General Road and Highway Discussion

[danbrotherston]

I wouldn't worry. There is exactly zero chance the region would remove a left turn lane that is actually warranted by turning traffic.  Given they haven't even mentioned the idea it's probably just for illustrative purposes.

Good point.

Although there are many intersections that absolutely should have left turn lanes which don’t, usually on roads which should otherwise be two lanes only, so I’m not quite so confident. But I agree that actually removing an existing turn lane seems unlikely.

Also, right turn lanes are 100% unnecessary if they have pedestrian scrambles.

I hadn’t thought of that. I guess if non-motor vehicles have their own phase, then people turning right won’t hold up people going straight. I’m a bit concerned how bicycle lanes would fit into this however.

I actually was thinking a bit about right turns (not considering scrambles at the time). I wonder how well it would work to have right turn lanes separated from the intersection by an island. The usual problem with this is that people can take those turns almost like a highway because of the large radius. But what if the right turn lane separates gradually from the road, then meets the other road with a low-radius curb? Then the main intersection can have zero radius (and therefore the shortest possible pedestrian crossings) while still slowing vehicles making right turns so as to allow safe crossing of the right turn lanes.

Bicycles should be enabled to use the pedestrian scramble phase, but this is a challenge in light sequencing because it would suck to have to wait for the light.

I'm not quite sure what you are suggesting for the separated right turn lane can you draw it out? Are you suggesting something like the right turn leg of this roundabout: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.4268258,-...a=!3m1!1e3 (which I cannot comprehend the reason for anyway, there seems to be no justification for this lane). It sounds like it would take a lot of space...I'm still sure how it makes the crossing easier, it would still depend on the turn radii at the right turn.