Tips/Techniques Urban and traffic planning

[Bandit]

Man, the traffic here in Vulcan is killer at rush hour, 4 way stops with a car on each is murder. Everyone waits for the other to go. May as well forget it if someone's at the cross walk too. Boy, 4 cars on a street, wow!

 

[Greywynd]

I was supposed to be heading to Winnipeg this weekend, to pick up my new to me bandsaw/cut off saw. With 15-25 cms forecast for most of the trek, it’s getting postponed. It’s 1100 kms each way, I don’t need the hassle of a snowstorm to drive through.

 

[140mower]

I was supposed to be heading to Winnipeg this weekend, to pick up my new to me bandsaw/cut off saw. With 15-25 cms forecast for most of the trek, it’s getting postponed. It’s 1100 kms each way, I don’t need the hassle of a snowstorm to drive through.

But, but, but......... You're gunna have plenty of weight in the back on the way home.....
Isn't that always the way? Get a new toy and mother nature kicks a guy in the nuts.....
I guess that you will just have to hang around here with us this weekend and try again on another....

 

[eotrfish]

Man, the traffic here in Vulcan is killer at rush hour, 4 way stops with a car on each is murder.

That’s nothing - you should have seen in ‘60 before they installed the 4way stop.

 

[JustaDB]

Man, the traffic here in Vulcan is killer at rush hour, 4 way stops with a car on each is murder. Everyone waits for the other to go. May as well forget it if someone's at the cross walk too. Boy, 4 cars on a street, wow!

Right? And don't even mention the traffic when the craft beer place opens every day!

 

[PaulL]

From Kitchener-Cambridge to the East Side of Toronto, traffic is the busiest in North America.

I did not enjoy my two years in Kitchener, late last decade. The inability to go east, or return from there, in any sort of decent time was certainly part of it.
Keep your highways.

 

[Greywynd]

But, but, but......... You're gunna have plenty of weight in the back on the way home.....
Isn't that always the way? Get a new toy and mother nature kicks a guy in the nuts.....
I guess that you will just have to hang around here with us this weekend and try again on another....

Actually it means I have more time to totally re-arrange the shop to fit it in….and also to work on some house reno’s.

 

[Bandit]

No the craft beer joint not a problem, that traffic is all parked. Just that puts more then 4 cars on the road, (the sides). There's 2, 4 ways in a row on main, some days a bit much!!

 

[ChazzC]

Man, the traffic here in Vulcan is killer at rush hour, 4 way stops with a car on each is murder.

And traffic circles are better?

 

[Dabbler]

And traffic circles are better?

oh, yes. far better.

1) they eliminate the possibility of a t-bone accident (all too common).
2) the capacity for the intersection to handle traffic flow is about 40% higher.
3) saves a little on gas for each car - with many cars, it adds up.
4) eliminates the ignominy of sitting at 11pm at a red light with no traffic in sight
5) In our municipality, it is about 25% cheaper than installing and operating a traffic light.
6) it calms traffic speeds in residential areas

 

[Doggggboy]

And traffic circles are better?

When we first arrived in New Zealand, I asked a local how to navigate a traffic circle. He looked at me like I had asked how to pour piss out of a boot.
At least for a single lane circle, if you're on the circle you have the right of way.
If you're trying to enter the circle, yield.
Done

 

[jcdammeyer]

When we first arrived in New Zealand, I asked a local how to navigate a traffic circle. He looked at me like I had asked how to pour piss out of a boot.
At least for a single lane circle, if you're on the circle you have the right of way.
If you're trying to enter the circle, yield.
Done

For a while Edmonton was the only place in Canada that still had traffic circles. Eventually they got rid of some and installed lights. Now I think they are making a comeback. So when we went to the UK in 77 driving on the wrong side with traffic circles was easy.
The traffic circle that was hard to get into and out of was the one in Paris. Not recommended.

 

[Dabbler]

The traffic circle that was hard to get into and out of was the one in Paris.

