<div dir="ltr">I agree with everything you wrote.<div><br></div><div>I had just noticed his mention of *a meeting* about the speed bumps where here, evidently, there was none.</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Jun 11, 2021 at 9:34 AM Read Porter <<a href="mailto:read.d.porter@gmail.com">read.d.porter@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>The idea that we should increase police enforcement via traffic stops is fiscally disastrous, practically difficult in a tight grid street network, and would likely be racially biased. Based on analysis of 100 million traffic stops, the Stanford Open Policing Project has found significant differences in traffic enforcement, including as a result of explicit or implicit bias against Black and Hispanic members of the public. You can explore their data and findings here: <a href="https://openpolicing.stanford.edu/publications/" target="_blank">https://openpolicing.stanford.edu/publications/</a>. In addition, police killed 121 people last year during traffic stops in this country (<a href="https://policeviolencereport.org/" target="_blank">source</a>). These are problematic findings, to say the least, and we can and should avoid introducing more policing onto our streets unless it's for a very good reason. In short: we should ask the police to focus on solving crimes, and use other resources to address other matters. <b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>There are many tools better suited than cops to slowing down traffic - and speed humps are one of them (though not the best). Others include crosswalk bump outs, visual narrowing via tree planting, stop signs, and traffic cameras, to name a few. </b>We can and should make some of these interventions: pedestrians are at risk of death and injury due to the driver-first design of our road network. 6,721 pedestrians were killed on our streets by cars last year -- a 21% increase over 2019, despite a substantial decrease in vehicle miles traveled -- and the increase is a continuation of a long term trend in pedestrian and cyclist deaths (<a href="https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Pedestrians21" target="_blank">source</a>).</div><div><br></div><div>Finally - I attended the public meeting regarding the proposed speed bumps on Blackstone, which was the result of a request by residents to address speeding. Our community behaved shamefully at that meeting, going far beyond expressing displeasure with the proposal to personally attack the presenters. It was closer to an angry mob than a meeting. Little has been done to address the issue of speeding since the speed bump proposal was knocked back, except for the cameras near Lincoln School -- which is a real shame since other interventions like protected bike lanes would have made the boulevard both more pleasant and safer for everyone. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Finally, I must point out that Mr. Brussat's fact checking is nonexistent: 12th street has no speed bumps. Perhaps if he got out of his car once in a while and took a walk he'd be better informed about conditions in our neighborhood. <br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Jun 11, 2021 at 8:48 AM Denise Guad <<a href="mailto:dguad27@gmail.com" target="_blank">dguad27@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Here is what Dave put at the end of his article:<div><br><div><i>"There is a class of misguided residents who apparently support speed bumps, presumably in the mistaken opinion that it will make them or their children safer. That is unlikely. What it will do is to punish the innocent for the sins of the guilty. However effective, that is wrong. The proper and more effective response to speeding is an officer of the law handing out tickets, and if that doesn’t work, hike the fine two or three hundred percent. A ticket or two that makes news will stop speeding in its tracks, or most of it – and, as a bonus, punish only the sins of the guilty, leaving the innocent alone. The best form of traffic calming is a cop."</i><br></div><div><br></div><div>But remember when all those guilty folk got their panties in a twist when they got "unexpected" tickets for speeding in school zones when those cameras were installed? </div><div>I would be OK with more speed cameras. But the current situation of people speeding in the neighborhood is unexpectable. There are definitely more drivers who are guilty of not stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks than there are drivers who comply with this law. </div><div><br></div><div>Misguided or not, I absolutely feel safer crossing Rochambeau at Summit now, than I did before the bumps. </div><div><br></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Jun 10, 2021 at 5:04 PM Emlyn Addison <<a href="mailto:noisyblocks@gmail.com" target="_blank">noisyblocks@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>So, other than the lovely new art deco road tattoos, I take it the city is unmoved?</div><div><br></div><div>This piece by neighbor David Brussat has some interesting history—that speed bumps once proposed for Blackstone Boulevard were nixed. This would imply that residents were actually consulted.