Have a look at the industry providing roadway, cycling and pedestrian facilities. Gain insight into how things work and how things can fall off the rails.
I am Robert Gilchrist, an engineer with a background in transportation planning, transportation and traffic engineering and forensics. Over the course of fifty years of practice, I have observed how knowledge is expanded, used, forgotten, and neglected. I have observed how trends develop, become mainstream, and fade from the scene. I have observed great accomplishments and dramatic failures.
I want to share with others how I see the relationship between the engineers and other individuals of the industry providing services for system users of our transportation right-of-ways. The Transportation Right of Way is about how some people are well taken care of in their use of facilities, while others may be ignored or left out completely. It is about how travel authorities can transfer portions of the cost of facilities to those using them by inadvertent or intentional means.
The book discusses how things can go wrong throughout the life-cycle of facilities. There can be errors or poor judgement in establishing how system users will be served as well as in the design, construction, operations, or the maintenance of facilities as shown in Exhibit 1. The book explores how human failings and incidents of poor judgement typically applied to system users, also applies to those providing facilities. After all, we are all human and subject to indiscretion.
This book will be of interest to lawyers on both sides of the court room, engineers looking for due diligence, and educators attempting to instill ethics and competence in their students. However, the material is also relevant to system users of any type in revealing to them why things may be such as they are or should not be as they are.
Over a lengthy practice of engagement with the industry, I experienced and continue to experience a fascinating journey of discovery and learning about people and technology. While the industry generally performs in the best interests of the system users, there is an array of gaps and traps generated over the life of a facility that can entrap users. As a result, people can be injured through no fault of their own.
To learn more about the wherefore and the why, check out the author and gain some insight into The Transportation Right of Way.
In the site postings, I discuss background information related to elements of our ground transportation system. Some relate to the general provision of faculties while other relate to location specific conditions. Welcome and have a look around.
The Closure The road closure of Old Dundas Old Ancaster (ODOA) Road was completed in 2026 by placing concrete barriers that obstruct access to Wilson
The following is partial list of infrastructure issues in Ancaster Ontario Key Points of 15-year Lifecycle of 758 Speed Humps, Cushions, and Tables (2024) An
Many people assume technical assessments provide unbiased data-driven evaluations. However, they often require subjective inputs or the subjective selection of data. This allows the evaluation
It us hard to imagine what would have led to this installation. I prefer to think that the people installing the fence did not bother
Speed humps, cushions and tables can be effective in reducing pedestrian collisions by 20 to 50 percent when they are properly planned, located, designed, constructed,
The Current Narrative The current City narrative of Hamilton for these roadways is a construct that runs contrary to their historical importance and commonly accepted
Explore the issues, examples, and insights that shaped this work in The Transportation Right of Way.