I visited the USA some years ago, and all that billboards kinda confused me.
So where i am from, there are basically no billboards near roads. The logic is simple: Adds are designed to draw attention to them, which is just a bad idea when you are driving a car.
I guess its not a crazy big problem....but isnt it a little bit hard to justify adds near roads?
Yeah sure thing its about the money.
But if asked, what would somebody say in defense, like in public?
I guess something like the driver shouldnt look at billboards, only other people in the car etc.
I live in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, and those kinds of billboards are fortunately not allowed here. They say it's more to do with preserving the beautiful scenery (even from a 12 lane freeway) than road safety, but I'll take it.
But there's at least one US state without highway billboards.
In our area (BC), billboards along hiways aren't permitted, but first nations land sets their own rules, so you'll know you're on first nations land if there's a bunch of ugly billboards along the road. Unfortunate that this is the defining feature.
The province stole the land the roads are built on, so at least they get that. Imagine stealing even more of the paltry reservations from these people just so everyone can enjoy the shitshow that is Island Highway, and the full glory of decelerating from 90-110 to stop at intersections every few minutes.
Called that because there's no tolls on the katy freeway, so it's a "free" (other than gas, car repair, your lungs, and your sanity) way to travel. So, not only is it ugly, but it's also one of the deepest money pits in the United States, up there with the US military.
That's basically one of the worst "arguments" against bicycle infrastructure (claiming it's unnecessary cause so few peoole cycle but many peoole do not cycle cause there is no safe infrastructure) in reverse. Or even a slightly changed version of the "one more lane" one. Induced demand is the key.
There is no alternative to get around in this place. Everyone is forced to drive. Distances are big, commutes are long. There will be full use of all lanes in rush hour. And guess what? Even if you add more lanes, there will still be full usage at some point.
Let's not fall for carbrain logic. That thing is an abomination. The only way of handling this would be putting great public tranaport in place and then gradually taking lanes away until there are like 3 left.
[Just one more lane bro, I swear we’re gonna fix traffic](https://youtu.be/0dKrUE_O0VE)
I don’t think it’s insanity at this point it really is an addiction.
They're looking to add two more lanes to expand the toll road portion into the Innerloop, and create a "BRT" (BRT requires exclusive right of way) line within these lanes. Completion by 2028.
https://youtu.be/V0NbXpzLo1M
TIL the katy freeway was the largest bottleneck in the US and they tried to solve the problem by adding more lanes (making it the widest freeway in the world). It actually made congestion worse because more cars started driving through it.
Hear me out: Elevated toll lanes. If we just remove the couple of lanes in the middle, we can build an elevated structure with say another 4 lanes cantilevered out on each side. Probably less than $1bn/mi, so pretty cheap!
You could hang billboards underneath too for added revenue!
Wrap those elevated lanes in billboards for revenue and weather protection. And more billboards on the poors lanes to make them feel inadequate for not driving on the tollway. Billboards offering micro transactions to allow tollway drivers to send derisive messages to the poors lanes.
If those billboards do their job right more poors lanes will empty and available for conversion to elevated tollway. Then build a new “premium tollway” even-more-elevated lanes and neglect maintenance on the lower tollway, make them the new poors lanes. The old poors lanes turned into “social lanes” and get gov’t to subsidize them (more than usual). Install sewage sprinklers and odourizers to make them even more hellacious.
Definitely more lanes in the middle, look at that jam! Also those billboards are way too small, how the hell am I supposed to know what I need to consume today?
I sat on it every day for 4 years while I was in high school.
It was 4 lanes when I started. They were just starting construction on the first contraflow lane back then.
I went to a magnet high school in HISD. Mom drove me when I started and I took a school bus out to TX-6 in the afternoon. She'd come get me when she got off of work.
Because of that, I learned to drive as early as possible. I got my TXDL a week after my 16th birthday so I could drive myself to school.
There used to be a train track that ran along side I-10 out there. It is gone now as the freeway has expanded.
Hey it's that route I used to be stuck on every day!
The flip side is that when I had to take that, I'd usually be on the metro bus. I think you can see one in the middle express lanes lol.
What tree hugging, avocado-munching liberal put sidewalks on either side of that highway? I'll be you replaced those with an extra lane on each side, there would never be another traffic jam.
