Bohmte - so boompty!

Did y'all hear about this on the news this weekend? I thought this was a really cool example of true innovation at work.

Story here from USA Today:


"German town yields to equality, removes all traffic lights

On the very off chance you find yourself in the western German town of Bohmte tomorrow, be sure to look all ways, several times, before crossing an intersection — whether on foot or behind the wheel.

In what may sound like a counterintuitive move to improve traffic safety and promote pedestrian equality, all traffic lights and stop signs are being removed from the center of town, beginning tomorrow, Reuters writes. That means cars - 13,500 a day - and walkers will have equal right of way, a concept known as "shared space."

"Traffic will no longer be dominant," said Mayor Klaus Goedejohann.

How much to ditch the signals? $1.66 million, half of which the European Union will pay."

They aren't just removing all traffic signs; they are actually removing all sidewalks so that the road and the sidewalk are one common shared space. Seems like a metaphor to me...!