05-03-2018, 10:37 AM
(05-03-2018, 08:36 AM)plam Wrote: I heard that the mega roundabout at Ottawa and Homer Watson is still pretty scary to cross, because there are like 3 lanes of cars in each direction, so even if one lane entering the roundabout yields, you can get flattened by the subsequent lanes. Should there be a beg button controlling access to the roundabout? Is there a better solution?
I cross the roundabout by foot there on a pretty regular basis, especially now that I'm cycling again most days. I walk my bike through it on the sidewalks rather than ride on the road though.
During rush hour periods, I feel quite safe. Traffic is typically backed up enough that the cars are stopped or moving very slowly, and I can make eye contact with all the drivers. It does usually take a minute or two for everyone to figure out that a pedestrian is trying to cross, and I have no shame about standing in front of someone who has stopped until the next lane is clear.
I think now that construction has settled people are following normal conventions and it's the same as crossing at any other 2+ lane roundabout in town.
Anecdotally, there's usually another pedestrian in the pair of roundabouts, but I haven't been keeping meaningful count so that's very subject to confirmation bias. I've been surprised how many pedestrians use the system, though there has typically been a low to moderate amount of foot traffic in the area so it probably shouldn't be that surprising.
The point where I find it to be most difficult is crossing at Alpine, specifically from the Lowe's corner to the McDonald's corner, when there is a bus or truck or other large vehicle in the right lane, especially at night. I've walked back from the intersection to encourage such large vehicles to move on. I have no visibility, and I have no confidence that drivers will see a stopped vehicle and conform. Most will, but I'm not going to take that gamble.