(4) Comments
ShareOver the last couple of years Waterloo region has been adding a number of roundabouts to our local road network. They've been the subject of many debates as people came to understand more about them and learn how to use them. I'd like to state for the record that I love roundabouts.
It's sad but true: people don't stop at stop signs any more. The rolling stop is all too common and in places like my neighbourhood, some cars don't even bother to slow down when going straight through a T intersection.
I live in the Northlake Area of Waterloo and the City has recently undertaken to do a traffic calming study in my area because the problem is getting out of hand here. I've been diligently reading the notices and results that show up in my mailbox and hope to attend the meeting on June 18th.
I think the biggest problem is that Northlake Drive is a "ring road". Our neighbourhood is contained by Weber, Benjamin, Westmount and Northfield. Inside that box is Northlake Drive and it circles just inside the perimeter connecting all of our residential streets to the rest of the city. The ring road concept has created a nice sense of community (with the help of Northlake Woods public school at its center), but it is treated as a major city street rather than a residential one. What we gained in community we lost in safety.
One of the proposed solutions to the "oops I forgot that stop sign was there" problem is to alter some of the intersections by converting them into mini roundabouts. My understanding is that by forcing drivers to deviate from the straight line by passing through a roundabout they'll be forced to become more aware of their surroundings and slow down.
I think this is a great idea. Not only does it cater to the ingrained habits of many drivers (myself grudgingly included) but it should also calm the traffic to a much safer level.
I feel for my neighbours who will have to endure construction in front of their houses-- since they already liveon busy intersections --but I thank them for the sacrifice they make for our community's safety.
Until then, I'd like to beg anyone who lives anywhere where children play in the streets to slow down and obey the speed limits. In an accident, it could be the difference between fatally injuring a child (or adult) and only minor scraps and bruises.
What do you think? Please comment on this article.
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Cameron Turner is a husband, father and freelance writer. He should ride his bike more than he does.
1. LaraP ( 1 year ago )
I do agree that roundabouts seem to even the flow of car - that is, if people understand how they work... I have seen many near-misses on the roundabout that is on the intersection of Erb Street West and West Hill Drive as people don't respect - or don't understand - the priority rules.
I actually have a funny story about roundabouts. Back in France, I had a friend whose father was the mayor of a community similar in size to ours. He - my friend - explained to me that roundabouts are well known, in the public sector, as a way to measure the level of corruption of a city: a roundabout varies greatly in price. Their size, the degree of elaboration of the landscaping and decorating done in their center vary greatly and can make the price fluctuate a lot. It is then a very easy way for cities and contractors to inflate the overall contract price and have some of the money go under the table, to "arroser" (illegally pay) one person or another. I am sure that this side of the Atlantic is totally exempt from such practices :-), and hope that the parallel drawn with a country that was once a coloniser of these lands will have amused you!
2. Rob D ( 1 year ago )
One of the intersections in the area that was converted to a roundabout is at Fountain and Blair streets in Cambridge. I commuted for several years along that route, which previously was a T-intersection. Blair terminates at Fountain, and the had to stop and turn.
Before the roundabout was built, there were accidents at that intersection on a regular basis, if not monthly then certainly bimonthly. People turning left from Blair onto Fountain had poor visibility and were merging onto a road with cars regularly traveling at 70km/h.
Even without accidents, traffic would back up significantly on Blair street and traffic on Fountain street was frequently affected by those turning onto the street. When there was an accident, traffic would back up in both directions. To the Eest affecting the 401/Homer-Watson interchange which was already a busy enough intersection in its own right. To the East, as far as Shantz Hill, which is also a heavily trafficked intersection.
Since the roundabout was put in place (I don\'t recall exactly when, towards the end of last summer or so if I recall correctly) I have not seen a single accident and the general flow of traffic works much better. In fairness, absence of observation is not evidence of absence but while I was commuting along that stretch the roundabout improved my trip dramatically.
3. CamTurner ( 1 year ago )
Lara, I never knew that little factoid about the volume roundabouts being a measure of corruption in a city (in France). I hope it\'s untrue here with our new mayoral leadership, but it\'s an interesting idea none the less.
4. adam C ( 1 year ago )
I LOVE roundabouts and I hope that we continue to follow the example of Europe and increase their use here. Why? Here's why....
They keep traffic moving. This keeps driver frustration low and increases safety dramatically. Think about it...why do people run red lights?...because they know that if they don't they will get stuck sitting at the light for about 2-5 minutes waiting for their turn to go. At roundabouts nobody has to stop. People go through on a first come-first served basis. The only stopping you may have to do is a brief pause to yield to somebody that is already in the roundabout. Traffic keeps flowing, ridiculous backups at lights are eliminated and nobody gets upset at having to sit for minutes at a time at lights while they watch other cars drive by that actually got to the intersection long after they did! Roundabouts also eliminate that unnecessary waste of time that we all go through when we sit at lights late at night waiting for them to change while there is absolutely no traffic in sight in either direction. Anybody ever been down Hespeler Rd in Cambridge during rush hour? In my opinion traffic lights are the cause...replace them with roundabouts and see how much faster the traffic will flow. That was a good rant...thank you :)