abstreet/docs/values.md
2020-05-27 09:08:00 -07:00

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# Project motivations
I thought it'd be helpful to explain what motivates my work in A/B Street. These
are just my personal values; I don't intend to make a careful argument about
these here. In no particular order:
- **Transparency and reproducibility**: if city government uses data, modeling,
or simulation to inform a decision affecting the general public, then anybody
ought to be able to repeat that analysis.
- This means code and data should be open.
- Businesses like [Sidewalk Lab's Replica](https://replicahq.com/) and
[Remix](https://www.remix.com/solutions/streets) still need to generate
income, but it's unclear why governments use taxes to pay for something only
they see.
- Decision making should be documented clearly. Why were the
[35th Ave bike lanes](https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/maintenance-and-paving/current-paving-projects/35th-ave-ne)
scrapped? Is the amount of on-street parking on nearby residential roads
factored in? Was there analysis of how trip time is impacted by parking in
the neighborhood and walking a few blocks to a business on the arterial?
- **Accessibility leads to participation**: There's overhead to taking small
ideas to advocacy groups or inconveniently timed public meetings. If the
planning process is easier to interact with, more people will participate.
- Seattle's
[Your Voice, Your Choice](https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/programs-and-services/your-voice-your-choice)
program
- **Short-term changes**: [ST3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Transit_3)
is exciting, but 2040 isn't close. There are much cheaper changes that can be
implemented sooner.
- Most of the edits in A/B Street are inspired by tactical urbanism; they
could be prototyped with signs and paint.
TODO: car dependency
TODO: compromises/tradeoffs
TODO: why now? AVs force us to re-evaluate how space is allocated. and now
covid, stay healthy sts, street eateries