Roundabouts in HRM

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

There's an online survey for "Shape Your City: North Park Intersections". I filled one out and made sure to emphasize the need to balance the street between the three main modes of transportation (pedestrians, cars, and bicycles). This street is one of the few areas in HRM where all three are combined into a high-capacity corridor.

I also strongly recommended the installation of roundabouts at the intersections.

http://halifax.ca/surveys/

I made sure to tell them that moving traffic is the only thing they should worry about and to keep the bike lanes and roundabouts away.

[Dmajackson]

Halifax proposes two roundabouts for North Park Street
February 28, 2013 - 6:29am BY DAVENE JEFFREY STAFF REPORTER

Two roundabouts could be coming to Halifax’s North Park Street.

About 100 people crowded into the Olympic Community Centre on Hunter Street on Wednesday evening to hear the city’s proposal to install traffic circles at both ends of North Park Street.

The infrastructure at the two intersections is aging and needs to be replaced, transportation engineer Tanya Davis of Halifax Regional Municipality told the gathering. And city staff believe roundabouts are the way to go.

“We have done quite a bit of analysis on this and these are the preferred options, for sure,” Davis said.

The current intersections have issues beyond just age.

...

([email protected])

Read More: thechronicleherald.ca

[worldlyhaligonian]

I think it makes sense... very common in europe. We should focus on having more of a european city design for drivers and pedestrians alike.

[haligonia]

Councillor Waye Mason (it still gives me such a thrill to say that ) tweeted some of the designs last night. They looked really great!

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by haligonia

Councillor Waye Mason (it still gives me such a thrill to say that ) tweeted some of the designs last night. They looked really great!

Have a link?

[haligonia]

I can't figure out how to post Instagram pictures to the forum, but here are the links:

http://instagram.com/p/WQLNjwlLP-/
http://instagram.com/p/WQK9QAFLPs/
http://instagram.com/p/WQKqPXFLPM/

[someone123]

Roundabouts seem like a natural choice for complicated intersections with more than 2 streets. In this case the current intersections are also very run down looking, and the North Common itself could handle an overhaul.

I could see this being a nice project, but it seems like it's already been debated for years.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

I think it makes sense... very common in europe. We should focus on having more of a european city design for drivers and pedestrians alike.

This is not Europe.

The one at the Rainnie Drive/Cogswell end may make some sense. The other one at Cunard is just there because HRM is in love with the idea of roundabouts. It is a simple intersection they are trying to make complicated.

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

This is not Europe.

Why should we not look towards the best examples of city planning as inspiration?

[worldlyhaligonian]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

This is not Europe.

The one at the Rainnie Drive/Cogswell end may make some sense. The other one at Cunard is just there because HRM is in love with the idea of roundabouts. It is a simple intersection they are trying to make complicated.

I know its not Europe... but our street layout is probably as close as you will get. The Cunard one makes even more sense... its senseless waiting there.

You think waiting for a light is a good idea? Don't be a contrarian against me for the sake of it. Or would you prefer squigee kids?

Seriously, you make some good points in alot of cases, but this isn't a fad. There are about 3 similar intersections in my neighborhood in europe... and they work much better. The existing situation at both these intersections is a joke.

Europe is hands down the model for this sort of thing. You don't know what you are talking about on this one.

[Duff]

Here is one that Brett Ruskin from Global posted on Twitter.



https://twitter.com/Brett_Global/status/306719147147014144/

[gohaligo]

I went to the public information meeting. I found it to be very informative. One slight problem is that staff use room many statistics in their presentations. They peck everyone's eyes out with 30% Of this and 20% of that. Drives me crazy.
They divided the room into idea camps. Neighbours, In Favor, Bike people, walkers, Against. Etc. All groups seem to work well with active discussions. Except for the well organized Against group. About 25 or so sat in a closed grumpy looking circle and didn't engage. Very sad.
If you live in hali and want this to proceed in some forms. Get involved, write your councilor. Or this will not happen.

[Dmajackson]

That rendering looks great.

One thing I'm pleased to see is the narrowing of North Park Street. Currently the road is ridiculously wide and dangerous. The extreme width advocates high speeds and it reminds me of some roads in Downtown Calgary where they are so wide traffic is going 50km/h+ on them. In this case its also caused by the short traffic lights.

It's also good to see the parking areas on North Park and the crosswalk shortening at Cornwallis Street.

