WTF is up with all these traffic circles?

Can someone please explain to me what the point is to all the traffic circles popping up around River Heights/Crescentwood and god knows how many other parts of the city? I don't follow the logic of turning random two-way stop controlled intersections in quiet residential neighbourhoods into "traffic circles". I use the term loosely as it's not even a true traffic circle, just the same intersection with a HUGE round obstacle in the middle of it for no apparent reason.

I could see the value in turning some intersections that actually have some traffic control issues into large traffic circles (like Confusion Corner), but residential streets? WTF? Couldn't that money be better spent elsewhere?

yes grumpyrom it could indeed be spent better somewhere else.

or more to the point, not spent at all.

These traffic circles are all part of the Active Transportation network and are "designed" to increase traffic flow.. more specifically they are designed so that bicycle users dont have to stop. The money is being spent because it is only available until February 2011. Ridiculous, idiotic, not well planned, unsafe, expensive, uncommunicated terrible terrible ideas being forced on us.

its obvious its time to stop, rethink and do this properly if at all. There is only one tax payer after all, but some people in council seem to forget that.

Traffic circles are a citys answer to crop circles, but for Cities!

They call them traffic calming measures. They will end up being very costly when snow removal is added in. Then there will be the traffic accidents because as grumpyrom suggested these are not true traffic circles.

To navigate them Winnipeggers will a) not stop at all and b) stop in all directions and become traffic plugging measures.

The city planners and people like orlikow and gerbasi should be ashamed of themselves.

Is most of this work being done in Orlikow and Gerbasi wards?

I live in Orlikows ward but not in the river heights area where these things are being put in. I used to go down Assinboine every day but not now

I encountered one in Bridgwater (the new development) a few weeks back. It was hard to even see where to go - partly because the inside of the traffic circle was barely raised above the road and it was paved with the same cobblestone that the road was. It really did look like a round speed bump. At least have some contrast going on in there!!

Plus these newer developments often have houses that look so similar, the visual cues about when to turn off the traffic circle are less prominent. I almost went around twice because all the turnoffs looked identical in my peripheral vision (I have to pay close attention to the road in order to steer and not get into collisions, that's me.)

Roundabouts work well at busy intersections that have traffic lights, where they can improve flow at cost reduction. Not sure how they work for AT.

make it so bikes dont have to stop.

and thats about it.

The roundabouts do a fine job at smoothing traffic, although they don't take into consideration pedestrian crossings
It sounds like they've been put up as an experiment, just to see if they're worth anything. Maybe they should have put them up at 4-way stops, as those intersections would be the easiest to get used to.
Also, as long as you put up the right yield signs!
They also make it easier to turn back onto the same street when needed, or like when you had to turn left and had to wait years before you could, with the roundabout, you just enter the circle and exit onto the correct street.
If all the streets look similar, then they'll have to put up bigger street name signs and also round out the entrances and exits.
As I said earlier, pedestrian crossings are taboo for roundabouts... The only way out of this problem is to move the crossings further away from them and/or construct these roundabouts at intersections where there is very little, if any, pedestrian activity.

Wait until the city planners discover the red light speeding sensors and cameras. Then you'll have alot to rant about, but they do work. They're usually put up near schools or parks. They're set at the desired speed limit, and if you come towards the (normally green) traffic light at a greater speed, the light turns yellow then red, like a normal traffic light. If you don't stop, and you run the red light, a camera takes a picture of your vehicle and license plate. If you drive within the limit, the light remains green.




So, if you don't want to stop, you go slow, however, if the guy behind you is an *ss, then speed up a bit and you'll both stop at the red.

Deank wrote:yes grumpyrom it could indeed be spent better somewhere else.

or more to the point, not spent at all.

These traffic circles are all part of the Active Transportation network and are "designed" to increase traffic flow.. more specifically they are designed so that bicycle users dont have to stop. The money is being spent because it is only available until February 2011. Ridiculous, idiotic, not well planned, unsafe, expensive, uncommunicated terrible terrible ideas being forced on us.

its obvious its time to stop, rethink and do this properly if at all. There is only one tax payer after all, but some people in council seem to forget that.