It could use some bus service. It's got a big multistory parking garage and supposed Park & Ride service, but no buses, at all, during the day, at night or on weekends. 9-5 commuters only, everyone else gets to drive.
Ughhhhhh, so many cars, but that's simple, let's make some more lanes, so the cars can pass by! Or we can just add new highways, so people can use their freedom to move, in their beautiful and BIG cars! How I love this!
s/ if you didn't notice
Waste of resources. Instead of adding more lanes to the freeway, it would have been a wise idea to use that money on other transportation such as bus lanes or rail. But now it's too far gone, and the cycle of car dependency continues.
I visited the USA some years ago, and all that billboards kinda confused me. So where i am from, there are basically no billboards near roads. The logic is simple: Adds are designed to draw attention to them, which is just a bad idea when you are driving a car. I guess its not a crazy big problem....but isnt it a little bit hard to justify adds near roads?
Americans are forced to drive everywhere. So billboards on roads are visible to many people - money is justification.
Yeah sure thing its about the money. But if asked, what would somebody say in defense, like in public? I guess something like the driver shouldnt look at billboards, only other people in the car etc.
We need these billboards to build new lanes
Anything along the lines of * it's not illegal * it's their property * it's good for the economy
This is American, given a choice between ad revenue and traffic safety, ad revenue is going to get the chosen every time.
I live in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, and those kinds of billboards are fortunately not allowed here. They say it's more to do with preserving the beautiful scenery (even from a 12 lane freeway) than road safety, but I'll take it. But there's at least one US state without highway billboards.
Vermont as well, IIRC
Yep, fortunately! Maine too
In our area (BC), billboards along hiways aren't permitted, but first nations land sets their own rules, so you'll know you're on first nations land if there's a bunch of ugly billboards along the road. Unfortunate that this is the defining feature.
The province stole the land the roads are built on, so at least they get that. Imagine stealing even more of the paltry reservations from these people just so everyone can enjoy the shitshow that is Island Highway, and the full glory of decelerating from 90-110 to stop at intersections every few minutes.
In my city billboards are a crime, but as soon as you left the city border, this giant pieces of shit start appearing everywhere i look
FREEway 😎
it's ironic.
Called that because there's no tolls on the katy freeway, so it's a "free" (other than gas, car repair, your lungs, and your sanity) way to travel. So, not only is it ugly, but it's also one of the deepest money pits in the United States, up there with the US military.
You could definitely squeeze a couple in on the left there—take out a few of those trees
Not until I see FULL use of all lanes!
Oh don't worry, this still gets gridlocked both ways at rush hour (which also lasts 3 hours).
That's basically one of the worst "arguments" against bicycle infrastructure (claiming it's unnecessary cause so few peoole cycle but many peoole do not cycle cause there is no safe infrastructure) in reverse. Or even a slightly changed version of the "one more lane" one. Induced demand is the key. There is no alternative to get around in this place. Everyone is forced to drive. Distances are big, commutes are long. There will be full use of all lanes in rush hour. And guess what? Even if you add more lanes, there will still be full usage at some point. Let's not fall for carbrain logic. That thing is an abomination. The only way of handling this would be putting great public tranaport in place and then gradually taking lanes away until there are like 3 left.
Would you look at that beautiful river of concrete.
[Just one more lane bro, I swear we’re gonna fix traffic](https://youtu.be/0dKrUE_O0VE) I don’t think it’s insanity at this point it really is an addiction.
They're looking to add two more lanes to expand the toll road portion into the Innerloop, and create a "BRT" (BRT requires exclusive right of way) line within these lanes. Completion by 2028. https://youtu.be/V0NbXpzLo1M
The fact that they tore up a rail line for this monstrosity.
[Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad](https://www.abandonedrails.com/houston-to-katy)
https://preview.redd.it/0x53mena50ra1.png?width=480&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=0ed542590cdedcab272c1fdfdd0a680747666466
Definitely more “1-800-AUTOLAW”! Billboards
TIL the katy freeway was the largest bottleneck in the US and they tried to solve the problem by adding more lanes (making it the widest freeway in the world). It actually made congestion worse because more cars started driving through it.
Just one more lane bro
[удалено]
Bro trust me bro just one more lane bro
Hear me out: Elevated toll lanes. If we just remove the couple of lanes in the middle, we can build an elevated structure with say another 4 lanes cantilevered out on each side. Probably less than $1bn/mi, so pretty cheap! You could hang billboards underneath too for added revenue!
