Highways in Canada - Page 130

Trevor3 · #**2581** Posted **May 14, 2014, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

The proposed roundabout for Karwood Drive at Kenmount Road.

It's going to have a camera in the middle live streaming on Comedy Central's website.

I give it a week before a yellow line gets painted through the middle and it just becomes a circular road with awkward left turns.

1overcosc · #**2582** Posted **May 15, 2014, 2:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor3

I give it a week before a yellow line gets painted through the middle and it just becomes a circular road with awkward left turns.

... does NL have something against roundabouts?

They've become much more common in Ontario in recent years, and they generally work really well.

Innsertnamehere · #**2583** Posted **May 15, 2014, 2:42 AM**

People need to know how to use them. They are getting common enough in Ontario now that I would say that most people know how to use them, but 5 years ago it was a bit hectic in the first few that started to pop up. I remember seeing people going the wrong way in them, driving straight over the median, coming to complete stops at the yield sign, not signalling, signalling the wrong way, trying to pass in the 2 lane ones, etc. Especially for brand new roundabouts, its usually quite hectic and needs to be approached cautiously. even the one near where I live which has been open for, maybe, 3 years now still has issues with people signalling properly.

1overcosc · #**2584** Posted **May 15, 2014, 2:45 AM**

The big problems with roundabout usage in Ontario are:
1) People don't signal
2) Lots of people treat them like 4-way stops
3) Lots of people are nice and let people on--which throws off the whole flow of traffic through it
But these problems will definitely go away over time. As you've said, they've already started going away.

Driving over the median, I haven't seen. Does that actually happen? That's pretty bad. All the roundabouts I've driven through (which, given how rarely I drive, isn't that many...) all have strong enough barriers on the islands that I would feel sorry for the poor schmuck who drives through it....

1overcosc · #**2585** Posted **May 15, 2014, 2:49 AM**

In Kingston, the city recently adopted a code to determine when an intersection should be built as a roundabout vs. a standard intersection, that the city must follow whenever a road is reconstructed.

They determined that roundabouts were desired at intersections where there exists a time period (regardless of whether its AM or PM) when the majority of traffic is turning left, as long as sufficient space exists to build one.

Innsertnamehere · #**2586** Posted **May 15, 2014, 2:51 AM**

There are a few smaller ones with simply an apron for the median (all roundabouts have an "apron", or some sort of area off of the curb designed to be used by trucks due to their wider turning radii) as the apron needs to be a certain width and when the median is small enough, it means you get nothing but a slightly raised curb with some interlocking brick or something, primo stuff to be driven right over.

Architype · #**2587** Posted **May 15, 2014, 3:22 AM**

Re: Roundabouts - seriously, how much intelligence do people think it takes to figure out how to use a roundabout?

waterloowarrior · #**2588** Posted **May 15, 2014, 4:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

The big problems with roundabout usage in Ontario are:
1) People don't signal
2) Lots of people treat them like 4-way stops
3) Lots of people are nice and let people on--which throws off the whole flow of traffic through it
But these problems will definitely go away over time. As you've said, they've already started going away.

Driving over the median, I haven't seen. Does that actually happen? That's pretty bad. All the roundabouts I've driven through (which, given how rarely I drive, isn't that many...) all have strong enough barriers on the islands that I would feel sorry for the poor schmuck who drives through it....

Also in two lane roundabouts there are many drivers who can't choose the correct lane properly.

Another big problem is that the drivers handbook and Highway Traffic Act don't really address pedestrians and roundabouts, so some municipalities interpretation is that drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing, others say drivers have the right of way and pedestrians have to wait for a gap in traffic.

e.g. Region of Waterloo - Yield to pedestrians
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/gettingaround/roundabouts.asp

City of Ottawa "Watch" for pedestrians
http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/traffic/how-use-roundabout

jmt18325 · #**2589** Posted **May 15, 2014, 4:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Architype

Re: Roundabouts - seriously, how much intelligence do people think it takes to figure out how to use a roundabout?

My truck doesn't fit through some of the new traffic circles in Winnipeg.

SignalHillHiker · #**2590** Posted **May 15, 2014, 4:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

... does NL have something against roundabouts?

They've become much more common in Ontario in recent years, and they generally work really well.

People seem to think they need to be about the size of a football field per lane of traffic in order to function.

The smaller ones... everyone just ignores it and opposing directions pass each other on one side of it. Unless it is paved in the middle (as opposed to landscaped), then they just drive right through it.

People here react poorly to traffic changes. They even chop down stop signs the city puts up new.

And one thing that makes tourists easy to identify:

If there's room, you make a left-turning lane. It often won't be painted or indicated... but if you're on a two-lane street and pull up to a red light in the middle of that lane, chances are you're blocking people who want to form a left-turning lane and a through-lane.

