An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and the object in motion wants to stay in motion. Thank you, Mr. Newton. Additionally, inertia is the tendency of an object in motion to resist change in its state of motion.
Thus, it requires more energy for a vehicle to become in motion, it's common knowledge we burn more fuel / energy in city driving than highway driving.
As the world waits for gradual adoption of cleaner "greener" vehicles, there is something we can do right now, today, to reduce fuel / energy burn. The immediate answer is practice the conservation of momentum. Not everyone would participate in driving habit modification, but what if there was a simple action with multiple benefits and low costs?
Is it possible that stop signs, especially the frivolous kind, could be replaced in select areas with yield signs, or maybe no sign at all? Maybe there are also aesthetic and subjective benefits. I've observed many sidewalks and intersections over crowed with sign posts, anyone else ever notice this? I can also think of the people I know who would enjoy the benefits of continuous motion. If you've experienced the enjoyment of driving in rural areas, I'm sure you can relate as well.
If stop sign removal seems altogether too extreme, perhaps a "slow to 5 or 10mph upon approach and entry to intersection" for traffic traveling 2 of the 4 directions of an intersection would suffice?
The inherent issue about pedestrian crossing can be addressed and remedied through common sense and personal responsibility. I'll save my opinions on our government's encouragement of diminishing value for both common sense and personal responsibility.
In areas with no pedestrian traffic, the non-installation or substitution of traffic lights with rotaries aka round-a-bout's can contribute to conservation of momentum. Additional benefits may include reduced operational costs for maintenance & repair, reduced set up and purchase price of signal equipment, more.
These are simple changes we can enact today. There is no technology investment required.
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