Welcome Guest!
In order to take advantage of all the great features that Waterloo Region Connected has to offer, including participating in the lively discussions below, you're going to have to register. The good news is that it'll take less than a minute and you can get started enjoying Waterloo Region's best online community right away.
or Create an Account




Thread Rating:
  • 4 Vote(s) - 4.5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Walking in Waterloo Region
One thing's for sure, you'll get a view of what close proximity lights looks like in front of GRH these days.
Reply


I am suddenly reminded of the two or three occasions when I have stopped at a green light and then realized I was reacting to the red light just down the street (thankfully, it has never been the reverse).  The short block of Ottawa St at the King St and Charles St intersections was one spot I recall doing it.  Have others ever had the experience?
Reply
(01-05-2017, 10:21 AM)panamaniac Wrote: I am suddenly reminded of the two or three occasions when I have stopped at a green light and then realized I was reacting to the red light just down the street (thankfully, it has never been the reverse).  The short block of Ottawa St at the King St and Charles St intersections was one spot I recall doing it.  Have others ever had the experience?

This is definitely not uncommon, I see people do it from time to time on Erb at Caroline and FDB.  There are a few awkward ways to mitigate it, but this is a legitimate problem with close lights, but I think it's highly context dependent, because it doesn't happen everywhere there are close lights.
Reply
(01-05-2017, 10:27 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(01-05-2017, 10:21 AM)panamaniac Wrote: I am suddenly reminded of the two or three occasions when I have stopped at a green light and then realized I was reacting to the red light just down the street (thankfully, it has never been the reverse).  The short block of Ottawa St at the King St and Charles St intersections was one spot I recall doing it.  Have others ever had the experience?

This is definitely not uncommon, I see people do it from time to time on Erb at Caroline and FDB.  There are a few awkward ways to mitigate it, but this is a legitimate problem with close lights, but I think it's highly context dependent, because it doesn't happen everywhere there are close lights.

I think I have learned from my experiences - it's a vivid reminder of how easy it can be (for me) to drive "on remote control", even in the absence of distractions.
Reply
(01-04-2017, 11:43 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: At the very least the Peppler signal should be moved to the Laurel Trail then you'd have more even spacing of the crossings:
Weber to Devitt = 250m
Devitt to Laurel Trail = 250m
Laurel Trail to Regina = 290m

With a remote button at Peppler. Lights at the trail would also stop almost all traffic coming to Peppler — the only exception would be people coming out of driveways since there are no intersections. Another creative idea that, if past experience is any guide, will totally blow the mind of planners such that they can’t even understand it, much less rationally evaluate its feasibility.

I should also comment that on one-way streets there is no reason based on traffic flow to restrict the number of pedestrian (or other) crossings — just synchronize them so if they’re all activated traffic on the street still gets a green wave. In fact traffic lights could also be used to enforce any speed desired.
Reply
(01-05-2017, 10:58 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: I should also comment that on one-way streets there is no reason based on traffic flow to restrict the number of pedestrian (or other) crossings — just synchronize them so if they’re all activated traffic on the street still gets a green wave. In fact traffic lights could also be used to enforce any speed desired.

Genius! A laurel rail crossing could be hooked up with the Peppler crossing. They always operate in sync, with the Peppler crossing always a few seconds after the Laurel crossing.
I know that one of the problems at Laurel sometimes, is that when the Peppler crossing activates, the cars start slowing down, potentially closing any incoming gaps that would have been crossable if the cars were at speed.
Reply
(01-05-2017, 11:03 AM)Markster Wrote:
(01-05-2017, 10:58 AM)ijmorlan Wrote: I should also comment that on one-way streets there is no reason based on traffic flow to restrict the number of pedestrian (or other) crossings — just synchronize them so if they’re all activated traffic on the street still gets a green wave. In fact traffic lights could also be used to enforce any speed desired.

Genius!  A laurel rail crossing could be hooked up with the Peppler crossing.  They always operate in sync, with the Peppler crossing always a few seconds after the Laurel crossing.  
I know that one of the problems at Laurel sometimes, is that when the Peppler crossing activates, the cars start slowing down, potentially closing any incoming gaps that would have been crossable if the cars were at speed.

That's a great idea.

I don't understand why they haven't installed the same pedestrian crossing system they have on Erb at the Laurel Trail on Bridgeport. Crossing Bridgeport can be like crossing a live Nascar track.
Reply


One thing that I find annoying about transportation planning, is that apparently the 110m between Peppler and Laurel Trail is "too close" (King and Regina are only 95m) but the 625m between crossings at Weber and Peppler isn't too far?

[edit]Wait... is there a crossing a Devitt? Oh. well, that pokes a hole in this argument...
I can't recall ever being stopped by that traffic light...
Reply
Sad news in Kitchener:

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7052...kitchener/
Reply
Very sad, and I hope the gentleman recovers. The Record reports that he was struck by a motorist turning right onto Ottawa from River, and that charges were pending. Presumably he simply didn't check for people walking, which unfortunately happens often.

The Record also reported that a young man was struck by a motorist exiting a roundabout on Franklin Drive yesterday, and that the motorist was charged with failure to yield.
Reply
(01-05-2017, 09:28 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Sad news in Kitchener:

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7052...kitchener/

My first reaction when I saw this was to wonder whether the driver was making a right or a left turn.  Turns out he was turning right and not only hit the chap in the crosswalk, but proceeded to drive over him. ....

A man was also struck yesterday while in the crosswalk of a Franklin Blvd traffic circle.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7052...cambridge/
Reply
Indeed this is a very sad story. He was crossing River, (from the Petro Canada to the Esso). I frequent this intersection, and can say from experience that it's unpleasant regardless of walking or driving. I'd go as far as saying Ottawa from Franklin to River is often chaotic and dangerous.

I think this intersection would be a good candidate for a "Scramble Intersection".
Reply
Ohhh, that's too bad. I wondered why the police had part of the roundabout blocked off yesterday when I drove through.
Reply


I drove by last night while they were responding and was wondering what had happened. The NW corner of Ottawa and River is also really poorly lit and shadowed by trees. I wonder if that may have been a factor in the driver failing to see the pedestrian.
Reply
(01-06-2017, 02:09 PM)Chicopee Wrote: Indeed this is a very sad story. He was crossing River, (from the Petro Canada to the Esso). I frequent this intersection, and can say from experience that it's unpleasant regardless of walking or driving. I'd go as far as saying Ottawa from Franklin to River is often chaotic and dangerous.

I think this intersection would be a good candidate for a "Scramble Intersection".

I must say, I have never found it to be either, just quite busy at times, with the exit from the mall representing a modest challenge if you plan to turn left at River Rd.  In any event, the accident doesn't reflect "chaos", it was just (sorry, "just" sounds awful) another of those persistent cases of drivers not paying attention to the right while making a right turn at an intersection.
Reply
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)

About Waterloo Region Connected

Launched in August 2014, Waterloo Region Connected is an online community that brings together all the things that make Waterloo Region great. Waterloo Region Connected provides user-driven content fueled by a lively discussion forum covering topics like urban development, transportation projects, heritage issues, businesses and other issues of interest to those in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the four Townships - North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich.

              User Links