Transportation things I wish we had in the US

After spending over two weeks in the Netherlands, I feel like I have an adequate understanding of the transportation network.  The following three were interesting to me along the trip!

1.  Unique Intersection Treatments

Rabbits and girls with ponytails in the pedestrian signal head, or rainbow colored pedestrian striping would never be allowed in the US without special exception but these treatments put a smile on us transportation nerds faces as well as all the other people using this intersection.

2. Wait Time Count Down Pedestrian Head
This is a treatment that could be easily implemented in the US.  "Wacht" means wait in Dutch and the white LED lights surrounding the "Wacht" give the pedestrian some indication of how much time they need to wait.  Letting the pedestrians know when they are getting the go ahead to cross the street could cut down on people illegally crossing the street.  This treatment would work well at pre-timed signals where all the signal timing is set ahead of time.  Our group mainly saw these in urban cores where there were a lot of pedestrians and the signals are probably pre-timed.

3.  Two-way Cycle Tracks

I know these exist in the US, but I wish there were more.   The two way cycle tracks are less stressful to use than bike lanes, especially if the auto's speed limit is over 30 mph.  I enjoyed using them as well as our group.  The two-way cycle track gives cyclists the flexibility to ride side by side if there isn't oncoming bikes, and  .  Proper intersection design ensures cyclists safety when crossing opposing traffic streams.  I hope to incorporate them in my street designs in my career.