Pedestrian Beacons: General and Specific Climate Crimes
First of all, it is gallilng to watch healthy climate lemmings (joggers or runners) hit the stop traffic button without first assessing the traffic flow. Many times I have seen several cars followed by a long gap of no cars. The knee jerk "entitlement" of unnecessarily stopping traffic is a climate crime.
In almost 50 years of crossing Forest Hill Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, I have never had to wait for more than a few minutes for a lull in vehicular traffic. The traffic lights at the end of Semmes Avenue and at Roanoke create waves of traffic. Claiming the need for a $800,000 climate cancer (34th Street) because a pedestrian was killed on Semmes Avenues begs many questions which won't be asked here.
An hour of automobile idling and combusting hydrocarbons burns
approximately one-fifth of a gallon of gas and releases nearly 4 pounds of
CO2 into the air. That is 48 ounces per hour or 0,8 ounce per minute.
A 150 pound person daily generates 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) from combusting carbohydrates. That is one ounce per hour or 0.016 ounces per minute. Pedestrian nomally cross in one minute but cars often wait till the beacon stops flashing. Thus, based on the Calculus of Reality from the Math of Mother Nature, the igknowant, stupid predestrian indirectly causes 40 ounces of CO2 or 2.5 pounds of CO2 by pushing the beacon button. Is this a good bargain for the future? 40.0 ounces versus 0.016 counces. |
Part of the 34th Street Dealey Plaza 2 traffic plan
is a pedestrian beacon at 3600 Forest Hill Avenue in front of Crossroads
Coffee Shop. Consider this fact:
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Have it your way: 28th Street Pedestrian Beacon.
Part of the Dealey Plaza #2 plan was to "calm" traffic with a new pedestrian
beacon on Semmes Avenue. The aforementioned coffee shop beacon is mid-way
between the two existing traffic lights. The recently installed (2023) 28th
Street pedestrian beacon is not centered between existing lights at 26th
Street and the end of Semmes (de facto 35th Street).
Logically, it should be at 30th street. Why isn't it? Simple. Look at who lives on 27th Street between the old and new traffic stoppers:
Who? The councilmember who championed "calming" Semmes Avenue
One of many reasons to recall her. |
All pedestrian beacons should be assessed for real need and removal, e.g., Stephanie Lynch's at 28th Street and Forest Hill Park at 41st Street. H
umanity can afford injured or killed people who do not know how to cross streets. Humanity cannot afford the CO2 sinning from trying to protect igknowarmuses from their choosing not to know. Igknowance of the law is no excuse. Igknowance of Mother Nature is not escape.