Confessions of a Recovering Engineer
Transportation for a Strong Town
1. Edition September 2021
272 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Discover insider secrets of how America's transportation system is designed, funded, and built - and how to make it work for your community
In Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town, renowned speaker and author of Strong Towns Charles L. Marohn Jr. delivers an accessible and engaging exploration of America's transportation system, laying bare the reasons why it no longer works as it once did, and how to modernize transportation to better serve local communities.
You'll discover real-world examples of poor design choices and how those choices have dramatic and tragic effects on the lives of the people who use them. You'll also find case studies and examples of design improvements that have revitalized communities and improved safety.
This important book shows you:
* The values of the transportation professions, how they are applied in the design process, and how those priorities differ from those of the public.
* How the standard approach to transportation ensures the maximum amount of traffic congestion possible is created each day, and how to fight that congestion on a budget.
* Bottom-up techniques for spending less and getting higher returns on transportation projects, all while improving quality of life for residents.
Perfect for anyone interested in why transportation systems work - and fail to work - the way they do, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer is a fascinating insider's peek behind the scenes of America's transportation systems.
Chapter 1: Embedded Values
Chapter 2: The Difference Between a Road and a Street
Chapter 3: Whose mistakes Do We Forgive?
Chapter 4: Understanding Roads
Chapter 5: Great Streets
Chapter 6: Traffic Congestion
Chapter 7: Intersections and Traffic Flow
Chapter 8: Transportation Finance
Chapter 9: Public Transit
Chapter 10: Transportation Technology and Fads
Chapter 11: The Routine Traffic Stop
Chapter 12: Reforming Transportation Professions
Chapter 13: My Confession
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Index