Proposal for a solution to increased traffic at BRC

[bdongray]

As any city grows, so does its traffic.

Other cities in the world have to increase their highway infrastructure to accomodate requirements of increased traffic and maybe it is time to address this issue at BRC, without the need to restrict or impound vehicles brought to the city mainly for transportation, or with minimal artistic merit, or excessive size constraints for the regular pedestrian streets.

This proposal is to designate a street within BRC as a "ring road", and I invite positive brainstorming, or if you have a different radical solution to this issue, please post that here too for similar positive discussion.

The ring road would be sign posted as such, it would be twice as wide as a current street, and would still have the 5 mph speed limit (for safety and dust control). The ring road would be in the middle of the concentric streets (eg this year it could have been Saturn - a real "ring" road - pun intended).
To allow vehicular travel to the no mans land between Esplanade and The Man, the ring road would continue in a large arc out in no mans land to a second ring road half way between Esplanade and the man. eg:

Note: click image for zoom in - or download a <u>high res (200k GIF)</u>

The ring road would be designated (and signed) as pedestrian free, but as with all streets all vehicles still must yield to pedestrians (eg when they are crossing or unware they are walking on the ring road).
Bicycles are vehicles so would be allowed to travel on the ring road.

There would be areas set aside at regular interval in the populated areas of the city (eg 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 - see above "P" signs) off the highway designated as parking lots for such traffic, and drivers would leave their non-art vehicle to go to their camps, the plazas, or center camp. The ring road would be designated as no stopping for vehicles, except out in no mans land above the temple, vehicles can pull to the shoulder of the highway at any point for passengers to view a nearby art piece, but south of the temple, there are designated parking lots which must be used for stopping.

Vehicles would need to be licensed, and can obtain their license on arrival to BRC (no preapproval).
Day and night licenses would need to be granted depending on the capabilities of the vehicle.
Still no normal "street legal" cars, trucks, or vans would be allowed (unless for exceptional reasons, such as handicapped transportation requirements, or ranger, LEO, and service vehicles). Maybe the licenses would obtained for a fee.
I like the idea of a "bond" to ensure good behavior, returned on departure, but reduced for bad behavior, and not returned for excessive bad behavior.

[Badger]

Thanks for providing one of the better examples of suggesting a solution to an identified problem that I've seen on this board.

Probably isn't perfect but first steps are the point from which many, many solutions come from.

Very nice. Very, very nice.

[JRoyale]

Still no normal "street legal" cars, trucks, or vans would be allowed.

Hey, thanks for the ideas and the discussion. Unfortunately, there is still the issue of separating out normal from non-normal. What defines non-normal... a single string a lights? Two strings of lights? Three strings of lights? Four...... 10000 strings of lights?

There is also the dust problem. We live a dry lake bed one week of the year and every car that moves raises dust.

And you're gonna have to convince Larry. He likes having people get out of their cars... increased interactivity or something like that.

JR

[Steven bradford]

Hmm. Very well thought out.
Personally, I don't understand why this is needed.

Why do we need to accomodate vehicles beyond true art cars, wheelchairs/scooters for the disabled, and pedal powered contraptions?

Be a nice route for a monorail though!!!

STeve

[lil p]

As any city grows, so does its traffic.

Other cities in the world have to increase their highway infrastructure to accomodate requirements of increased traffic and maybe it is time to address this issue at BRC, without the need to restrict or impound vehicles brought to the city mainly for transportation, or with minimal artistic merit, or excessive size constraints for the regular pedestrian streets.

i think your proposal is a terrific starting point, based on your opening statement.

question/s: why accept that premise? does traffic have to grow? why?

yes, black rock city keeps growing, in area, population, infrastructure, art, goings-on, etc. -- are there alternatives to accommodating more vehicles? public transit? black rock city (art) car share? camp/village vehicles? encouraging more human-powered vehicles? do we need to be driving our *own* vehicles? do we *need* to drive?

i dunno; in the last couple of years it's felt to me like way too many vehicles are moving around out there, especially thursday through sunday. i'm curious to see how the emphasis that's been placed on community standards around driving, coupled with an enforcement plan, will affect the number of vehicles out there, and also how those vehicles are being operated.

i do like that your proposal limits the places where vehicles can move about, so that most of the city is exempt from traffic flow (but man, i would not want to camp on the driving road).

