city streets

F-35 shown obsolete on previous posts

   If one were to build a new city, it might be desirable to actually separate car and truck traffic.  Ultimately,the only way of controlling car traffic is to let it grow until it chokes itself off, no other effective  means has ever been found to regulate it.  But trucks are essential to the functioning of a city, there traffic should not be impeded.

   The truck streets could alternate with  the car streets, B.  The blocks would be divided into building lots that stretch from the truck street to the next car street.  The property developer would be responsible for integrating truck access into the building plans.
   At A, is shown a possible cross section of the street.  There could be an elevated pedestrian plaza above street level.  To accommodate trees, cast iron cylinders of 10 foot diameter could be installed from the natural soil to the plaza level.  The cylinders would be filled with planting material and trees planted within them.  The cast iron should preclude tree roots rupturing the container.
   Enclosed, elevated walkways would be run above the center of the street.  Similar walkways have been built in Minneapolis, Minnesota to protect pedestrians from sever weather.  Connecting walkways would extend from the building fronts to the walkway.  Bicycle routes could be built on the top of the walkways, allowing bicyclists unimpeded movement.
    Mass transit would entail having what would amount to horizontal elevators that would be slung beneath the pedestrian walkway.  This protects them from snow and ice, so they would never be non-operational.  By elevating them above the street, they are not slowed by traffic jams.
   At c, is shown a pattern of cross bridges, perhaps 4 per block, to allow  a smooth flow of people back and forth a across the street without the need for pedestrian crossings to slow traffic.
   There could be additional businesses and taxi stops at street level.

   The truck and car routes could have roundabouts rather than traffic lights to allow for a smoother flow of vehicles. The center of the roundabouts could be connected to one block in the direction disallowed by traffic.  The centers could then be used as mini-parks.
   ASt some point, there will be an inevitable mixing of cars and trucks, but minimizing the common usage should allow for better truck movement.