I can't speak for all neighbourhood's, but in River Heights/Crescentwood if bicyclists don't want to stop at 2-way stops all they have to do is go one block over. The streets alternate every 2nd block with the 2-way stops being N/S and E/W at every other intersection, so if your going N/S just pick a street that has all the 2-way stops E/W.

I don't see any point in changing intersections to appease 0.5% of the population that actually benefit from these changes. Nevermind that it negatively impacts the other 99.5% who now have to deal with these obstacles and the clueless drivers who have no idea how to deal with something new.

Besides, most cyclists don't stop anyways so what's the point?

"don't see any point in changing intersections to appease 0.5% of the population that actually benefit from these changes"

I believe you are being to generous. your numbers would say there are 32500 active commuter cyclists in the city. 2,350 might even be an exaggeration.

They work really well in large intersections where lights are a poor solution. They're all over the place in Vancouver and Washington State, and nobody blinks an eye. However, the arbitrary places they've been cropping up (yuk, yuk, Rosie) in River Heights baffles me. It is screwing with the kids who flag people through cross walks during and after school in our area, because the poor little tykes have no clue where a car coming through a 4 way round-about is going to end up.

Traffic Circles are generally a good idea.

Unfortunately, these aren't them. These are Winnipeg's fricked up version of traffic circles.

They should have based the bike paths following the Rivers for 90% of the ride....expensive, yes. Lon term, would serve both cars and bikes much better.

I tellyou, when i went to City Hall from Charleswood to file my papers on bike, it wasn't a very comfortable, safe ride. I'll need to carry oxygen or keep sucking in fumes. Not sure what speed I was going but definitely close to 75% of max to 100 % when I had some decent road with no lights or buses/parked cars in my way., I was breathing this stuff in like no tomorrow. My lungs actually burned from it.

I still maintain biking is a leisurely activity enjoyed by most and that our City isn't really bike commuting friendly.

Deank wrote:"don't see any point in changing intersections to appease 0.5% of the population that actually benefit from these changes"

I believe you are being to generous. your numbers would say there are 32500 active commuter cyclists in the city. 2,350 might even be an exaggeration.

But they have a very effect lobby group.
And in politics the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Livio- are you sure you weren't smoking dope on that ride to City hall? lol

Good for you on your bike ride. I agree with you that there should be some routes restricted for bikes, but there would have to be some count of its use to see if the cost/benefit was there?
Lots of costs going on, but are there any benefits? Other than a great, natural way to get around? Oops that must be the benefit! lol

rosen is an avid biker too. He uses mostly a 12-speed racer.

I found the toxic fumes when I used to cycle to be one of the worst parts.

That and those moronic sewer grate thingys that had slots wider then the average bike tire.

I believe that these circles, and the Assiniboine Avenue debacle, are part of Harper's stimulus package.

What a complete waste of ffccuken money!!

I believe you are correct. BUT... This problem is ALL on the city for a screwed up plan and operating on pressures due to artificial time constraints.

I can understand the need for urgency where a stimulus package is concerned, but to spend the money on this nonsense is beyond the pale imo.

There are many more projects that could have gone forward.

These things are down right dangerous. I watched numerous cars treating them like 4-way stops this morning and having no clue which SIDE of the circle to go around, close to 50% of the cars were driving around the center to the left of the obstacle rather than staying right. For some reason putting up 4 yields at an intersection seems to confuse the crap out of a good portion of Winnipeg drivers.

First off, imo, they're way too large for the intersections.

Secondly, WE DON"T NEED THESE MOFOS!!

FIRE THE ASSHAT THAT THOUGHT OF THEM!!

Traffic circles (crappy as the one's we have now may be) = still better than stop signs and a 4 way stop IMO.

I think the real problem is most of the asshats with vehicles don't know how to properly pilot them in the first place. Many people round these parts haven't seen a traffic circle, so they poop their pants a little just approaching one. That explains why a "yield" sign is regularly used as a stop sign by many folks.

They're here (traffic circles), they my be que_r, but they ain't going anywhere any time soon.

There's a "wise up" campaign for photo radar, I figure there needs to be a "smarten up" campaign to teach people how to drive, what signs mean, what turn signals do, how to use them, and what your supposed to do when emergency vehicles are approaching (to name just a few)!