</div><div><br><a href="https://architecturehereandthere.com/2021/06/09/get-rid-of-all-speed-bumps/comment-page-1/" target="_blank">https://architecturehereandthere.com/2021/06/09/get-rid-of-all-speed-bumps/comment-page-1/</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Emlyn</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>On Tue, May 18, 2021 at 7:44 AM Read Porter <<a href="mailto:read.d.porter@gmail.com" target="_blank">read.d.porter@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>as a frequent crosser of rochambeau by foot i have found that yes, it is that dangerous. these lumps are a massive help. they have slowed speeds dramatically and it's not as scary as it was previously. <br></div><div><br></div><div>it does seem to me that additional stop signs, curb extensions, and neckdowns would be helpful in speed reductions and safety generally, but this intervention does seem to be improving on the status quo.<br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, May 18, 2021 at 12:10 AM Kim Clark <<a href="mailto:ktcxyz@cox.net" target="_blank">ktcxyz@cox.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div>agree, i’d rather see the potholes fixed than these horrible lumps and their accompanying sign pollution.<div><br></div><div>these don’t slow traffic, they stop traffic and/or cause people to swerve to avoid, they’re so big and so obnoxious i think they are most likely to cause road rage. Eventually, people will just use side streets to avoid.</div><div><br></div><div>Is Rochambeau really that dangerous? </div><div><br></div><div>what a waste of money! And such an unnecessary nuisance.</div><div><br></div><div>kim on dex</div><div><br><div>
<div><div><b> </b><b>Kim T. Clark</b></div><div><span style="color:rgb(185,45,93)"> <a href="http://www.RHODYCRAFT.com" target="_blank">www.RHODYCRAFT.com</a></span></div><div> 769 HOPE STREET<br> PROVIDENCE, RI 02906</div><div><div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"> 401.626.1833</div><br style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><a href="http://www.rhodycraft.com" style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px" target="_blank"><span><span><img id="gmail-m_-86516783934546790gmail-m_8049753249053383911gmail-m_4998974971146495810gmail-m_4339167361364642220gmail-m_7713058884656432151C38D6BB1-BAA0-4C29-B19A-54445593CAAD" src="cid:1797f45c71298f9fca91"></span>
</span></a></div><a href="http://www.rhodycraft.com" style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px" target="_blank">
</a></div></div></div><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On May 17, 2021, at 4:41 PM, Martha Fraenkel <<a href="mailto:mfraenkel@gmail.com" target="_blank">mfraenkel@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br><div>
<div>
Re Chris' comment about funding the lumps, i hope this is not a
rhetorical question. who/what/when/why?<br>
<br>
<div>On 5/17/2021 4:26 PM, Sumati Eberstadt
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
Yes to all of that, Christopher.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Sumati<br>
<div><br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>On May 17, 2021, at 4:00 PM, Christopher
Buecheler <<a href="mailto:cwbuecheler@gmail.com" target="_blank">cwbuecheler@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:</div>
<br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">I'm just curious why there's
enough budget to add obviously slapdash, ill-conceived
and dangerous speed bumps all over the town when
nobody except Blackstone Blvd's gotten a sidewalk
repair in over a decade, and the only time since I
moved to this neighborhood that any streets have been
resurfaced was when Providence Water was legally
obligated to do it. I'd much rather see money spent on
maintenance, dedicated bike lanes, and enforcing
things like "it's illegal to park halfway up on the
sidewalk outside of Bank of America because you're too
lazy to use the parking lot twelve feet away, or in
the no parking zone out front of Seven Stars because
you're too lazy to find legal street parking, thus
creating a dangerous visibility situation that
threatens pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists alike."</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">Far as functionality goes, I
assume the speed bumps will just join the Big Brother
machines on Blackstone in causing people to speed,
then slam on their breaks, then slam on the gas to get
back to speeding.<br>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-Chris</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, May 17, 2021
at 3:30 PM Martha Fraenkel <<a href="mailto:mfraenkel@gmail.com" target="_blank">mfraenkel@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div> I hope everyone is sending their
speed bump trauma to nirva. <br>
<br>
Seems to me they're a design failure; you have to
virtually stop to get over them without bottoming
out. <br>
<br>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<div dir="ltr">Christopher Buecheler
- <a href="https://twitter.com/cwbuecheler" target="_blank">@cwbuecheler</a><br>
<a href="http://cwbuecheler.com/" target="_blank">http://cwbuecheler.com</a>
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