Walking in Waterloo Region

[MidTowner]

This is yet another reason why I'm not a fan of roundabouts at busy intersections. In my opinion they work best at medium traffic intersections, where (1) a red light would be unnecessary most of the time and (2) traffic would be low enough that drivers can pay attention to pedestrians crossing...

They seemed to have become the fashionable traffic solution and be applied without due consideration of local conditions.

The problem isn't with the concept of roundabouts but rather their implementation in Waterloo Region. Roundabouts at busy intersections can be fine for pedestrians and cyclists providing they're designed to accommodate us. In Europe that means underground passageways or overhead bridges, both with ramps for those who need them. If the Region hadn't cheaped-out on this there wouldn't be an issue for pedestrians/cyclists crossing at roundabouts.

As for the "'only' an extra minute at every crossing" argument, if the intent of our transportation plans is to get more people out of cars, then how does adding those minutes to a trip encourage more people to walk/cycle instead of drive?

I couldn't agree more with your last point. A lot of lip service is given to getting people out of cars for a lot of good reasons. In practice, this goal is rarely given the priority it is in speech.

I have to point out, though, that an over- or under-pass also adds time to a trip for those forced to use it on foot or bike. I agree that these are a good solution in a lot of places where this is used. Here in Ontario, it's unlikely that most jurisdictions are going to incur those costs, and I agree with BuildingScout when he characterizes them as a "fashionable traffic solution" here. I think they're being implemented (poorly and cheaply as you say) without a lot of consideration to whether they're best for the specific task. Here in Waterloo Region, with the almost inevitability that they will not be designed to accommodate other road users, I think they should not be used at higher-volume intersections.