Here's a good example - it actually USED to have the lines painted. Look closely and you can see a turn arrow. That's not a mandatory left turn. This intersection has three lanes.

ssiguy · #**2591** Posted **May 15, 2014, 4:56 AM**

Roundabout's are becoming quite common in BC and BC has done an excellent job of making them attractive with the circles having statues of beautiful flowers and greenery. BC has turned their once monotonous stop signs into a very inviting and efficient roundabouts.

Roundabout don't scare me, what scares me is that some people don't know how to use them. Anybody who can't figure out a roundabout shouldn't be driving.

Trevor3 · #**2592** Posted **May 15, 2014, 2:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

... does NL have something against roundabouts?

They've become much more common in Ontario in recent years, and they generally work really well.

There is one in St. John's that city council is considering removing. To the best of my knowledge, and many travels around the island, that is the only one in the province. I myself am guilty of treating it like an inconvenient pole in the middle of an intersection, plowing straight through. In my defence, it was the first time I ever encountered a roundabout in person and had no idea it was supposed to be a roundabout.

I think there was another planned up around Stavanger drive in the power centre expansion but I have no idea if that was built or not.

And most towns outside the city want to have traffic lights as a status symbol or something. St. Anthony has a traffic light, Deer Lake does not. St. Anthony will chirp Deer Lake over its traffic light.

vid · #**2593** Posted **May 17, 2014, 12:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmt18325

My truck doesn't fit through some of the new traffic circles in Winnipeg.

Travesty.

I recently found out from someone in the city's transit department that Thunder Bay will be getting roundabouts soon. There was a policy against them for a while because of concerns over local drivers' ability to navigate them.

We put curb extensions on one street and dozens of people drove over them, a few people wrecked their vehicles. The city had to put reflective barriers on them to prevent additional incidents. We also have a problem with people driving through red lights at pedestrian crossings, with the most common excuse being "I didn't know the light was there", which makes me wonder how those people survive driving in other cities without advance knowledge of where all the traffic lights are located. We've had a few people get run over by turning left onto a cross-street at a level intersection with off-ramps. They think that if you miss the off-ramp, you can still turn left when you get to the actual street.

The scariest, though, and I think anywhere in Ontario will have this problem, is the people in through lanes who start driving when the left turn green lights come on.

swimmer_spe · #**2594** Posted **May 17, 2014, 3:51 AM**

The bigger problem is the general driving habits.

Whether it be roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, speed limits, parking, etc, many drivers do not know what do do, and they are a danger.

I would love to see a mandatory written and road test every time you renew a license. Fail, and you loose your current level (ie, drop down to the various beginner levels).

Most provinces have 5 year licenses.

For the added cost, put it on us drivers. Driving is a privileged, not a right.

ssiguy · #**2595** Posted **May 17, 2014, 4:45 AM**

Long ways from when I got my license. I got mine in 1981 and I got my beginners on my birthday and full license the next day and that was it.

north 42 · #**2596** Posted **May 17, 2014, 3:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Long ways from when I got my license. I got mine in 1981 and I got my beginners on my birthday and full license the next day and that was it.

Ha ha, same here, even same year as you.

haljackey · #**2597** Posted **May 17, 2014, 3:27 PM**

Some of my SimCity 4 creations inspired by Canadian (err... Ontario) highways.

401-403-410
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Haljackey/401/40140341023.jpg

401-Wellington Road
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Haljackey/Fishing/mvfvdfdvmmfkdvf.jpg

401-402
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Haljackey/Fishing/bkygw.jpg

403-407ETR-QEW
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Haljackey/Interchange/final.png

403-407ETR
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Haljackey/Interchange/drawing-2.png

401-Basketweave
http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Haljackey/Interchange/drawingff-4.png

1overcosc · #**2598** Posted **May 19, 2014, 2:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

Travesty.

I recently found out from someone in the city's transit department that Thunder Bay will be getting roundabouts soon. There was a policy against them for a while because of concerns over local drivers' ability to navigate them.

We put curb extensions on one street and dozens of people drove over them, a few people wrecked their vehicles. The city had to put reflective barriers on them to prevent additional incidents. We also have a problem with people driving through red lights at pedestrian crossings, with the most common excuse being "I didn't know the light was there", which makes me wonder how those people survive driving in other cities without advance knowledge of where all the traffic lights are located. We've had a few people get run over by turning left onto a cross-street at a level intersection with off-ramps. They think that if you miss the off-ramp, you can still turn left when you get to the actual street.

The scariest, though, and I think anywhere in Ontario will have this problem, is the people in through lanes who start driving when the left turn green lights come on.

Interesting. We don't have those problems in Kingston or Ottawa. People here are very courteous to pedestrians.

vid · #**2599** Posted **May 19, 2014, 3:07 AM**

Lucky.

Innsertnamehere · #**2600** Posted **May 19, 2014, 2:36 PM**

Tender for widening the 410 has gone out:

https://www.raqs.merx.com/public/bulletin/contractView.jsf?id=24855601

The highway will go from a 6 lane highway to an 8 + 2 HOV.