Roundabout-phobia

Roundabout-phobia seems to be rampant here in Canada.

I have visited many cities in Eastern Canada and can count the number of roundabouts (traffic circles) on one hand. This is roughly the same number as can be found in any ONE populated center in the UK. Kudos to Oromocto for their forward thinking in recently building one of their own.

Here on the West Side of Saint John, New Brunswick we have Simms Corner.

Simms Corner is the bane of new drivers. It has likely provided a heaping dose of trauma for every driving test since the first bridge spanned the gorge above the rapids. The intersection is visible in this 1894 map, in the top left.

Here is a Google Street View of the intersection ::


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Over the years the city has tried a variety of ways of controlling the traffic in the intersection, including traffic lights. It currently has what could be considered the traditional controls for the site; two stop signs.


This method has come up for review since work will be starting soon on the Harbour Bridge, the only other east-west access. This will of course, drive up the volume of traffic on an already busy intersection.

Of the options reviewed, the roundabout system was considered to be "too large for the site".

The idea of a roundabout - or traffic circle - has been ruled out, municipal operations commission Paul Groody told council Monday night.

The slope of the intersection, railroad crossings, underground infrastructure and lack of space make it not a viable option, he said.

Galbraith said the project has taken so long because of all the discussions with landowners as well as the co-ordination of plans with J.D. Irving's new entrance."The other thing is, there's other competing priorities in the city," he said. Though the intersection is "dysfunctional," Simms Corner has always been an accepted part of the city, said McGuire, who lives on the west side.

"There's a cultural thing. 'Well it's just Simms Corner,' " he said. "We always kind of joked about it." April Cunningham article in Telegraph Journal

This opinion has puzzled more than just me. Here is an example:

At Monday night's common council meeting a discussion about Simms Corner prompted Paul Groody, the municipal operations commissioner, to dismiss the idea of a roundabout, or traffic circle, because of the slope of the intersection, railroad crossings, underground infrastructure and a lack of space... (the ellipsis is not a grammatical statement, nor is it caused by a sticky period key - it's my way of expressing frustration and banging my head against the wall when I heard this latest explanation). Herb Duncans commentary in Telegraph Journal

A roundabout is the simplest and likely the fastest intersection to get up and running for this situation. It can even be considered more green, as this simple (if askew) old intersection would not require traffic lights.

Because roundabouts improve the efficiency of traffic flow, they also reduce vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. In one study, replacing a signalized intersection with a roundabout reduced carbon monoxide emissions by 29 percent and nitrous oxide emissions by 21 percent.11 In another study, replacing traffic signals and stop signs with roundabouts reduced carbon monoxide emissions by 32 percent, nitrous oxide emissions by 34 percent, carbon dioxide emissions by 37 percent, and hydrocarbon emissions by 42 percent.12 Constructing roundabouts in place of traffic signals can reduce fuel consumption by about 30 percent.11,13 At 10 intersections studied in Virginia, this amounted to more than 200,000 gallons of fuel per year.10 And roundabouts can enhance aesthetics by providing landscaping opportunities. Quote from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety Q&A on Roundabouts

As for the issue of space, the city has already demolished the unique Italianate Victorian building Centracare Hospital from the rise above the intersection, so there would be little detrimental effect to subsuming part of the hill.

Almost anyone who has driven roundabouts in Europe would likely agree that the current area taken up by the intersection is adequate, so no additional space would be required.

The key is to think
<--- this and not this ---------->

This is a list of readings on roundabout design:

• Large vs "Normal" Roundabouts
  - contains many interesting articles
• Wikipedia: Roundabout - Notice the animated traffic flow at the top right.
• www.boston.com: Safer Roundabouts Sprouting Up All Over New York
• NYSDOT New York Transportation Website section on the new Roundabouts in NY. From the site:
  
  
  

  "Until recently, roundabouts have been slow to gain support in this country. The lack of acceptance can generally be attributed to the negative experience with traffic circles or rotaries built in the earlier half of the twentieth century. Severe safety and operational problems caused these traffic circles to fall out of favor by the 1950's. However, substantial progress has been achieved in the subsequent design of circular intersections, and a modern roundabout should not be confused with the traffic circles of the past."

  and;
  
  

  "Those that are currently in operation have been reported to be performing favorably, when compared with conventional controlled intersections (i.e., stop signs or signals), in terms of improved safety, shorter delays, increased capacity, and improved aesthetics. Early results generally indicate that roundabouts have resulted in an overall reduction in the number and severity of accidents, despite the initial concern that lack of familiarity with this type of intersection would lead to driver confusion."

• A pamphlet on how to use a Roundabout from Village of Great Neck Plaza. They installed one of a similar size as would be needed at Simms Corner
• Modern Roundabouts
• If you have Google Earth then you can download a .KML file from Modern Roundabouts showing the growth of Roundabouts in the US.
• This is a video over a transport with an over-sized load negotiating a medium city Roundabout. It demonstrates why modern rotaries do not have curbs on the island or around circumference.

Here is one of my favourite roundabouts. It is in Jedburgh, Scotland and it is on a bit of a slope:

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