Personally I see no downfalls to this plan. It'll keep traffic flowing but at a safe speed (30-40 km/h) . It'll provide visual enhancements and safe pedestrian access to the Commons. It has bicycles in mind and it gets rid of one of the ugliest intersections in HRM. Also roundabouts provide a neat bookmark to park areas.

Also I imagine if we can get enough money we can get HRM to "accidentally" demolish the Armoury Villa building in the process.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

One thing I'm pleased to see is the narrowing of North Park Street.

Back in the 70's I think the idea was that there should ideally be highways everywhere, so they widened just about everything they could. Cogswell is another street that is way too wide in spots. It's just a waste of land given the bottlenecks all around.

Originally Posted by gohaligo

If you live in hali and want this to proceed in some forms. Get involved, write your councilor. Or this will not happen.

The rendering does look nice. I think that area has a ton of potential if a little bit of money is invested in fixing up the streets and the Commons. Most of the houses along North Park look pretty good now.

One other positive change in the area is that, if I remember correctly, the same developer who did the Vic now owns the empty lot at Robie and Pepperell and is planning to build a mid-sized building there. I think the Commons would work a little better if densities nearby were higher and there were more people out and about. Quinpool's another area that is a little shabby because it is underpopulated.

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

This is not Europe.

The one at the Rainnie Drive/Cogswell end may make some sense. The other one at Cunard is just there because HRM is in love with the idea of roundabouts. It is a simple intersection they are trying to make complicated.

I have to disagree. The Cunard intersection is ok for those of us that drive it on a regular basis. It can be quite confusing for those outside the city of Halifax. I love the way the proposal looks and it should allow for a lot more free flow of traffic in the area. I also think the "green" aspect will be improved.
It may not be Europe but Roundabouts/Traffic Circles whatever you want to call them wouldn't have been around for almost hundreds of years if they didn't serve some purpose.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Jstaleness

I have to disagree. The Cunard intersection is ok for those of us that drive it on a regular basis. It can be quite confusing for those outside the city of Halifax. I love the way the proposal looks and it should allow for a lot more free flow of traffic in the area. I also think the "green" aspect will be improved.

Narrowing streets in a rapidly growing city is senseless. The "green" aspect in HRM usually just means throwing some bike lanes which is simply a waste.

And if you think visitors from the undeveloped country are confused now, just wait until you throw back to back roundabouts at them. They will be frozen in terror.

It may not be Europe but Roundabouts/Traffic Circles whatever you want to call them wouldn't have been around for almost hundreds of years if they didn't serve some purpose.

Euroland also has many castles with moats and drawbridges over them that you don't generally see here. Maybe we should adopt those too.

[cormiermax]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Euroland also has many castles with moats and drawbridges over them that you don't generally see here. Maybe we should adopt those too.

I think we already have one of those.

[CdnEh]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Euroland also has many castles with moats and drawbridges over them that you don't generally see here. Maybe we should adopt those too.

You may have heard of it

http://goo.gl/maps/kI6fL

[Hali87]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Narrowing streets in a rapidly growing city is senseless. The "green" aspect in HRM usually just means throwing some bike lanes which is simply a waste.

And if you think visitors from the undeveloped country are confused now, just wait until you throw back to back roundabouts at them. They will be frozen in terror.



Euroland also has many castles with moats and drawbridges over them that you don't generally see here. Maybe we should adopt those too.

Well, Halifax does have moats (the Citadel and City Hall each have one, to name a couple), and almost every other major city in Canada has at least one large, castle-looking building (generally hotels, although Saint Mary's is kind of castley).

By "undeveloped country" I guess you mean "everywhere else in Canada"? It's not just bumpkins from rural NS that find that intersection confusing. As it is Halifax has one of the most confusing street networks in the country for anyone unfamiliar with the city.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Narrowing streets in a rapidly growing city is senseless. The "green" aspect in HRM usually just means throwing some bike lanes which is simply a waste.

Not if we want to have people living in the core, rather than just driving through it. Whoever said North Park is ridiculously wide is right, and its intersections are really confusing.

This whole area is awful, not just because it exemplifies the auto-centric, demolition-happy, urban-renewal type of planning that was in fashion in the 50s-70s. It's that it was also done so [I]badly[/I, even for what it was. Navigating these huge boulevards and intersections on foot is just awful, and even driving, which is what the whole thing was planned to accomodate, is really unpleasant. The sooner its fixed, the better.