I first heard of the idea of eliminating traffic lights and stop signs on city streets from one of the co-editors of The B-Burgs back in the mid-90's. If I remember correctly he supported his argument with appeals to personal liberty rather than making the argument based on improved safety.
Well, a German town has made the move to such a street environment and their rationale is based on the safety they believe it will provide.
...all traffic controls will disappear from the center of the western town of Bohmte to try to reduce accidents and make life easier for pedestrians.
In an area used by 13,500 cars every day, drivers and pedestrians will enjoy equal right of way, Klaus Goedejohann, the town's mayor, told Reuters.
"Traffic will no longer be dominant," he said.
I know that every time I come to an intersection where the street lights have died (which happens often in Baltimore) the efficiency with which drivers coming from all four directions manuever their cars safely through the intersection always makes a strong, positive impression on me.
Think about the natural ordering effect that such an environment would produce. Within days, if not hours, all jack-ass drivers would immediately realize that in order for them to live another day they had better start slowing down as they approach the next light-less intersection. Plus, things might become a bit more civil on the roads since motorists would almost always be in motion and not getting annoyed idling at red lights every two blocks.
Back to Germany. This offers a unique philosophical problem for the politcial arm of the European Union. These ninnies probably love the idea of cars losing much of their influence on the roads and will applaud the reduction in greenhouse emissions. But at the same time a major symbol of state-imposed public order will pass from the scene when those traffic lights get taken down.
