General Road and Highway Discussion

[robdrimmie]

Slip ramps could be built with any turn radius, and could turn back to parallel so they end at a right angle with the road, so I’m not really seeing how your point applies to hypothetical slip ramps that are designed differently from the ones we currently have in the city. And as I’ve said I believe that slip ramps of appropriate design are a benefit to pedestrians, not just motor vehicles. I have no idea who the traffic engineers believe benefit from slip lanes. Anybody who is opposed to all slip ramps on the basis that they’re bad for pedestrians is not speaking for all pedestrians. Of course, I may be a minority of 1 for all I know.

I can tell you the engineers use ramps to benefit drivers, that's the reason they do almost everything they do in the region, but also, they've told me outright. They aren't going to build a slip ramp that doesn't increase the turn radius on a corner, even if it is geometrically possible.

As for peds, there are objective measures of safety that trump our opinions.  If you can show data which shows islands make safer intersections than narrowing turn radii and shrinking intersections, I'll happily support them, but all the data I've seen contradicts that.

Are there a couple of really good references that you've seen, Dan? I'd be interested in learning more.