In response to the $50 Billion Sound Transit bill that passed in Seattle recently, which, in some cases, more than quadrupled peoples car tab price, I don't believe this is the best use of our tax dollars. I believe building an infrastructure that gets Seattle ready for the future in transportation is the best idea. Autonomous cars are already in production and being used on the roads today, so let’s get ready for more of them hitting the roads.
First by restriping the roads with reflective paint, and/or add markings, that are actually visible in the rain. This will not only help current drivers, as our roads are a huge safety concern because of the lack of road marking visibility, but it will also help with autonomous cars, as they use these markings to drive. In addition, I would also propose adding a lane for autonomous cars, much like the HOV lane, and work to expand those lanes as we move forward.
https://www.wired.com/2016/03/self-driving-cars-wont-work-change-roads-attitudes/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-autonomous-infrastructure-insig-idUSKCN0WX131
In addition to autonomous cars, flying cars are already being tested for consumer use, and the FAA is already working on air roadway maps. I don’t propose using tax dollars on this yet, as there is still so much more to work out with the implementation of this, but it shows how far and how fast we are moving technologically.
Through our expanding tech industry here in Seattle, with the growth of Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Uber, Tesla, etc. I propose we work with these companies and others innovative ideas to make Seattle ready for the future in transportation. In bringing these larger corporations to the table, I would expect them to financially contribute to the efforts to bring/build a better transportation infrastructure of Seattle, thus reducing the overall cost burden of the tax payer, as they will have a vested interest in helping us succeed, as it will be their products that will be seen on the roads.
Bryce Richards for Seattle City Council District 1
It is better to accept the future than to fight it! It makes a lot of sense and will help drivers see the road better and prepare for the future.
I'm resteeming your post!
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Cities across America (especially in California) are raising taxes simply because they can. Citizens currently have a huge tax burden. The questions to ask are:
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Part of the reason they do it... is people don't do anything about it. They just accept it for what it is. They don't want to disrupt the "norm", they are content.
And you are absolutely right... what do they NEED!
We have so many distractions and other things going on in our lives, most people don't even pay attention to politics, and most can't even comprehend the amount of money that is being spent and the budgets, so they just stay out of it. Gone are the days were most every citizen took part and understood their government. They have given us enough distractions with sports, Hollywood, music, etc... to keep us distracted. Orwellian Nation to a T
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I know that Seattle has 65% of the land zoned for single family homes. If this were no the case the city could build vertical thus eliminating the need to drive so far.
A councilwoman in Seattle said she does not want to move away from all the single family zoning because then they would receive less in property taxes.
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They are currently talking about raiding property taxes more... which will actually be my nice blog post.
We have 58 cranes in the sky, with a lot of them downtown building condos so people don't have to have a car. However the price of these units are going for more than what a house in the burbs costs, or they are so small you can't raise a family in them. So, it is only meant for DINKs (Double Income No Kids) or people who want roommates
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Steem it ;) upvote!
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wow
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This post was very confusing to me.
I guess it would help if I was intimate with Seattle current politics.
There are too many words that are used from a point of view that everyone knows the context. Without the context, it really sounds like gibberish.
Also, restriping roads is an ongoing process. Especially in places that use snow plows often. Since much of the infrastructure is decaying all over The USSA, I believe complaining about the striping to be one of the last things on the maintenance list.
Further, the future of transport is not going to be self driving cars or flying cars. These are ideas to fix an industry that is already dying. The future is not driving to work on overly crowded highways.
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To help give a bit more clarification, Seattle doesn't get snow or ice very often, and if we do, it is usually gone within 24 hours. However a few years ago Seattle had a massive ice storm and all the road reflectors
were "popped off" when the scrappers (that usually only service the mountain pass that divides WA) came over to scrape off all the ice. I do agree that it is a never ending process, however advancements in paint quality and application, have greatly reduced how often this needs to take place.
As for your last point... are you saying transportation is a dying industry?! So how does one get to their job site to do construction? Or a legal team get to the court house? or medical professionals get to hospitals and urgent cares? or the trucks that ship of all your goods? Do you know of further advancements in teleportation that I don't know about?
Thank you for the reply and allowing me to explain more. I am interested to hear what you have to say regarding the industry.
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Your smattering of examples of "why we need to have transportation" are all from a very specific niche.
Let me address a much larger and far easier to stomp out area.
The suburban commuter on their daily voyage to get to a job.
Suburbs are dead.
The daily jobs are dead.
And all that roadway in between will be vacant.
Your assumption is that this large group of people, the very ones that might benefit from self driving cars, are going to exist in the near future.
My thinking is they won't.
The jobs are dead. Advances in robotics and computing are destroying all of these jobs.
The suburbs are not a sustainable development.
The suburbs are dead. Emotionally, Morally, and with the loss of jobs, physically.
The jobs that are left will done via the internet.
So, for a great part, the majority of the traffic jam causing traffic will disappear.
How will humans survive? How will they survive without a job? Well that is the shift that is happening right now. Its the whole reason that so many are talking about Universal Basic Income.
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