With the advent of Amazon Now and Google Express- hyper convenient delivery services that are not only speedy but also inexpensive, catering to the whimsical and short attention spam masses, is this new culture of instant reception going to lend to an increase in other sorts of delivery service options? Is this going to spill back over into the arena of the bike messengers, the cowboys of the city roads battling the automotive clogged lanes? Is this increase in the demand for instant delivery going to add more two-wheeled and petal powered machines to the mix? Personalized delivery is absurd because of how much behind the scene costs are required in getting that precious package to you. Cars, gas, insurance, and parking are all expensive. A dude on a bike, way less of a down payment. I hope to see more crusaders of cycle on the scene, filling in the gap of convenience driven culture.
Tag: progress
The advancement of the traffic jam
Dear Chicago,
Why are we stuck in a Jeffersonian era of traffic control? This constant stopping is slowing down progress, making all commutes much more cumbersome than necessary, creating a road rage anger that is deep-rooted and raw, superbly aggressive and panic-stricken.
The first traffic light was invented in 1868, and after 1920, the design has largely not changed. Since Woodrow Wilson was president, the traffic light has not been upgraded, the flow of traffic has not been improved upon. The only update we have gotten in 150 years is that there is a countdown for signal change. This is not revolutionary, but it is included on the Wikipedia page because there is nothing else to say about this highly important societal tool that impacts just about everyone.
It is beyond time for a change, a drastic change, one that incorporates all this technology to help ease the burden of stopping and starting at regularly controlled intervals. The flow of traffic is not natural like the rushing river, it is sporadic like the ever changing Midwestern weather. We need a system where the signals monitor the accumulated cars and then makes an informed decision on when to change. Yes, an informed decision that accounts for multiple aspects, a technological decision based on data and real life events, not arbitrary parameters such as every two minutes regardless of the situation. A scenario where they don’t blink on set schedule just for the sake of changing. This is not a difficult or expensive fix, I bet the city could do it on its smart phone.
Same for the stop sign. Lets make then digital so that you only have to stop if there is another car registered. The sign always says slow, but can change to stop when it is needed.
There needs to be bus priority lanes and traffic signals so that riding the bus is not so slow. Taking the bus is hardly a viable option because of how terribly slow the travel is. The forever bus, that is what it is commonly referred to. The bus needs to travel faster than the flow of traffic, not slower.
Get with The Program
So I have internet on my mobile phone- a device that resembles a mini computer more than a communication device developed for talking and used mostly for silent communication. How come my fancy pants tablet which is, in fact, a full blown and very capable computer (top notch modern it has a touch screen like my mobile phone) does not have the ability to connect to the internet automatically without a hotshot, virtual link that you physically clink on, outside modem that blinking out its messages to invisible sphere of the internet’s cobwebs? Does this seem backwards to anyone else? Technology is so advanced in some aspects, but so lagging in other parts. This limbo is strange, when everything is unevenly striving to catch up, patched together like a mismatching quilt, haphazardly sewn together with any regard for the pattern.
marigolds forever 