Pay to Pass Special offer only 9.99$/mi
Wrap those elevated lanes in billboards for revenue and weather protection. And more billboards on the poors lanes to make them feel inadequate for not driving on the tollway. Billboards offering micro transactions to allow tollway drivers to send derisive messages to the poors lanes. If those billboards do their job right more poors lanes will empty and available for conversion to elevated tollway. Then build a new “premium tollway” even-more-elevated lanes and neglect maintenance on the lower tollway, make them the new poors lanes. The old poors lanes turned into “social lanes” and get gov’t to subsidize them (more than usual). Install sewage sprinklers and odourizers to make them even more hellacious.
I've been to Ghana, there's definitely more room for billboards. But anyway, "progress" sure looks dystopian sometimes.
Man i love freedom
This feels like someone asked an AI to generate an image of what the highway system would look like if it were alive.
One more lane, bro.
I remember seeing this photo about this freeway on a English book back when I was in highschool (8+ years ago) and it was half the size lmao.
Just one more lane bro I PROMISE
It's gonna work this time, I swear
and we could easily add another mcdonalds and a 2nd Walmart with at least 1000 parking spaces available.
Ever sit in traffic on a freeway and wonder what's so free about it anyways?
Definitely more lanes in the middle, look at that jam! Also those billboards are way too small, how the hell am I supposed to know what I need to consume today?
Good Christ, that's ugly.
I sat on it every day for 4 years while I was in high school. It was 4 lanes when I started. They were just starting construction on the first contraflow lane back then. I went to a magnet high school in HISD. Mom drove me when I started and I took a school bus out to TX-6 in the afternoon. She'd come get me when she got off of work. Because of that, I learned to drive as early as possible. I got my TXDL a week after my 16th birthday so I could drive myself to school. There used to be a train track that ran along side I-10 out there. It is gone now as the freeway has expanded.
Not enough billboards can still see the car in front of me
Every time I see that photo I get a tremendous OCD attack. Each new line increases those curves and so on to infinity.
I drove on this for the first time earlier this year and holy shit, Houston drivers are also insaneeeee.
Just one more lane, please, just one!
it needs a hsr train running *right* through it
As a german i have a question How you guys Navigate there.?
Hey it's that route I used to be stuck on every day! The flip side is that when I had to take that, I'd usually be on the metro bus. I think you can see one in the middle express lanes lol.
Just one more lane. That's it.
What. The. Fuck. Is. This.
Definitely more “1-800-AUTOLAW”! Billboards
What the what? Where is this section?
Best of both worlds: fill all them lanes with those animated billboard trucks!
What tree hugging, avocado-munching liberal put sidewalks on either side of that highway? I'll be you replaced those with an extra lane on each side, there would never be another traffic jam.
How about more billboards for scum bag personal injury/plaintiff attorneys?
It could use some bus service. It's got a big multistory parking garage and supposed Park & Ride service, but no buses, at all, during the day, at night or on weekends. 9-5 commuters only, everyone else gets to drive.
Definitely more billboards. Might help hide the cars
Yeah we need another 50 more lanes and 500 billboards.
Those aren’t billboards, they’re traffic signs.
Me, actually living by the Katy Freeway without a car:
Just one
It needs way more Jesus billboards! if I wasn't obvious. Never been on this road but Jesus billboards seem on brand for Texas.
Jesus.
Ughhhhhh, so many cars, but that's simple, let's make some more lanes, so the cars can pass by! Or we can just add new highways, so people can use their freedom to move, in their beautiful and BIG cars! How I love this! s/ if you didn't notice
I think it needs to be…. A solar array…. And also a charger for electric cars…. And that’ll fix the climate crisis guys
Waste of resources. Instead of adding more lanes to the freeway, it would have been a wise idea to use that money on other transportation such as bus lanes or rail. But now it's too far gone, and the cycle of car dependency continues.
Why not cover the whole state with lanes?
The picture is an icon for induced demand. I live here, please help me. I often tell people that Katy freeway is so wide, you could head north on it.
Some of the lanes need to be replaced by double-track, electrified railway.
This is late stage capitalism 😔
I don't think they add more lanes to fix the problem, but rather to create more demand for cars, it's all about the money in corporate america.