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+--- Thread: Walking in Waterloo Region (/showthread.php?tid=189)
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Spokes - 10-18-2018
(10-18-2018, 05:29 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:(10-18-2018, 05:22 PM)Xiaoming Wrote: This scheme can be calculated using the Queue Theory to see if it can reduce waiting time. If it reduces the total waiting time, it benefits the public.
Xiaoming Guo
Kitchener Trustee Candidate of Waterloo Region District School Board.
Waiting time is not the only consideration, safety is, I would argue, more important.
Human beings are also somewhat more complex than a mathematical term. Queue theory is not 100% accurate in predicting outcomes. For example, it would predict the wait time to be higher for cars, because models we use wouldn't anticipate the intentional driving in front of pedestrians by some drivers which is observed.
And as a final note, having read Donald Shoups book on parking, I have somewhat less faith in civil engineers' rigour than I had previously. My experience with some of the engineers at the region hasn't helped this opinion.
Given the low financial cost of converting to a scramble, and the ease of validating the important metrics, I'd argue a better option is to convert this intersection to a scramble for 2-3 years, and observe the outcome.
That's what I keep coming back to. What has the Region got to lose?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - KevinL - 10-18-2018
I think that having the Region only be in charge of the highest capacity roads gives their staff an unfortunate bias - they, more than their city counterparts, are more focused on moving vehicles through the network and don't stop to consider the finer details.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Spokes - 10-19-2018
I think having the city and region in charge of separate roads is an issue to be honest.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Pheidippides - 11-02-2018
I'm not sure if it part of the approved traffic calming measures on Patricia, but I noticed at Patricia and Highland this morning the the signals are giving leading pedestrian intervals in both the east/west direction (crossing Patricia along Highland) and north/south (crossing Highland along Patricia).
I have never seen that implemented locally before.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Spokes - 11-02-2018
I haven't either. That's awesome. Testing things out before launching a pedestrian scramble?!?!?
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - bgb_ca - 11-02-2018
Or a broken intersection
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - kaiserdiver - 11-02-2018
This would be a great improvement, so I hope it's not just a malfunction. J.F. Carmichael Public School is just south of that intersection on Patricia, and there are always lots of kids crossing with their parents.
Unfortunately, the signals on Patricia/Highland and West/Highland are both set up so that you don't get a walk signal if you don't press the button before the traffic is stopped on Highland. You can either run up to hit the button when you see the lights changing, wait until the next light (a long wait), or cross despite the don't walk signal (not a good lesson for any kids in tow, and drivers are more likely to be aggressive). This is a good example of regional roads not really set up well with the city roads.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 11-02-2018
(11-02-2018, 03:23 PM)kaiserdiver Wrote: This would be a great improvement, so I hope it's not just a malfunction. J.F. Carmichael Public School is just south of that intersection on Patricia, and there are always lots of kids crossing with their parents.
Unfortunately, the signals on Patricia/Highland and West/Highland are both set up so that you don't get a walk signal if you don't press the button before the traffic is stopped on Highland. You can either run up to hit the button when you see the lights changing, wait until the next light (a long wait), or cross despite the don't walk signal (not a good lesson for any kids in tow, and drivers are more likely to be aggressive). This is a good example of regional roads not really set up well with the city roads.
This is one of the most offensive things about our traffic signal systems. Given that cars *ARE* given this right, i.e., the green light will be extended if additional vehicles arrive at the intersection while it is green, but pedestrians cannot get a walk in the same circumstances.
The regional staff barely even acknowledge this is unfair, frankly, I don't think it even occurred to them.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - highlander - 11-02-2018
There was a regional document, I think from earlier this year, related to collisions that promised LPIs at several intersections. Westmount and Laurentian has had one since early this year, although I think it is only active when students are expected to be there (i.e. I see it around 8am but not around 5:30pm).
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Pheidippides - 11-02-2018
New bollards in the Waterloo Public Square should help keep down the number of confused drivers passing through (has been much better as of late already):
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - Canard - 11-03-2018
Those look like the same design as the ones just installed at both ends of the Central Promenade. Good stuff!
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - bgb_ca - 11-03-2018
(11-02-2018, 10:28 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: New bollards in the Waterloo Public Square should help keep down the number of confused drivers passing through (has been much better as of late already):
Now only if they could find a way to keep people driving down the tracks to King Street.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - MidTowner - 11-03-2018
(11-02-2018, 07:53 PM)highlander Wrote: There was a regional document, I think from earlier this year, related to collisions that promised LPIs at several intersections. Westmount and Laurentian has had one since early this year, although I think it is only active when students are expected to be there (i.e. I see it around 8am but not around 5:30pm).
King and Agnes has a short LPI, implemented only lately, at certain times of the day (same as your observations of Westmount and Laurentian- when the kids are likely to be around). It seems to help a lot. Since King was reconfigured, that intersection would see a lot of left-turners from Agnes trying to beat the crossers. I remember seeing kids essentially using the Ion tracks as a refuge island, waiting for those left-turning motorists to pass, though the kids of course has the right of way. The LPI has eliminated that.
I can't see a real downside to short LPIs, especially at intersections where the walk signal is activated only when the beg button is pushed. I'd argue it's better for motorists, too- less of "their" green time is likely to be consumed waiting for people to cross.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - ijmorlan - 11-03-2018
(11-03-2018, 09:02 AM)bgb_ca Wrote:(11-02-2018, 10:28 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: New bollards in the Waterloo Public Square should help keep down the number of confused drivers passing through (has been much better as of late already):
Now only if they could find a way to keep people driving down the tracks to King Street.
Have you seen this frequently, recently? I’m just wondering because last winter I recall that it was obvious from marks in the snow that it was a regular occurrence, but lately I haven’t seen it. Except for one time when I started down the space between the buildings leading from King to Hughes Lane only to see a car coming at me. I just stopped and motioned him to turn around and didn’t give up. To his credit, after he backed up he opened his window and said that he hadn’t seen the sign before. So it appears to be an honest mistake — to be fair, the space between the buildings does look like it could be a laneway, with street-running rail.
I think for the reverse direction, people turning off King, it’s pretty much fixed by the extra concrete they have placed, the no-turn signs, and the straight-ahead-only green arrows on the traffic lights. I still say some bollards would help further, including automatic ones between the rails connected to the railway signalling system.
RE: Walking in Waterloo Region - jason897 - 11-03-2018
(11-03-2018, 09:02 AM)bgb_ca Wrote:(11-02-2018, 10:28 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: New bollards in the Waterloo Public Square should help keep down the number of confused drivers passing through (has been much better as of late already):
Now only if they could find a way to keep people driving down the tracks to King Street.
well as far as I can tell right now it's a totally legal move
(not that I've done it or intend do), but it's paved, there's no "Do Not Enter" sign (like at many other track entrances), or lane markings that I could see... so...Maybe if drivers block the LRV going into Waterloo Public Square enough times they'll fix it