[Rob the Wop]

The idea is an awesome one, to be honest.

Problem is that the 'real' art car artists, the ones that drive their rides daily, tend to be a little off the beaten path.

The idea is good, the 'herding cats' portion will take some work.

[ness]

I would love to see all art cars "green" cars....human, solar, or wind powered or maybe highbreds (small gas engine for power generator)

[Steven bradford]

How would that address the congestion and safety issues?

[rodent]

Thank you for thinking of a creative solution.

Unfortunately, art cars can already drive along your planned ring road route under current DMV limitations. So your idea is superfluous and wouldn't do anything to aleviate traffic.

but please keep inventing, dreaming, creating and thinking.

---
rodent (putting the eek in geek)

[ness]

I think you missed the point rodent, the ring road would and should be the only place an art car could operate

[Apollonaris Zeus]

Yes, but that is only the beginning. We must even plan well into the future and be prepared. It won't soon that we will be reaching 250,000 attentance.

So I propose, Interstate 280 arcing from Winnemucca along the Win-sulpher-Gerlack road into the playa just south of the BM site and reconnecting to I80 near the present entrance south of gerlack.

A II Z

[Tancorix]

Leave Jungo Road out of this. I like that road just the way it is. Make 447 into I-580 (a spur for those who don't know how Interstates are numbered and why). The only pavement on Jungo should be the section inside Winnemucca's city limits and where it ends at 447.

I love that road...it tests people and equipment to the breaking point. And it's beautiful out there....it's meant to be enjoyed slowly. All those rocks are Kali's way of saying slow down, look at the world around you. 120 miles of automotive hell or pure bliss....it depends on how you look at it.

[Apollonaris Zeus]

All those rocks are Kali's way of saying slow down, look at the world around you. 120 miles of automotive hell or pure bliss....it depends on how you look at it.

It's Shiva, Kali's other form. It eats tire like they are evil creatures. No one should drive it unless they are driving new tires and carrying at least two spare tires. The rocks fracture so sharp you can shave with them or kill mastidons bare handed.

The road should be improved to four lanes with plenty of Hooters, TGIF's and a whore house or along the way.

A II Z

[Steven bradford]

I think we should also hold out for a walmart in Gerlach.

[Tancorix]

If you take the Winnemucca exit off I-80 by Wal-Mart, then double back to get to Jungo you pass by Winnemucca's brothel. So Jungo technically has one.

[dragonfly Jafe]

bdongray - interesting idea. I think what you would get would be essentially a conduit of static mutant vehicles idling while parked in a narrow line (which I am sure some people would approve of). It would take hours to get around the loop - what about vehicles running out of gas? Or break-downs? bathroom stops? what if a day-only vehicle was caught on the other end of the loop by slow traffic at dusk?

Maybe if the road was wide enough to allow passing/stopping/turning-around anywhere.

This idea would also serve to "invigorate" the back areas of the city (just like a highway coming through a sleepy backwater town does).

And the people who abhor the vehicles could stay away from the route.

definately the kernal of a possible solution here.

[Steven bradford]

I understand this idea bettter now, And like it a lot.

But not as a way to allow any and all to be mutant vehicles. I'd keep the heavy restrictions, but keep them all on this route, when they're not heading back to camp.

It invigorates the back areas, and that makes it easy for folks to avoid them or to find them, if they'res a designated parade route for them.

[honeyfire]

...with maybe a few pedestrian bridges?...
And definitely wide enough to easily pass on.
And very definitely well and thoroughly and ostentatiously marked!
Was anyone picturing this with a snow fence sidewall to define the edges, at least intermittently, or is that just in my mind?

[dragonfly Jafe]

A snow-wall style fence w/o gaps so no pedestrians could enter would be perfect. Camps along side would be encouraged to erect scaffolding or other raised viewing platforms to enhance visual interaction with the vehicles. The turn-outs could have entrances/exits to the rest of the city.