Road Safety & Vision Zero Plan

[afransen]

Traffic barricades perform a combination of either re-directing and/or absorbing kinetic energy. The faster they do this, generally less space is needed, the greater the risk to the soft, squishy occupants of the vehicle but less risk to the soft, squishy people they are intended to protect (not counting flying bits that are still exhibiting kinetic energy). The more gradually and less lethally they do it, generally more space is needed, which may not always be available in an urban setting.

This is the problem I have with Toronto's fascination with trying to convert arterial roads to urban streets. Arterials should be for moving vehicles at relatively high speed, which is incompatible with complex urban environments. Complex urban environments should have speed limits and design speeds of 30 kph for safety of road users. Then bollards make sense as vehicles driving 30 kph won't be at much risk.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The City has a survey out on using robots on the sidewalk:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1517126622612180994

From link.

 

[afransen]

They should have a flag on a flexipole at eye height of they will get smooshed by cars.

 

[robmausser]

AFAIK, MTO has proposed regulations for maximum weight/width/speed but no minimums or height limit. So they could be 10 foot tall or 1 foot tall.

Edit:

• No height limit, a 125 kg maximum weight, and a 74 cm maximum width for all MUDs, except automated snow plows which have no proposed weight and dimension restrictions;
• A 10 km/hr maximum speed on sidewalks and a 20 km/hr maximum speed on shoulders of
  roads or bike lanes
• Mandatory audible signals to alert those nearby;
• A requirement for reflectors and lights, with lights to be lit if operated between sunset and
  sunrise;
• A requirement to yield to pedestrians (no details on how); and

Of all these things i'm most excited for automated snow plows haha. Have them plow the multi use trails in the winter, please!

 

[evandyk]

If we absolutely have to have little cars driving around making deliveries, I don't understand why we'd use limited sidewalk space for them. Why can't they go on the road with the other cars? (We know the answer... they would be immediately driven over by terrible drivers, but that can't be a good reason to give over our sidewalk space to them.)

 

[imerk]

If we absolutely have to have little cars driving around making deliveries, I don't understand why we'd use limited sidewalk space for them. Why can't they go on the road with the other cars? (We know the answer... they would be immediately driven over by terrible drivers, but that can't be a good reason to give over our sidewalk space to them.)

I feel like bike lanes, where available, present a happy medium too.

 

[gabe]

Not all the sidewalks are wide enough for these robots. You got restaurant patio's, planter boxes, trees. Plus people using mobility scooters, walker/strollers , dog walkers, all need extra space. Plus you got construction equipment taking up space. Come winter time, we lose a foot or more sidewalk space from the snowbanks. I can picture someone glued to their phone not looking where they are going and tripping face first over a robot.

 

[crs1026]

If it’s a matter of a R2D2 sized fellow delivering somebody’s food order, at walking speed, I don’t mind sharing the sidewalk with them. But I suspect that’s not what is in the cards. Whatever automated devices appear, they need to have enough AI to identify, and defer to, people who currently have right of way.
There’s a law about robots not harming people, right ?

- Paul

 

[nfitz]

If it’s a matter of a R2D2 sized fellow delivering somebody’s food order, at walking speed, I don’t mind sharing the sidewalk with them. But I suspect that’s not what is in the cards. Whatever automated devices appear, they need to have enough AI to identify, and defer to, people who currently have right of way.
There’s a law about robots not harming people, right ?

I expect Musk will soon be pushing for a rule for pedestrians to give them the right of way.

 

[W. K. Lis]

I expect Musk will soon be pushing for a rule for pedestrians to give them the right of way.

Happened with the streets already. When the automobile took over the streets with their "right of way", they forced the original users, the people, off the roads onto the sidewalks.

Encore presentation...

 

[afransen]

These delivery bots might make powerful allies for new bike lane infra!

 

[lenaitch]

If it’s a matter of a R2D2 sized fellow delivering somebody’s food order, at walking speed, I don’t mind sharing the sidewalk with them. But I suspect that’s not what is in the cards. Whatever automated devices appear, they need to have enough AI to identify, and defer to, people who currently have right of way.
There’s a law about robots not harming people, right ?

- Paul

Isaac Azimov's 'Three Laws of Robotics':

Asimov's Three Laws are as follows:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or allow a human to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders, unless they conflict with law number one.
3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as those actions do not conflict with either the first or second law.

 

[tiffer24]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1519298063696814080

 

[DSC]

I feel like bike lanes, where available, present a happy medium too.

You clearly do not use bike lanes, they are already dangerous enough with the e-scooters whizzing along....

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Isaac Azimov's 'Three Laws of Robotics':

Asimov's Three Laws are as follows:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or allow a human to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders, unless they conflict with law number one.
3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as those actions do not conflict with either the first or second law.

There is also a zeroth law.

AoD