Traffic engineers are investigating removing traffic lights from three street intersections around the Common and replacing the traditional intersections with traffic roundabouts. The Willow Tree (Quinpool/Robie/Cogswell/Bell), the Cogswell/Trollope/Rainie and the Cunard/Agricola intersections are being studied, says traffic manager Ken Reashor, as is the Woodland/MicMac intersection in Dartmouth. Three more are under construction on Larry Uteck Boulevard in Clayton Park.
A roundabout considered for the intersection of Devonshire, Novalea and Duffus Streets caused considerable stir when nearby residents learned of the plan, but that intersection “is very obviously an ideal spot for a roundabout,” says Reashor, and a roundabout there would increase safety for pedestrians, slow traffic and provide more green space.
Reashor will make a roundabout presentation to Halifax council this month, and hold an open house with north end residents this spring in hopes of convincing them to accept the roundabout proposal.
Related Stories
Circular decision
This article appears in Apr 1-7, 2010.
This should be entertaining.
I love roundabouts. Reminds me of England!
Yes please! At least on the Cogswell/Trollope/Rainie and the Cunard/Agricola intersections, those things are a bloody mess.
He’s nuts! This will be a disaster.
Good idea in principle, bad idea in practice. They work in Britain because the British are used to them. Haligonians have enough trouble with the new left turn arrow at the Robie/Cunard intersection.
This is going to be a challenge for cyclists.
GordonEE makes a key point. Nova Scotians are bad drivers and can’t learn new things. And neil_macneil is basically saying the same thing.
Nova Scotians aren’t all bad drivers. These things wind up poorly designed, and many people have little experience in using them, and they are then more of a safety hazard then an improvement. The Armdale nightmare is one such example. Very confusing signage.
I know one Armdale roundabout user who says it significantly improves rush-hour traffic flow, because at least in rush-hour, when the vast majority is going in the same direction, traffic normally continues at more normal (faster) driving speed than the old rotary system allowed.
I don’t find Armdale difficult whatsoever – it’s very quick and efficient and much better since the redesign. Lane markings are very clear, you just need to make sure you’re in the right lane beforehand. I think the new roundabouts around the Common are a good idea, anything’s better than the current situation..
There-in lies the problem. Everything’s easy when you do it everyday. For people who don’t, it’s a poorly designed nightmare.
I really hope these go through. Cogswell/N.Park/Rainie/Trollope/Ahern is an extra special nightmare as it is, especially for cyclists. That center block with the hydro pole might as well have a sign on it which says “this should be a roundabout.”
I’d rather have people traverse an unfamiliar roundabout with extra caution than have them navigate a messed-up intersection like Cogswell/N.Park with utterly misplaced confidence. The first time I drove a car through that intersection I nearly had a head-on collision.
yeah baby, the exact same could be said about the current Willow Tree intersection. Besides, the more prevalent roundabouts are, the better people will be with using them. I found Armdale very easy and I only started driving last summer, especiallly compared to the Willow Tree or some of the roads up by the Fairview Port.
You still aren’t solving any problems. You just make new ones. This isn’t Europe – we don’t have the critical mass necessary to make them safe and convenient. Not to mention that it is investing money we don’t have into a dying mode of transportation. We would be far wiser to improve public transportation and bicycle paths. Everybody rants and raves about all the round-a-bouts they have in Europe, but nobody brings up their real traffic improvements – high use of cycling on the continent. This would be hands down the dumbest move yet by Peter Kelly.
Once again, the Armdale spectre is raised… It is not a modern roundabout.
Of course it isn’t. And why would we expect these new ones to be done right….
The Armdale spectre gets raised for a reason.
I agree that the Cogswell/Rainnie/Trollope intersection is one of the most dangerous in the city right now, for pedestrians as well as for motorists. And the current design of Cunard/Agricola encourages cars to cruise from Cunard onto North Park Street as if on a freeway, very bad for pedestrians crossing at Cornwallis. I’m open to the possibility that each intersection would be better with a roundabout. And enough of this “it works in Europe because they are smarter/different/better drivers/used to them. Let’s build some – then we’ll get used to them. And car-based infrastructure is not going to go away – it would help if it were better designed. My two cents worth, as a pedestrian who lives on the Commons.
And once again someone insists that the Armdale roundabout is not a modern roundabout. Actually, yes, it is. It’s got a centre island, there is a circular flow of traffic around that centre island, and entering traffic yields to traffic already in the circle. There isn’t more to it than that really.
The movement appears to be picking up steam: the Hwy 101 Exit 5A on-off ramps on one side and Wentworth Road are now managed with a roundabout, I noticed.
roundabouts make cycling and pedestrians a priority, get rid of idling at traffic lights and intimidate unskilled drivers into taking public transit. i’m all for it.
I have never crossed the street at the Armdale rotary or roundabout….to scary a prospect! People in this city do not allow pedestrians to cross even when they have the right of way on a slow street, can’t happen easily there!
Roundabouts are fabulous. And there is no “critical mass” because you can build them to any size, including back streets. I’ve lived in Oz for 8 years now and worked in city planning. I’m a convert to how convenient they make traffic.