Franklin Boulevard Roundabouts

[Spokes]

Franklin Boulevard Roundabouts

[Spokes]

Regional council has approved the roundabout plan for Franklin Boulevard. They will be phased in. The first phase having 3 roundabouts.

The controversial one by St. Benedict's is still being discussed.

[Canard]

Utility relocation started several months ago.

[clasher]

Are pedestrian bridges just too big and expensive of a solution for pedestrian traffic? I assume most places that have roundabouts have run into some issues like this and have come up with some solutions. I've seen tunnels in England but they are also kind of creepy at night for some people.

[Coke6pk]

IMO pedestrian bridges are a waste of money. The bridge over University Ave at UW is a great example of a needed bridge, that is rarely used. Then, since the kids cross the road anyway, the city has to add pedestrian crossing signals.

I was in high school once... I can remember how many times I walked out of my way for the "safe" crossing. [Or, how many times I saw kids crossing the train bridge to get to/from GCI when I lived in Cambridge].

[plam]

IMO pedestrian bridges are a waste of money.  The bridge over University Ave at UW is a great example of a needed bridge, that is rarely used.  Then, since the kids cross the road anyway, the city has to add pedestrian crossing signals.

I was in high school once... I can remember how many times I walked out of my way for the "safe" crossing.  [Or, how many times I saw kids crossing the train bridge to get to/from GCI when I lived in Cambridge].

Yeah, "subways" don't appear to be preferred unless it's extremely sketchy to actually cross the street (in which case there are probably other problems).

Beijing uses quite a few subways and pedestrian bridges when they have like 10 lanes of traffic. One thing that does happen is that you get a bunch of vendors in the subways.

[Markster]

IMO pedestrian bridges are a waste of money.  The bridge over University Ave at UW is a great example of a needed bridge, that is rarely used.  Then, since the kids cross the road anyway, the city has to add pedestrian crossing signals.

The University bridge is an excellent example of a terrible pedestrian bridge.  On one end, it's 50m out of the way. On the other, it feeds you into a fairly confusing level of the Engineering campus.  Not to mention that there are few destinations on that level, with most things requiring you to climb back down the stairs, which were a long climb up in the first place.

Put them where people want them, and connect them to where they want to go, and people will absolutely take them instead of waiting at a traffic light.  In Toronto, if I miss the walk signal for University Ave, I'll go through the subway underpass, because it's right there, isn't a long staircase, and saves a few minutes of waiting for the light to change.

I bet if you put in a ramp up to the University Ave bridge, that started at the railway crossing and trail, you'd see people take it more, because at least the bridge would feel closer. But frankly, traffic on University really isn't that bad, and it's easy to cross.

[Canard]

Are pedestrian bridges just too big and expensive of a solution for pedestrian traffic? I assume most places that have roundabouts have run into some issues like this and have come up with some solutions. I've seen tunnels in England but they are also kind of creepy at night for some people.

There are no pedestrians on Franklin.

[Canard]

My god. I work in this area and have avoided Franklin for the past few months, since Sheldon shut down. I decided to drive by tonight to see how things are progressing. I swear, Sheldon/Franklin looks like an atomic bomb went off. The entire area is decimated. I've never seen so much clearing. It's just a giant muddy dirt pit with 5m deep craters all over everywhere as far as the eye can see. I'm in shock!

[GtwoK]

Really? I drove by at the other night (at 3am, mind you) and it didn't seem too bad. On par with most road construction at least. I remember the roundabout at Savage drive looking particularly good, actually, considering it was half complete!

[Canard]

I guess what I mean is I've driven Franklin/Sheldon every day for 7+ years and to see the entire area chewed up/edges pushed back/mounds of dirt/just dirt as far as the eye can see was a total shock. Atomic Bomb is seriously the only thing I can think of seeing that whole area!! Not that Franklin is even remotely a pretty road to begin with...

I was also surprised to see the addition of lane separation (curbs) going in between NB and SB. So all turns will be Right-in, Right-out, which probably will dramatically help traffic flow. I guess you can do that with roundabouts, since you just go one too far and then come back, instead of turning left (even though full 360's on a roundabout is generally discouraged by the geometry/signage).

[MacBerry]

In Britain roundabouts are on the way out! The UK is quietly replacing roundabouts with traffic lights to improve traffic flow.

The UK is quietly replacing roundabouts with traffic lights. The US is doing the exact opposite. Both cite safety and traffic flow. So who is right? The Guardian - Cities

In England where the traffic circle or roundabout was first invented in 1908 there is a real shift in policy to slow down the installation of roundabouts and also to reconfigure many back to other traffic control methods.




“Roundabouts are brilliant at moving car traffic, but not a safe space for people who cycle or are crossing on foot,” says Grant, who, mindful of the emotional nature of this issue, is careful to talk of “people who cycle” and “people who drive” rather than “cyclists” and “motorists”.

Is Waterloo Region, Ontario and it's cities late to the party and installing outdated and unsafe traffic systems?

[BuildingScout]

I said it before and I'll say it again: having grown in a country where roundabouts are common, they work great for low volume intersections, not so much for high volume ones. City planners are starry eyed with the latest planning fad dropping round abouts aat a great cost all over the city, rather than doing a measured phase in. At the same time some of the best places for roundabouts are being ignored, in part because the present geometries require too large a circle.

For example, Hazel and Hickory is an ideal spot for a small roundabout.

[tomh009]

In Britain roundabouts are on the way out! The UK is quietly replacing roundabouts with traffic lights to improve traffic flow.

The UK is quietly replacing roundabouts with traffic lights. The US is doing the exact opposite. Both cite safety and traffic flow. So who is right? The Guardian - Cities

In England where the traffic circle or roundabout was first invented in 1908 there is a real shift in policy to slow down the installation of roundabouts and also to reconfigure many back to other traffic control methods.  (...)

Is Waterloo Region, Ontario and it's cities late to the party and installing outdated and unsafe traffic systems?

MacBerry, it's an interesting article, and much food for thought.  But it's a huge exaggeration to say that roundabouts are on their way out in the UK.  More are being added, while some are being changed to traffic lights, and yet others adapted to Dutch-style roundabouts with separate bicycle lanes. 

It's all about choosing the right tools for the job.  Waterloo Region isn't putting roundabouts at every intersection, either, but it's one of the tools in their toolbox, for intersections where they make sense.

[Canard]

City planners are starry eyed with the latest planning fad dropping round abouts aat a great cost all over the city, rather than doing a measured phase in.

I would like to see proof that this is what is happening or that this is why roundabouts were selected for Waterloo Region. I am sure that there are dozens of engineers and planners who have done hard data and aren't just sitting around getting all hot and heavy reading "Roundabouts Weekly".