Bike Lanes: A Proper Plan Or Can Them: CRERAR
Much fuss followed the discovery that fines from traffic cameras were, for the most part, not being directed towards improving road safety as city council had intended.
Some observers blamed city staff for the error while others noted Ottawa City Council should have taken responsibility for ensuring that bucks were not being passed to the incorrect coffer. No matter who you choose to blame, there is no denying miscommunication is widespread at 110 Laurier Avenue West. Now that the finger pointing has died down, what does “improving road safety” really mean?
Are we talking bicycle lanes? If so, we haven’t progressed much beyond the bickering stage concerning this matter so let’s not throw more money in that direction until a proper plan is in place or the idea is shelved.
What about the streets close to schools? Should the city increase the number of crossing guards to help shepherd children to elementary schools more safely or create new programs aimed at increasing safety awareness among children?
Is fixing pot holes in our roads part of the plan? If so, hopefully the city will use the extra infusion of cash to do the job properly by re-paving sections of roads where families of potholes have gathered, rather than wasting money pouring hot tar and clear stone into them on a quarterly/semi-annual basis.
What about reducing accidents at intersections? Traffic lights are the most common solution but are costly to build, maintain, and provide little to no value during power outages. Additionally, stoplights aren’t really that safe. Serious accidents can occur when one driver runs a red light while another is completing a left turn to clear the intersection. Four-way stops are the safest method to deal with safety at intersections provided long lines of halted traffic don’t block vehicles trying to gain access to major roads from neighbourhood streets And they are safe as long as drivers understand the rules associated with yielding the right of way once they reach the front of their respective line.
And what about roundabouts, or rotaries if you prefer? About a decade or so ago these configurations became more fashionable in Ottawa. Proponents argued that they were used throughout Europe so perhaps they have remained popular because city hall feels Ottawa needs to adopt a more cosmopolitan look and feel. But how safe are roundabouts? The biggest safety hazard in roundabouts is the collection of trees and shrubs standing in the middle of many of these structures, put in place by the city, they don’t allow drivers a full view of all traffic and pedestrians entering and leaving the rotary. If the city continues its love affair with roundabouts and creates a safer driving environment, they should begin by halting the practice of putting obstructions inside roundabouts. If the name of the game is making our roads safe, the city must understand that safety and aesthetics don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.
As for other safety ideas? I’m looking forward to seeing what city hall suggests.
Howard Crerar is a project manager and has worked in the software industry for three decades.
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Actually traffic circles are much safer than 4 way street light intersections. Why? Because the kinetic energy of a crash is much lower on a angle than straight on.
Because drivers pay more attention when navigating the right of way then when sitting an intersection and you cannot go through a red light.
Traffic is always moving.
The very successful, rigorous data driven international safety program led by the World Bank uncovered the safety features of the “round about” It works particularly well in cash strapped municipalities – traffic lights are expensive.
Elizabeth, I don’t think Howard was criticizing the round abouts as a concept. He was pointing out that the lines of sight are impeded by planting tall plants the city has planted in the middle of the circle. Remove the plants and the lines of sight across the middle are improved, so a driver can see whether any vehicles are entering the circle ahead of them. Which is more important – nice landscaping or safety?
I have complained to the city on several occasions about the plantings decorating our roundabouts, the only relatively successful outcome was getting the grass mowed around the plants.
Been. Thanks for that. When I mentioned miscommunication within 110 Laurier Avenue West I should have noted that people employed therein also seem to be hard of listening.