BIKE: Travis Hts. Neighborhood Traffic Calming Plan(Status Update)

[David Foster]

I am a strong supporter of these traffic circles because they slow down
cars, increasing safety for both cyclists and pedestrians. When a collision
between cars occurs at an intersection, it is apt to be less severe than in
a stop-sign situation, where on car has typically run the stop sign at a
higher speed. They help cyclists by replacing stop signs, allowing cyclists
to maintain a constant speed instead of stopping (or running the stop sign),
except of course in yield situations. They help air quality by allowing cars
to maintain a constant level of speed along a corridor (again except in
yield situations) without forcing repeated stop-and-go driving. Seattle has
installed close to 3,000 of these critters, and in Seattle, cars are allowed
to pass on either side of the circle when turning left if no other vehicles
are present.

On the subject of emergency vehicles, fire trucks must slow down or stop at
stop signs in any case, and usually slow down at all intersections as a
matter of policy. These circles do not slow them down. Also, large vehicles
(fire trucks, garbage trucks) are allowed to drive on top of the apron (that
concrete curb at the bottom of the circles) if they need to --that is why
the apron is there.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeremy Elliott" <moteltan>
To: <forum>
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 5:30 PM
Subject: RE: BIKE: Travis Hts. Neighborhood Traffic Calming Plan(Status
Update)


> [quasi-traffic-circles on Mary, Annie, et. al.]
>
> > Why should they scare you?
>
> These intersections where in place when I joined the
> neighborhood. It seems to me that people just fly on
> through them as fast as they can. It's obvious which
> streets have the higher level of traffic, and the
> drivers on those streets usually fly on by.
>
> > Pretty hard to go faster
> > than 30 MPH through one of those things.
>
> But what if you're trying to save a life, a home, or
> remove waste or recycling material from a home. Isn't
> the min. turning radii of fire trucks, ambulances, and
> waste removal vehicles well outside the path allowed
> in these intersections? I see waste trucks having to
> cut the corner, going counter-clockwise for 90&#730;,
> in order to make a left turn. I'm sure it's worse for
> fire trucks. I've read where "A policy analysis was
> conducted specifically for the conflict that had
> arisen in Austin, Texas. Based on quantitative
> processes, this analysis showed that Austin would lose
> an additional 37 lives per year with patients of
> sudden cardiac arrest if the Fire and EMS Departments
> experienced a 30 second delay in response times due to
> traffic calming." More about Traffic Calming vs.
> Emergency Response is here:
> http://members.aol.com/ihbook/tfc_calm.pdf
> and here:
> http://www.users.qwest.net/~erinard/problems_associated_with_traffic.htm
>
> Were these intersections installed to save pedestrian
> lives? Or increase property values by limiting
> traffic?
>
> Seems to me that they, at best, limit thru traffic on
> previously established east-west collector routes that
> were in place at the time neighborhood activists
> bought their homes at the expense of significantly
> reduced emergency response times, increased emissions,
> brake wear, and I'll add this--significant danger to
> vehicle operators and liability to the city.
>
> The last item is valid because the intersections are
> illegal.
>
> > no stop signs and just the need to yield instead.
>
> Who do you yield to here? The sign says "YIELD | ALL
> WAY" Someone explain that to me. If I'm yielding to
> you, and you're yielding to me... who has the right of
> way? By definition, we should just sit there yielding
> to each other. I tried to look up an explanation of
> the sign in the city, state, and national MUTCD only
> to discover that the sign does not exist. Signing an
> intersection with an unapproved sign opens the city
> and sealing engineer up to a host of liability when
> there's an accident.
>
> I love round-a-bouts. They work very well. But these
> are not round-a-bouts. There's no "Yield to traffic in
> circle" sign. They are way too small to allow for a.)
> turning radii of design vehicles, b.) a weaving length
> for vehicles entering the circle to interact with
> vehicles already in the circle, or hell, even c.)
> recognition of a vehicle actually being in the circle.
>
> Furthermore, the landscaping in the island, though
> pretty, blocks the line of sight. I can't tell if a
> vehicle is signaling a turn (indicating it will
> continue within the circle) or not. I can not make
> eye-contact with vehicle operators so that I know they
> see me on my little bicycle vehicle.
>
> Still furthermore, most of these quasi-circle
> intersections have at least 2 and sometimes all 4
> approaches with sight triangle distances that violate
> common urban design specifications, including those
> mandated by AASHTO's Roadside Design Guide for 30mph
> urban streets. In other words, at 30mph, when I'm at a
> distance away from the intersection such that I can
> identify another approaching vehicle, apply the brake,
> and decelerate to avoid a collision-there's a fence or
> a tree or a house blocking my line of sight. By the
> time I see an obstacle, it's too late to do anything
> about. Combine that with the double-high 14" vertical
> curb and I think it's safe to say that we've got
> several dangerous intersections. Whoever signed and
> sealed the plans for these intersections has opened
> himself and the City up for litigation when there's an
> accident.
>
> (Over-exaggerating) It slows traffic the same way a
> machine-gun nest does. out of shear fear.
>
> A 4-way yield sign.  jeese.
>
> Please, in the future, I hope City transportation
> officials don't trade reduced safety and increased
> emissions in order to acquire reduced volume and
> speed. Every neighborhood has collector streets. Don't
> buy a house on one and then try to turn it into
> something else. The rest of us might have bought under
> the pretenses that we could safely navigate a 4-way
> intersection and have a fire truck arrive before
> little Joey goes up in flames.
>
> Or just use speed-cushions. I can bunny-hop those!
>
>
> =====
> _______________________________________________
> I wonder how many fine, inspiring ideas in every walk of
> life are strangled in the womb of the imagination
> because there's no way past the gates of commerce?
>
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