Writing to you from a long distance train table, probably. Australian, currently a postdoc at UZH, Zurich 🇨ðŸ‡, in Urban Analytics.
Interested in access, walkability, sustainable transport in general, open source urban analytics. Transport cyclist, climber, mum, mostly plant based.
| Personal page | https://josephineroper.com/ |
| Publications | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Josephine-Roper |
| Github | https://github.com/JosephineRoper/THERE |
| Climbing by bike and foot, Sydney and surrounds | https://carlesscragging.wordpress.com/ |
A deep-dive into Zurich's green tram tracks: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fb3b2c846a1d43ac853fa03c906ba3b1
Not my area nor my students, but I'm really loving working with the students at all levels here at @uzh, they're so engaged and sincere about what they're doing.
On this very conservative report you can easily make the economic case for a default speed limit of 30km/h and for a maximum speed of 50km/h on inner city arterials (not pedestrian separated motorways) on crash costs alone.
The Amenity and reduced severance benefits are staggering. These are VC investment type numbers. Who wants to invest in a startup that switches 50km/h signs to 40km/h signs on roads adjacent to major trip generators for 6800% return?
Reduced severance benefits would be much larger for people on bicycles just due to the extra distance you can travel on a bicycle you are cut off from more possible services you could otherwise have had access to and that isn't included in these numbers
Something the report also pointed out which makes this report even more conservative in it's estimate of travel costs: "We note that there has been some recent debate around whether it is reasonable to value very small changes in travel time for motorists and freight (i.e. a one-minute increase in journey time on an average commute time of one hour) given these variations are likely within the ranges of typical variability in journey times making them relatively imperceptible. It could be argued on this basis that there is a
threshold below which travel time costs are irrelevant and should not be valued."
@michcampbell Yeah, in some ways I have more certainty than a friend in the private sector who could be let go with a few weeks notice, but like you say we end up spending much more thinking time on it.
It's like (bout to get a bit morbid) being given a date of your death. If it's in 40 years or so it shouldn''t change anything but I still don't want to know!
@mario_angst_sci Yes very much so for people here.
For people in the US, I wonder lately if the fact that rich Americans just fly to Europe or Japan when they want to spend time in safe, walkable cities contributes to under-motivation to fix their local problems? Perhaps a bit eccentric...
Yeah, I try to just live our way and speak about it when relevant too, but every so often get sucked into an argument on reddit or hear something depressing.
@mario_angst_sci It sounds good, at this stage I would probably have to read the English version!
I feel very worn down by arguments about flying in particular lately. Even people who are supportive of climate-friendly local travel seem to be blind here, and usually bring up this idea of personal action being ineffective, which is very frustrating.
First time trying #OSRM for routing, as my previous OSMNx + Pandana setup was failing at building a road network for all of Australia.
Jeez it was a PITA to set up but so fast once you get there! National SA2 OD matrix ran in a few seconds.
@drtcombs.bsky.social
I started riding an #ebike in Sydney, where it's never below freezing, and this is still one of the main advantages I explain to people!
You don't need to get fancy technical clothes, dress cold at the start or undress on the way to balance the hills, sweat, and windchill. You can just dress however you'd dress to go wait for the bus in the same weather, and that'll pretty much do it.
Jesse