Amid complaints, city seeks to 'ramp up education' on roundabouts

Facing rising complaints from River Heights residents about the newly constructed traffic circles in the neighbourhood, the city is taking drivers back to school.

Luis Escobar, manager of transportation for the city's public works department, said Thursday it has received many questions from pedestrians and drivers alike about how the traffic circles are supposed to work, and felt it was time to take action.

"We need to ramp up our education process for both pedestrians and motorists," he said. "With a traffic circle, we rely more on people. We want people to take an active role in crossing the street."

So the campaign began with a gathering of the media on the corner of Grosvenor Avenue and Waterloo Street on Thursday afternoon, the site of one of the much-talked-about traffic circles.

As Escobar answered questions, it was easy for reporters and camera people alike to count off the many infractions -- the biggest one was drivers making direct left turns without merging into the circle first -- happening right behind his back.

He said it's too early to tell if the education might require something extra, such as television commercials.

He said it's not that navigating the traffic circles is particularly difficult -- they're essentially no different than a yield sign on a right turn -- but they've been constructed relatively quickly.

"It's a learning experience, not just for the citizens but for (administrators) as well," he said.

Previously, unless you grew up in London, England, or spent time in a city such as Montreal or Vancouver, the only chance Winnipeggers had to navigate a roundabout was downtown on Waterfront Drive or at the intersection of Lakewood and Beaverhill boulevards in Southdale.

Escobar said many people might not realize it yet but the traffic circles are typically much safer than intersections with four-way stop signs or traffic lights.

"If somebody makes a wrong manoeuvre in the circle, everybody stops. At a four-way or traffic signal, you usually see a collision. (Traffic circles) are at much lower speeds. When something happens unintentionally, the end result usually isn't a collision -- everybody slows down. This provides for a safer end result," he said.

Escobar said he wasn't surprised to see numerous tire marks on the centre islands. He said the curbs were purposely slanted because it was anticipated buses and trucks would ride up while going around the circle.

"We expect some larger vehicles to mount (the island's curb). As drivers get more educated, those marks will start to disappear," he said.

Escobar was peppered with questions regarding other changes to Winnipeg's roadways, including a new barricade at Harrow Street and Academy Road. He said it was erected to eliminate "short-cutting" by drivers, but it still provides an opening for pedestrians and cyclists to get through.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 1, 2010 B1

A virtuous circle

We may not have many roundabouts, but according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, we would probably be safer if we did.

-- A 2000 Institute report found roundabouts not only improve traffic flow and esthetics, they result in fewer crashes when compared to intersections with signals or stop signs.

-- The report studied crashes and injuries at 24 intersections before and after construction of roundabouts and found a 39 per cent decrease in crashes and a 76 per cent decrease in injury-producing crashes. Fatal collisions or crashes that resulted in incapacitating injuries fell by 90 per cent. The safety benefit comes from the geometry of a roundabout, which reduces the chances for both right-angle or rear-end collisions.

-- Added bonus -- those safety benefits didn't come at the expense of traffic flow as delays fell as much as 75 per cent when roundabouts replaced traffic signals or stop signs.

And in case you still weren't convinced of the value of roundabouts, the non-profit U.S. organization notes the traffic circles are less expensive than intersections controlled by signals, saving up to $5,000 per year per intersection in electricity and maintenance.

Traffic circles causing confusion

Winnipeg Free Press, September 30, 2010

River Heights residents are getting a baptism by fire with new traffic circles but many figure it's only a matter of time until somebody gets burned.

Staples of many bicycle-friendly cities, such as London, England, Montreal and Calgary, the mini-roundabouts on Grosvenor Avenue are causing confusion among motorists and pedestrians alike. Who goes in first? Who has the right of way? How do you make a left turn?

"There doesn't seem to be a lot of education for drivers in Winnipeg," said Helen Coughlin, who lives off Grosvenor and drives through the traffic circles every day. "This neighbourhood has a lot of young teenage drivers. I don't think they're going to be able to handle it."

Coughlin said at least intersections with a four-way stop provide a window for pedestrians to cross the street. Now it's far more dangerous.

"There's a constant stream of traffic now and pedestrians are left out. How do you teach your kids to cross the street? I guess it will be a steep learning curve," she said.

April Leitch, who was walking her Labrador cross, Rory, Wednesday night along Grosvenor, agreed.

"They've been confusing from the start. I'm very concerned. I had to watch out before and now I have to be extra-careful. I feel like (the city) didn't take the pedestrian into consideration."

Brian Smiley, a spokesman for Manitoba Public Insurance, said the Crown corporation isn't expecting to see a rash of accidents at the new traffic circles even though the "familiarity isn't there."

"It's considered a merge. You always enter on the right. If a vehicle is in the roundabout already, it has the right of way. The onus is on the driver to observe the rules of the road and be a little more diligent," he said.

Smiley said under the Highway Traffic Act, motorists are expected to drive according to the conditions, whether they're weather- or road-related.

"That's the challenge of driving. You need to not only adjust your driving but be prepared to come across some new traffic devices. It will be no different than driving down Portage and Main during a blizzard," he said.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 30, 2010 A4