The circle around the Triumphal Arch is around 12 lanes: madness!! AND there are no lines, ether! I crossed it in the daytime as a pedestrian (I didn't know about the tunnel) and it was a horror show.

 

[jcdammeyer]

The circle around the Triumphal Arch is around 12 lanes: madness!! AND there are no lines, ether! I crossed it in the daytime as a pedestrian (I didn't know about the tunnel) and it was a horror show.

And apparently we didn't have the right of way to leave like in the UK or Canada. Probably why on the movie "European Vacation" they drove around it for hours.

 

[DavidR8]

I went to Paris in 2013 and only recently was I able to extricate myself from the Arc de Triomphe traffic circle.

 

[Doggggboy]

I went to Paris in 2013 and only recently was I able to extricate myself from the Arc de Triomphe traffic circle.

Mon Dieu!
Merde!

 

[Tom O]

I went to Paris in 2013 and only recently was I able to extricate myself from the Arc de Triomphe traffic circle.

Remember the big traffic circle at Hillside & Douglas in Victoria?

 

[DavidR8]

Remember the big traffic circle at Hillside & Douglas in Victoria?

Yup sure do

 

[Tom O]

The revolution in traffic

Fast-changing city sought a remedy for congestion: more roads, traffic lights and even roundabouts

www.timescolonist.com

The complex intersection of Hillside, Government Street, Douglas and Gorge Road had changed little since Joseph Heywood installed a fountain and a horse trough there in 1885.

Heywood's fountain and trough had been replaced by Maurice Humber in 1937, to celebrate the city's 75th anniversary, but traffic was still snarled where all those streets came together.

The Colonist argued that "the only remedy for this particularly bad crossroads appears to be a continental-type roundabout." City council decided to create a roundabout on a trial basis.

The roundabout went into operation in March 1950, and two months later, council decided to make it permanent.

Permanent, in this case, lasted 13 years. Pressure to replace the roundabout, known as Fountain Circle, started almost as soon as it was installed. By 1963, the roundabout was gone, replaced by the system of rotating signals that is still in use today - one that's similar to a design rejected by council when the roundabout was approved.

 

[Susquatch]

oh, yes. far better.

You can't have really been in an eastern traffic circle in rush hour.......

1) they eliminate the possibility of a t-bone accident (all too common).

Not really. Too many idiots don't know how to use a traffic circle and ram right into a car in the circle.

2) the capacity for the intersection to handle traffic flow is about 40% higher.

I agree. But only if you keep the idiots off of it. NAs have no idea how to use a circle. They plug it up sitting there or nudging in and often get into fender benders that plug it up for days.

3) saves a little on gas for each car - with many cars, it adds up.

Again, only if used properly. The majority around here have no clue. They go around and around for 6 months wasting gas.

4) eliminates the ignominy of sitting at 11pm at a red light with no traffic in sight

OK, I'll give you that one. Of course, that assumes you don't have to wait for hours for an idiot too afraid to enter the circle.

5) In our municipality, it is about 25% cheaper than installing and operating a traffic light.

In our municipality, everything road related is 100x over budget and long past schedule.

6) it calms traffic speeds in residential areas

Unless everyone is as nuts as Ontarians are. They plug up the circle and lean on their horns just they do in India.

Nothing calm about a traffic circle in Ontario......

So, to be honest, I agree with all your points. The potential is there! Too bad so many Ontario drivers have no idea how to use a traffic circle. 50% are afraid of them, 25% are way too aggressive and deliberately block out on-comers, 15% don't know how to exit once they get in, and only 1 in 10 has a clue.

My darling bride is part of the 50%. She turns to frozen salt if there is anyone else within eyesight of the circle. She is mortified of becoming a problem and therefore she is.

I learned to love traffic circles overseas, and I celebrated their arrival here. But now I wish we never tried them cuz drivers here are too clueless. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!

Hey @Perry, it took me less than one day to use it! Thank you again!