01-31-2016, 05:27 PM
(01-31-2016, 04:42 PM)MidTowner Wrote: I still am not sure we're prioritizing things correctly when, to avoid delays of a few seconds for motorists, we're asking people to divert out of their way, and then putting up fences to force them to. Crossings should be at desire lines (which are usually at intersections), and guardrails should be a last resort.
My assumption is that it's a level 2 crosswalk; in that case, it's supposed to have a 30m advance notice based on the HTA (to ensure drivers have time to stop), which really means a separation of 30m from the roundabout. The advantage for vehicular traffic is not a savings of a few seconds (it really doesn't make a difference for the stopping vehicles), but the fact that a single person crossing the crosswalk won't block traffic on the entire roundabout. (If the crosswalk is directly at the roundabout exit, the stopping cars won't be able to exit the roundabout, and thus all traffic in the roundabot will come to a standstill.)
And the railing question is really separate: but if we think pedestrians won't use crosswalks voluntarily, then we either need to help them make the right choice (ie a railing) or just forget about crosswalks altogether, and leave it as a free-for-all.