roundabout from hell

http://www.therecord.com/videozone/613149

By St. Mary's high school.

Before: http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/572637--biggest-roundabout-set-to-open-for-traffic

This is causing some anxiety among residents interviewed near the roundabout.

“I think it’s going to be wonderful for drivers,” Angela Butcher said. “But I’m concerned about the high school kids, because high school kids don’t pay any attention to the rules. They think they’re immortal. And drivers just don’t pay any attention to pedestrians.”

Damian Orlowski said pedestrians and drivers mix well at roundabouts in Europe, where he used to live. But traffic circles aren’t as common here.

How well will this one work with student pedestrians? “We’ll see,” he said.

After:

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/611320--collision-prone-roundabout-to-be-made-safer

WATERLOO REGION — Regional councillors are poised to reduce the speed limit on Homer Watson Boulevard to 50 kilometres an hour to make a collision-plagued roundabout safer.

The move comes after a student was struck by a bus and another 26 vehicles were involved in minor collisions since the controversial roundabout at Homer Watson Boulevard and Block Line Road opened in August.

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/605461--st-mary-s-student-struck-by-bus-at-homer-watson-roundabout

A 16-year-old girl was struck Friday morning by a bus at a roundabout in Kitchener, just steps from her school.

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/606120--friends-of-teen-hit-at-roundabout-fear-it-will-happen-again

It’s only been open a month, but the city’s largest and fastest roundabout — with a speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour — has already seen 20 reported collisions.

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/611097--family-relieved-charges-to-be-laid-in-roundabout-collision

The 110-pound teen was launched in the air. She bounced before she landed 12.5 metres away.

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D: notably the cost of a pedestrian bridge would have been the same as the roundabout- about 2 mils.

But, hey, the car is king. Because we treat it like royalty.

dangerous crosswalk intersection

This is the intersection of Westmount and Father David Bauer/ Westcourt Place.

We've all nearly ended up on car hoods by car drivers engaged in rolling stops through a red.

It is always on the corner with the mall.

The broad ogive makes drivers think they can maintain speed on a turn.

They approach from Kitchener towards University. They pull a hard right onto FDB. They are unable to see past stopped cars to their left -and do so anyway.

I'm sure they'll express shocked disbelief about how a pedestrian 'appeared out of nowhere' when they hit somebody.

A sharper corner would discourage them.

On a related note, a month ago I was returning from the mall to Westcourt Place.

The walk sign was still 'go' when I started. There are 5 lanes to cross.

I was alarmed by the sound of honking right beside me. A car had tried to pull left off of FDB onto Westmount. After 5 lanes the walk sign had expired. This happens to the old people who live in area even when they promptly begin to walk.

Anyway, I gestured to the walk sign.

The husband of the wife said I did not have the right of way. Sadly he refused to step out of the car. Nonetheless, I no longer cross on a 'stale green', or whatever the equivalent for a pedestrian cross walk is.

To the city designers - the same ones that made a foot-wide pseudo-bike lane on Westmount, a mere block from where a cyclist was killed in a proper one a year ago - take note.

When I talk about a particular corner, I am describing road features that exist in multiple locations in K-W. I assume any corner or intersection with the same features will exhibit the same deviance. When a pedestrian gets hit, I may very well suggest the fail was YOUR fault.

Maybe I'll write your boss in your department while citing studies indicating that road feature was dangerous - and you built it anyway.

I think we can safely assume that the city's road designers don't bus bike or walk to work.

nice G&M articles on unsafe driving

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/road-sage/for-certain-drivers-lanes-markings-are-for-other-people/article2190977/

I was hanging out yesterday with the (cross fingers) to-be local MPP.
He has a background as a municipal lawyer and was involved in planning.
So I finally had somebody to bounce ideas off of.
Long time to get here - but worth it.

My own addition to unsafe driving practices follows.

1) at stop light
2) multiple lanes each way - or wide enough that a car car sneak past for right hand turn
3) consistently, the car in the middle sits ON the line, not behind it
4) the result is the car trying to turn right cannot see pedestrians crossing towards his side
5) by creeping out far enough to see traffic, to know if a right hand turn is safe,
6) either risks hitting a walker, or at least obstructing the cross walk.

In the meantime, the ignorant driver in the middle, somehow stereotypically in a SUV to better block vision for somebody in *just* a car, sits there in unknowing bliss.
I think driver ed needs to be much more detailed and rigorous, complete with micromanagement.

Maybe offering to waive the fee to renew their car license in exchange for a 1 day 'refresher course' could work?
D.