Road design, safety and Vision Zero

[Bob_McBob]

There was some significant discussion about roundabout safety improvements at the P&W Committee meeting yesterday. Apparently the region is looking into trying raised crosswalks at at least one roundabout, but staff seem pretty happy with the current safety level for pedestrians and cyclists. I anticipate "illumination improvements" will be the major focus. Of note, the traffic manager or whoever was giving the presentation emphasized that flashing lights at roundabout pedestrian crossovers would likely be a "distraction" for drivers due to commercial signage surrounding them.

Councillor Huinink, who is visually impaired and uses a wheelchair, said she basically has to hope vehicles stop for her when crossing at roundabouts because there's no audible signal like at a regular intersection. IMO a lot of other councillors made comments that show they don't really understand anything about traffic planning or road safety.

Improved Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety and Accessibility at Roundabouts

Collision statistics in the Region from 2016 to 2020 indicate good overall performance for roundabouts in the area of pedestrian safety. Some of this good statistical performance is likely attributable to informed improvements that have been incorporated into roundabout designs.

Nevertheless, Regional staff have heard general concerns around pedestrian safety at roundabouts through various forms of engagement and it is plausible that these concerns hinder the Region’s efforts to encourage more people to walk, roll, and cycle around the Region. In addition to proving safe for active transportation users, roundabouts need to feel safe in order for people to feel comfortable choosing a non-car mode for their travels. To that end, Regional staff are investigating several design enhancements, both for future roundabout designs and for retrofitting existing roundabouts, which would be aimed at improving the safety, desirability and accessibility of roundabouts for active transportation users.

Raised Crosswalks

The Region will be looking into the possibility of implementing raised crosswalks at roundabouts across both the approach and exit lanes. The goal of a raised crosswalk is to raise driver awareness around the requirement to yield to pedestrians, and to lower vehicle speeds at these critical junctions. Regional staff will be looking for opportunities to retrofit at least one existing intersection with raised crosswalks (particularly at a location with higher pedestrian volumes), and to incorporate raised crosswalks into at least one new roundabout scheduled for construction in the near future. These implementations would be supported by data collection efforts (e.g. vehicle speeds, driver yield compliance) to measure the effectiveness of the design feature and assess their candidacy for wider use across the Region. An example of a raised midblock pedestrian crossing – which could be adapted to a roundabout pedestrian crossing – is shown in Figure 9.

Rapid Flashing Beacons with Accessible Pedestrian Signals

Similarly, the Region will be investigating the feasibility of installing Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at roundabout crosswalks. One of the goals of the RRFB implementation would be to raise driver awareness of the requirement to yield to pedestrians. Additionally, RRFB can be further enhanced with the inclusion of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) which would provide audible cues for users with visual impairments, increasing the accessibility of roundabout crossings. Regional staff will be looking for opportunities to retrofit at least one existing intersection with RRFB and APS (particularly at a location with higher pedestrian volumes). Since there are concerns that RRFB may have unintended consequences that actually worsen pedestrian safety, the implementation of RRFBs with APS at roundabout crossings would be combined with extensive data collection to ensure that compliance improves with respect to drivers yielding to pedestrians. An example of a midblock pedestrian crossing with RRFB – which could be adapted to a roundabout pedestrian crossing – is shown in Figure 10.

Staff will also look at the feasibility of combining a raised pedestrian crosswalk with an RRFB and APS implementation to understand the effect of both pedestrian safety and accessibility features in tandem.

Illumination Improvements

Staff are working to review the illumination of pedestrian facilities at roundabouts to ensure that pedestrian visibility is adequate during low-light conditions. A fulsome illumination review of all existing roundabouts is planned for 2023 and, where necessary, staff will develop a plan to install street lighting improvements for consideration in the future Regional Capital Budget Program.

Dutch-Style Roundabout Design Readiness

A modern, more bicycle-friendly roundabout design has emerged in the Netherlands that involves a bicycle ring around the outside of the roundabout’s vehicle lanes that allows cyclists to safely and efficiently navigate the roundabout within the confines of their own operating space. This design, which has been given the colloquial name “Dutch-Style Roundabouts”, has gained popularity globally as a way to improve conditions for cyclists at roundabouts. Figure 11 shows a Dutch-style Roundabout that has been designed and implemented in Cambridge, England.

Currently, there is no way to facilitate a Dutch-style roundabout in the Region of Waterloo since the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA) does not allow the introduction of a crossing where motorists must yield to bicyclists (other than at signalized bicycle crossings). The Region – and other municipalities around the province – continue to lobby for changes to the HTA that would allow a protected bicycle crossing at roundabouts. In the short-term, Regional staff are looking to design roundabouts where possible in a manner that they can be adapted to a Dutch-style design in the future, when and if changes to the HTA support this design.