Roundabout at Longwood and Aberdeen: What do you think?
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...t-do-you-think
The city wants the west end to go round and round.
Staff are conducting an environmental assessment of the long-term needs of a busy segment of Longwood Road and one of the preferred options is a traffic roundabout at Longwood and Aberdeen Avenue.
The study is looking to solve traffic congestion issues in the area as well as provide safer access for pedestrians and cyclists coming through the developing district around McMaster Innovation Park.
In a 2006 traffic management plan for the area, the city recommended a four-lane cross-section for the road, bicycle lanes and sidewalks on both sides, and a three-lane cross-section for the Longwood Bridge over Highway 403.
It also proposed the roundabout, but the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) did not support the idea. The MTO has since come on board after city staff used micro-simulations of the traffic design to show a circle would work, said Lorissa Skrypniak, senior project manager of transportation planning.
“People are leery (about roundabouts) because it’s a learning process, but (it’s about) just getting the education out there that they are a good thing to have,” Skrypniak said.
“It’s not necessarily faster, but it keeps the traffic moving. If you go there today during rush hour, it’s quite backed-up to make the left turn onto Longwood. So this is to help alleviate that.”
The study area of Longwood stretches from Main Street West to Aberdeen.
While the city is also considering a conventional intersection at the site, the roundabout is preferred, Skrypniak said.
Councillor Brian McHattie said he has mixed feelings about the proposed traffic design. “I think it’s fairly good for cars — perhaps not as good for pedestrians or cyclists, which I tend to emphasize over cars,” he said. “I’m not 100 per cent sold on it.”
McHattie said he likes the idea from an environmental perspective because it would mean cars idle less, cutting down on air pollution, but he wants more answers regarding how pedestrians would cross safely.
The other benefit would be relieving the high volume of traffic at the intersection, he said, noting cars turning into Westdale from Aberdeen are stalled by vehicles going onto the 403.
Mary Lou Reiman, vice-president of the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association, said the group plans to send a representative to the public information centre and is adding the issue to its agenda.
“I think the feelings in our brief discussion were mixed,” she said. “Some people were thinking a roundabout might not be bad idea; others were thinking (there may be) dangers.”
There are six “modern roundabouts” that have been built in Hamilton since 2002 and 35 circles on residential roadways built prior to them, said Ron Gallo, the city’s senior project manager of signals and system.
The modern roundabouts must fall into specific design requirements and give the right of way to drivers in the roundabout, Gallo said. Older circles gave the right of way to those entering the roundabouts, which has caused congestion, he noted.
Current roundabouts are built with the deflection of the road entering the roundabout in mind as well as the alignment of the entering roadway, Gallo said.
“Initially, what we find is that residents who are not familiar with roundabouts tend to be concerned about how safe they are,” he said. “After they’re constructed … they realize that they work much safer.”
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