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Passed another collision on 130 yesterday evening. It's time to admit that the wonderful road expansion, that gave us a whole 1.5 more lanes and two oncoming high speed lanes that are feet apart is a disaster. Lack of planning and crappy highway engineering costs lives. At very least, the two middle oncoming lanes should be separated by a permanent concrete barrier that would deflect cars back into their side of the road. No, it wouldn't stop all accidents, but it would save lives. Yes, it would be a kludge, and a permanent monument to incompetence, but I think that's appropriate. In the meantime, move as far to the right as possible, as soon as possible. It just takes a moment of inattention and you will be in a collision with a combined speed of 90 MPH.
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/...image1.jpg
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The road is designed for a speed limit, that is why it is called basic rule. People that use emo-logic to determine, no, the road can take a much faster speed sometimes have the laws of physics come home to roost. The two lanes into town intend that left lane to be a passing lane. The speed limit signs on 130 used to be ambiguous, now they have made the shoulder expansion 55mph. It does seem that stretch should be 45 also but with the growing amount of traffic, would see big buildups at certain times. Hwy 130 at midnight with a moonlit sky is so nice, on a journey less traveled. You have to remember, the term is 'shoulder expansion'. That is what passed through, and what got funding. Apparently, Phase II funding is till to be identified. Good thing we got those parks and protest issues to work on instead.
"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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Lack of planning and crappy highway engineering costs lives.
No, this one is all planning. Specifically, selling off all the land without reserving a big fat right-of-way for the road.
Phase II funding is till to be identified
The price will keep going up, too, because State still has to purchase more right-of-way ... at tomorrow's real estate prices.
Tragically, it is impossible to plan, code or engineer away human stupidity.
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You can't fix Samsara.
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quote:
Originally posted by imagtek
Tragically, it is impossible to plan, code or engineer away human stupidity.
But it's darn right entertaining if you can shift the prism of perception enough to enjoy the never ending folly that is mankind.
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quote:
Originally posted by imagtek
Tragically, it is impossible to plan, code or engineer away human stupidity.
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You can't fix Samsara.
You can mitigate human fallibility through good planning, engineering and education. Case in point, tonight I was driving the road back toward Hilo at around 6:30. At that time, with cloud cover, it's pretty damn dark out. Passing by me were cars with one light, no lights on, parking lights on. No cop anywhere to be seen. It's like I'm living in some Twilight Zone where people have all gone insane and suicidal. That road is so dangerous at rush hour it almost hangs in the air and you can cut it with a knife.
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You can mitigate human fallibility through good planning...
Just because all those sprawling subdivisions were built doesn't mean anybody expected anyone to actually buy, move to, them! Or that we would ever need roads to handle the traffic caused by all those that did.
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quote:
Originally posted by dakine
You can mitigate human fallibility through good planning...
Just because all those sprawling subdivisions were built doesn't mean anybody expected anyone to actually buy, move to, them! Or that we would ever need roads to handle the traffic caused by all those that did.
Wow. A moron defending other morons. That is the problem here - no foresight that people might actually want to live in Puna.
If only you could hear for yourself how idiotic it is to say “we didnt know that if you sell someone land that they would want to make use of it”.
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Just because all those sprawling subdivisions were built
The failure happens before construction: no room was left for bigger roads -- and the same thing happened "inside" the subdivisions, in some cases the "private" roads aren't wide enough to ever be made "real" under current codes. (There's also no room for water/sewer lines...)
Passing by me were cars with one light, no lights on, parking lights on.
One band-aid I've seen elsewhere: "daylight safety" requiring headlights at all times on a particular road (or dangerous section thereof). State could implement this for the cost of a few signs, a few consultants, junket for the lawmakers, and some other unrelated legislation to trade with the lobbyists -- pocket change compared to more pavement.
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Just because all those sprawling subdivisions were built doesn't mean anybody expected anyone to actually buy, move to, them!
I recently reread The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans. In one chapter she drives through miles of Florida swampland that had been subdivided and sold in the early 20th century as a residential community, where the property owner and his agents never expected anyone to actually buy, move to, them!
Even to this day there are very few houses out there, there is however, a grid of roads and highways. Because developers were required to build them.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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