a modern roundabout
Tonight the city commission hosts from Ian Lockwood, who is here to talk about traffic calming and the potential for roundabouts to be part of the solution to Division St and the Grandview Parkway.
Both topics have been discussed here before. Traffic calming was the #1 priority in the letter last winter from the neighborhood association presidents: http://planfortc.com/2010/01/22/neighborhood-presidents-top-priorities-ian-glatting-hired-for-divison-st-ipr-update-jan-23-24/. The need to do something about cut-through traffic in neighborhoods - rather than just talk about it for 20 more years – was addressed here: http://planfortc.com/2009/12/19/streets-sidewalks-2-news-on-waterfront-sheriff-last-update-of-2009/
The role of complete streets in making a city more liveable and economically successful was addressed here: http://planfortc.com/2010/05/26/complete-streets-for-mi-cities-may-27/
Division St was discussed here: http://planfortc.com/2010/05/08/whats-next-on-division-st-may-9/, and the case for the roundabout solution was made eloquently by the businesses in the Munson-GT Commons campus: http://planfortc.com/2010/04/29/munson-and-the-commons-weigh-in-on-division-st-april-30/.
Finally, a great local resource on roundabouts is here: http://mywheelsareturning.com/map-roundies-in-michigan/
Hope to see you at the meeting tonight!
11 comments
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August 6, 2010 at 12:20 pm
J Ross
The city planning and the commiosion seems to be happy with their single entitiy, charge down the only path blinders on metality.
Explain to me and many otheres why no second opinions on the roundabout thing?
And also, why is the DDA driving projects in and around town with what seems like shaky RFQ’s (request for quotes) especially on the Warehouse District, that recently went out, with a highly suspect “10 day” timetable for responses? This is a whole design and re-design issue down there and you give 10 days for proposals?
The city commision, manager and planning office seem to have given total control over to, and being completely lead by the little dictator(s) at DDA. What gives? Why are perfectly excellent designs by local people, given freely to the boards and committes (especially by one notable desinger here in town) given a pass and then shelved never to be seen again? ‘Some ‘splaining to do here Lucy!
August 5, 2010 at 9:27 am
David Luick
What about getting a second opinion from a different expert (and even a third)? What about contacting other locations in which roundabouts did not work? I live on the corner of Elmwood and Bay and I use the Grandview/Division crossing daily. While I like roundabouts in certain locations, I do not favor one at this (the G/D) crossing. I also agree with Del, the lack of a bypass option(s) needs to be addressed.
July 27, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Gearge Preston
there have been alternaives on the table for 20 years. theya re the bypass plans. If revelaed from City planning, would show traffic that wants to flow around to the south going easterly and then also up towards the city flowing westerly is much better than the roundabout bad designs.
Our fair city seems to latch onto more studies all the time. Beautiful stylized drawings by those that have no common sense in how or why our traffic does what it does.
Roundabouts do not work for pedestrians, bikes or truck traffic. I have to agree, with previous statements on truck and everyday commerace. This roundabout at Division and Parkways is hilarious! Even more laughable is roundabouts along division and the rest of the parkway. Very laughable.
July 31, 2010 at 12:00 am
Will
I am curious where you get your facts from. Every single site I have looked up, no matter where the location is, says that roundabouts are safer for pedestrians, truckers, and motorists than 4 way intersections. I am curious to where you are getting your information from. I know from personal experience in Washington state that roundabouts are use frequently both by truckers and semis, pedestrians etc with great ease. The turns are similar to 14th and division as far as traffic loads. I recommend using any search engine and looking up roundabouts. They have been used successfully for many years in many locations. If you have information proving otherwise, I would love to read it.
August 1, 2010 at 1:00 pm
J Ross
Many cities in the western states and Canada ar tearing out round-abouts. In Seattle and neighboring Vancouver and victoria they ahve found they are jsut to hard to navigate for commerace and dangerous for mixing pedestrians and bikes. Same goes for East Lansing and MSU. Want spare car parts? Head to a round-about at MSU! Also, the specialized plowing apperatuses for city trucks to work around them is costly.
I agree with the previous poster, these are state highways and US roads, not simple city streets. Put the tunnels in (6 all toll to begin with and easy to do) and get on with it.
Roundabouts serve nothing here but to pad the pockets of the out of state planners hired to force feed us something to jsutify their Grand Vision-like social engineering plan. Which is not in character of how we travel in and around aour area. Hire local people that drive loacally and not just those with good diction and no dirt under their nails.
August 5, 2010 at 9:47 am
Will
Would you please share the links where they are taking them down? I found ones for Traffic Circles but not roundabouts..I would appreciate it.
July 27, 2010 at 9:59 pm
John Hall
Why do people associate roundabouts with “koumbiya” politics? Roundabouts work! They keep things flowing. No more waiting for no one at red lights!
July 27, 2010 at 5:25 pm
GLHowe
I’m in support of the roundabouts along Division St., Grandview Parkway and some of our other nuisance intersections. It makes no difference what-so-ever what definition we assign to a roadway, as all types of traffic are able to navigate a well designed roundabout. I recently watched rush hour traffic, complete with a large number of semis and trucks with trailers, navigate a downtown single-lane roundabout without issue in Montpelier, VT. To boot, a number of people walked and biked through it as well.
There may be individuals who don’t ‘prefer’ driving through a roundabout, but there is no evidence that as a traffic tool that they don’t work. In fact, overwhelmingly the evidence suggests that they do work while at the same time reducing accidents and fatalities, and saving money over the long-term.
The local circus of opposition boggles the mind. There is no other option on the table that both maintains current and expected traffic flows, while improving many of the accessibility and context issues expressed as concerns by the citizens who live near and utilize these right-of-ways on a daily basis. Roundabouts are just another traffic tool. The only drawback is that they may require people to actually pay attention to their surroundings and other people, rather than simply follow the dictates of a little red, yellow or green light. Incidentally, overhead signals are one more reason that driver’s are distracted, as they must look up to see the lights instead of watching out for fellow road users.
July 27, 2010 at 10:47 am
Del Nolan
Ian Lockwood and all his little graphics and “beautiful world” nonsense is being pushed down the throats of Traverse City. Stop It!
Bottom Line: the streets he wants round-abouts on are major Trunk Lines and are US and State Highways. round-abouts have been implimented and are still on shakey ground in much less conjested areas “down south” and on non area-wide gateways.
This whole plan by this traveling circus show is preposterous and should not be considered at all. Trucks, commerace and the continual flow of traffic to other communites is the major use of these roadways!
Time to get on with the plans already on the table for the by-pass solutions south of town and on the west side. Stop the insane studies and kumbiya charets!
July 26, 2010 at 1:12 pm
jane maas
how do roundabouts work with all the semis that drive in TC ?
July 26, 2010 at 1:41 pm
chrisbzdok
good question – one that Lockwood will have to discuss tonight. The TC Chamber has also been talking to companies who haul along that corridor.