About that Roundabout, Reprised

Published
by
Councillor Rob Lantz
on August 18, 2010
in Public Works and Transportation
. 4 Comments

More than a year ago I wrote about the public backlash over City plans to install a roundabout at Mt. Edward Rd and Allen St. I expressed some concerns, but was generally confident all would work out well in the end. Public angst is common in other jurisdictions where roundabouts are a new concept but generally they are well accepted, even loved, once they are installed. That seems to be the experience here too. Now that we’ve got two roundabouts officially open — and soon two more — I’ve heard nothing but good things from residents about the roundabouts; about their ease of use, traffic flow, and their aesthetic beauty. I’ve even heard through the grapevine that those business owners who were so vehemently opposed in the beginning have become the roundabouts’ biggest fans.

4 Responses to “About that Roundabout, Reprised”

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  1. 1 Peter Rukavina
    August 18, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    I, like many others I’ve talked to, will specifically re-route my travels from the north-eastern end of Charlottetown back downtown so that I can use the Mount Edward Road roundabout — it’s a much preferable alternative to the Allen Street/University intersection-from-hell and the confusing triangle collection that is the St. Peters Road / Brackley Point Road / Belvedere intersection.

  2. 2 Lloyd Kerry
    August 18, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    The people who are saying good things about the roundabout are probably the ones who apparently don’t know how to use it properly. I sat in Tim Hortons a week ago, and a lot of the time 3,4 and 5 cars in a row were going through from one yield sign, like they were tied together.
    This is not how it’s supposed to be used. You wait your turn, especially yielding to traffic already in the roundabout. More than once, I’ve had people cut me off, or give me the finger or horn, thinking it’s their turn when I’m already in it.
    Most Islanders think a stop sign means ‘yield’ and a yield sign means ‘step on it’.
    If you can’t use it right, take the damn bus!

  3. 3 Councillor Rob Lantz
    August 18, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    I’ve been through the Mt. Edward/Allen roundabout about a dozen times, but only once did I see anything resembling flagrantly bad roundabout etiquette — someone stopping in the r-abt and waving someone else in.

    For me it’s a pleasure to navigate through that intersection now, especially compared to the old signalized intersection there. I too go out of my way to use it. And I don’t think you will find people failing to cede the right-of-way at our roundabouts at a rate any higher than a 4-way stop in Charlottetown, or any other city for that matter.

    Yield signs are a warning to cede right-of-way. In the case of roundabouts, cars already in the roundabout (i.e., in the circle) have the right-of-way. At a yield sign, slow down and prepare to stop if conditions warrant it, if not proceed. I don’t see any problem with 3 or 4 cars entering from one entry point if no other cars are in the roundabout.

    In any case, here is a good summary of roundabout rules for those that need it.

    http://www.gov.pe.ca/tir/roundabouts

  4. 4 Ann Thurlow
    September 16, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    I agree that the Mt. Edward Rd. roundabout is great. Though I have also been nearly hit there by people who try to race through without yielding. That, however, is not the roundabout’s fault.
    I am still a little baffled by the one of Belvedre, which has created kind of a mess in the Farmer’s Market parking lot with people zooming in from too many directions.
    And I am truly hoping that once Riverside Drive is done, the traffic will flow more smoothly than it does now. All the lovely, free flowing traffic has to come to a sudden halt at the lights in front of the Irving station. And that has resulted in back ups all the way to the QEH.

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