Miscellaneous

Information regarding topics that don't fit in established categories.

Seller Beware!

Scales of JusticeWould you write about selling a vehicle? I have friends who sold a car and months later they received information that the car was in an impound lot. The purchaser had failed to register the car in his name and since the car was still registered to them they were legally liable. How does one insure that the new owner re-registers the vehicle?

VIDEO - Re-allocating Space for Better Cities

International Transport Forum logoIn this 30-minute online presentation and question and answer session, author Philippe Crist presents the new ITF report “Streets That Fit: Re-allocating Space for Better Cities”. Street space in cities is a rare resource. Much of it is currently allocated to highly space-consuming transport modes without taking into account that demands for that space vary over time.

Dogs in the Back of Pickups

Dogs like to ride in a Pickup BoxJust mention the words "truck ride" and our dog becomes your shadow. Like most dogs, she refuses to be left behind when someone is going for a drive. Being a lap dog, she rides inside and thinks that the right front seat is hers, although she will happily let people sit underneath her.

Why is the Highway Designed That Way?

Surveyor Ahead Warning SignDo you ever wonder why some aspect of the highway that you are driving on has been designed that way?  It starts with the Transportation Association of Canada's Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads, is supplemented by the Geometric Design Guidelines for B.C. Roads, may require compromise due to local conditions and ends up being what you see through your windshield.

SURVEY - Interactions Between Self-driving Vehicles and Pedestrians

university of BC logoHow will non-automated road users (pedestrians, cyclists and conventional vehicle drivers) interact with automated vehicles in real world settings? Dr. Alex Bigazzi, Dr. Jordi Honey-RosĂ©s and their research team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are investigating this question and request your help.

VIDEO - Stroads

VideoAccording to Charles Marohn, municipal engineer and planner, a stroad is a bad combination of two types of vehicular pathways: part street and part road.  He defines a stroad as a high-speed road with many turnoffs which lacks safety features and says that they are common in the United States and Canada.

Highway Closures

Road Closed Ahead SignWe have come to expect that our highways will always be open to us to use at any time under all conditions. When something occurs, such as a serious collision, some drivers still think that their convenience takes priority over all other issues and the highway should not be closed to them.

HISTORY - Highway 3 Near Greenwood

BC LogoThis shot is from the B.C. Archives and is of Highway 3 near Greenwood, taken in the 1950s. It shows how much our major hightways have improved since then. The lanes may be the same width, but the shoulders are improved and marked with solid white lines. The white center line is now yellow and likely is not a single broken line here today. Concrete guard rail replaces the old post and steel beam that often penetrated the passenger compartment in a collision.