KPRC-13 has a story about the mayor’s helicopter ride this morning and the mayor gives this report on $AFEclear:
“We didn’t see a major problem out there today,” said Mayor White. “We looked at the corridors which are the most congested corridors. A lot of what we have been doing appeared to be working well.”
Well, hallelujah! Praise be to Mayor White — he has fixed Houston’s freeway congestion problem! Gosh, who knew that the main reason Houston roadways were so jammed up was because of cars on the side of the road? Many of us assumed it was due to the sheer volume of cars on the freeways, especially at rush hour.
Rob Booth has written a smart post that meshes nicely with the mayor’s quote:
It is alleged that cars by the side of the freeway slow down traffic. How do we know that? I’ve heard people assert it as a truism, but actually all I’ve heard is people’s recollections based on personal experience.
[snip]
Release the numbers from the Katy Freeway test and let us know how SAFEclear affected travel times, including methodology and data, please.
That being said, I’m smelling a bit of Big Nanny statism coming from some of the SAFEclear advocates.
[snip]
I’m a grown, free man living in a free country. I can decide for myself if I think it’s safe to change my own tire by the side of the freeway. If someone would like to follow me around and tell me how to live my life, they’re welcome to enjoy a piping hot cup of “mind yer own dang bidness.” I’ll also say that I’m glad when people like this said, “Gee, we shouldn’t throw the King’s tea in the harbour, somebody might get hurt,” everyone else ignored them.
So, the bottom line for me is, if you’re a public official, don’t just tell me “studies show” that such and such will work. I won’t believe you. Put the study online, let me see it.
