot) from Elephant & Castle. Instead of using the underpasses, I crossed the roads that fan out from the roundabout. There were plenty of gaps in traffic, and it would be fine if it weren't for some people's intolerance born of the mean-spirited rules of the road. I'd already more or less…

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Added by Martin Cassini on April 13, 2010 at 15:30 — No Comments

The quality of anarchy

From Andrew O'Hagan's 4* review of The Infidel in The Standard: "The comedy is thrilling on several fronts - the joy of reason unseating prejudice; the smile of anarchy spreading mayhem into dogma; the thrill of haphazard intelligence taking a stand against well-organised…

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Added by Martin Cassini on April 9, 2010 at 18:50 — No Comments

Left turn on red

Occasionally the idea of left turn on red is mooted (like right turn on red in the US). It means freedom to filter left, even if the red is against you. A tiny step in the right direction, I've always thought, but ultimately a lame idea. Why can't we…

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Added by Martin Cassini on April 9, 2010 at 11:30 — No Comments

Simples?

Have I been pussyfooting around for too long with hypotheses? Over the last two years, in association with a traffic engineer, I've been pitching lights v no-lights trials to "test the hypothesis" (prove the point) that self-controlled, unregulated traffic flow could bring transformational gains in efficiency, safety, road-user interaction, air quality and quality of life. The first switch-off, in Portishead, has gone permanent after congestion disappeared with no loss of pedestrian safety.… Continue

Added by Martin Cassini on April 7, 2010 at 14:00 — 1 Comment

U-turn?

I've been saying that traffic lights are an unnecessary evil. Second thoughts. They are worse than unnecessary. They cause congestion by denying infinite filtering opportunities. They heighten danger by taking our eyes off the road and stimulating inappropriate speed. They heighten stress and mess with our minds by dictating our behaviour against our better judgement. They incubate hostility by preventing empathy and fellow feeling. They cost the earth to install and run, causing damage to the… Continue

Added by Martin Cassini on April 7, 2010 at 10:00 — No Comments

Bus lane ticket appeal result

Letter received from Lambeth: "Thank you for your letter in which you made informal representations about the above Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). I would like to confirm that the PCN has been cancelled. No consideration has been given and no judgement has been made with regard to the merits or otherwise of the alleged…

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Added by Martin Cassini on April 6, 2010 at 21:00 — No Comments

Scrapping signals US-style

Utica NY is getting rid of some of its traffic lights. A month of lights flashing will be followed by a month with lights hooded over.…

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Added by Martin Cassini on March 30, 2010 at 17:30 — 1 Comment

London cycling deaths

In London this evening there was a mass bike ride to mark the recent deaths of three cyclists: David Vilaseca, 46, Haris Ahmed, 21, and Shivon Watson, 28. The aim is "to raise awareness of the dangers that lorries pose to cyclists". Ms Watson's father, Maxwell, said, "I am very grateful to them for highlighting how bad the traffic is in London and how irresponsible drivers are." It might seem harsh to be critical when death and bereavement are involved, but it seems to me the point is being… Continue

Added by Martin Cassini on March 26, 2010 at 22:47 — 3 Comments

Alien nation

Having already paid the odious con charge (odious in its operation and odious because it was imposed before deregulation was even tried), I drove to the City of London to check the new building on the skyline (the Heron Tower by Liverpool Street). I might regret the decision because of an unforced error, which I'll describe in a minute. The number of red light stops that are forced on you is farcical. One set of lights after another,…

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Added by Martin Cassini on March 24, 2010 at 18:30 — 1 Comment

Old news?

Polluted air causes 50,000 premature deaths a year. Tim Yeo, Chairman of the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, says the lives of asthma sufferers in particular can be shortened by nine years. (That's me, folks!) The health costs of pollution could be as high as £20.2bn, similar to the cost of alcohol abuse. "Much more needs to be done to save lives and reduce the burden of air pollution on the NHS." Yes, and as some of us been saying for years, FiT solutions could make an immediate… Continue

Added by Martin Cassini on March 22, 2010 at 10:26 — No Comments

Instinctive altruism thwarted

More parallels in the New York Times/Observer. "New evidence supports the idea that altruism is hardwired into all but the most hardened sociopaths ... Babies reveal an innate inclination to help ... Frans de Waal, author of 'The Age of Empathy',…

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Added by Martin Cassini on March 22, 2010 at 10:20 — No Comments

Nancy gets help

Karen Sherlock reports that a Puffin crossing is being installed in Chideock (see recent post "Highway Robbery"), which means that pensioner, Nancy Underwood, will be able to cross the road to her local shop without having to make four bus journeys. Progress of sorts. Any chance of Karen or David taking a couple of before-after photos?

Added by Martin Cassini on March 21, 2010 at 9:35 — 2 Comments

It's broken, so fix it!

Former adviser to Jimmy Carter, Bert Lance, says the trouble with government is it fixes things that don’t need fixing and doesn’t fix the things that do. What gets me about the legions of traffic officials is their inaction in the face of a dysfunctional system, and their neglect of simple, life-enhancing solutions. Sometimes I feel like Yosser. "Give us the job. I can do it!"

Added by Martin Cassini on March 21, 2010 at 9:22 — No Comments

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