Stopping at red lights is not an unfamiliar part of driving for anyone who commutes around urban areas, at least in North America. Charlottetown is no exception. My best count of traffic lights puts 55 sets in Charlottetown, a small city of around 34,000 people. But Charlottetown City Council voted unanimously (one member has since changed his vote) on a proactive solution to a stop and go problem. A roundabout is scheduled to be constructed on Allen Street at Mount Edward Road.
News of Charlottetown’s first roundabout was greeted by a lot of opinion from residents all over the city, but now a group of six area businesses are taking the city’s plan to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC). The businesses, mostly auto dealers, are worried that their profits will drop when the roundabout rolls onto their corner.
Before I set off on my rant, I would first like to point out that Charlottetown did its homework in preparation for this project. Traffic models were designed to outline traffic flow through the roundabout based on real traffic patterns and engineers agreed that the roundabout will not only be able to handle the flow of traffic but it will also help ease congestion at the signalized intersections surrounding this part of the city. One mistake the city did make, however, was not providing a business impact report to the businesses who are now appealing the city’s decision. I understand where this appeal is coming from but I think I also see the real story here.
Allen Street at Mount Edward Road has always been a busy intersection with no left-hand turning lanes. There’s not a whole lot to do while waiting for a green light, except to maybe take a look around – gawking is something all Islanders are good at, including myself - but there is not much to see at this particular intersection except for the hundreds of brand new cars that dot the area. I suspect that red light traffic must account for a considerable margin of profit for these car dealerships who are now appealing the free-flowing roundabout.
Paul Gaudet, owner of City Collision Services, cited to CBC that one of his concerns is that people might avoid the area rather than navigate the roundabout. Paul could be right, some Islanders are not prone to change and might just avoid the roundabout rather than learning how to navigate it. Should the city not build the roundabout because of possible avoidance by nervous drivers? No, it’s not the city’s job to cator to the few. Besides, if Paul is concerned that his business will be affected if drivers take different routes, then shouldn’t he invest in a little advertising to make sure his business remains successful? As for the car dealerships, well, I don’t feel they’re in grave danger because if someone wants to buy a new GMC in Charlottetown they really only have the one choice.
I suspect this issue will continue to go round and around until fears of the roundabout end once all drivers learn from experience that they’re not only simple to use but better for the environment and safer than a signalized intersection. As for businesses basing their fiscal projections on traffic congestion advertising, well, that’s their problem.
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the picture that you have there, is that an actual rendering of what the new roundabout will look like, or is that just something you pulled off the internet?
I agree that roundabouts are a good thing, in most cases. I do however think it will be a mistake to place one at Mt.Edward and Allen Street. Now, I haven’t looked at the blueprints for it or anything, so I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think that there will be enough space to make a roundabout large enough to help ease through the flow of traffic.
They work in places like Pictou and Port Elgin, but those roundabouts are pretty sizeable. I feel the roundabout in Summerside is a huge joke, and thats what I forsee happening here in Charlottetown. Having just used the one in Summerside this evening, and on other occasions as well, I found myself commenting on how ridiculous it was. I know you have to wait for an opportune moment to enter a roundabout, but there were lengthy line ups to gain access. That roundabout is so small that once you do enter it you’re nose to tail with people already in it. Having no room for other cars to enter until the cars in it have taken their exits just slows down the traffic and leaves it congested.
This is what I’m picturing for Charlottetown, and if thats the case, why waste the time and money on it? Just leave it as is, and save the money. Watching a large truck attempting to get through to make a delivery will be dreadful if there’s not enough room to maneouver around the traffic circle.
Again, I haven’t looked at traffic models, nor am I anywhere close to an engineer, those are just my thoughts on the idea of it without doing research.
I’m sure despite the appeals of any opposition, it will get the “green light” (bahaha) and go ahead as planned so people will have to deal with it no matter how it turns out. Maybe it’ll help, maybe it won’t…time will tell.
I also agree that it is up to the businesses to keep their clientele coming, without traffic congestion being a priority for drawing in the customers. You’d think they’d want to have a better reason for being successful anyways.
Meh, thats all from me!
Rikimae, I made the picture from a Google Map capture and a picture of an actual roundabout.
mO, you are right about the roundabout (I’m growing sick of that word) in Summerside being a big joke. The province built something suitable for a city street but not a highway. A traffic circle, like the ones in Pictou and Port Elgin, would have worked better in Summerside.
Charlottetown purchased land around the existing intersection, so engineers had more room than what we see now when they planned out the design. From my understanding, it’s going to be quite large and double lane.
My fear is not on whether or not a roundabout will work at this particular intersection but whether Islanders will actually be able to handle one with a constant flow of traffic from all directions.
I think maybe the real problem is not with the Traffic Circle but more with the ability of Islanders to accept any change in their daily lives.
Islanders as whole have become one big bunch of whiney self improtant a-holes who think PEI is the center of some silly little universe.
If the attitudes that prevail in PEI today had been here 75 years ago we would still be using horse abd buggies and car would be illegal.
Islanders neeed to start to look around and grow up or else the rest of the planet will qucikly leave them where they belong alone in the world.
If someone can’t use the roundabout than just go around it there are lots of other options for people to get around that area of Ch’town.
As far as the business owners go I think this shows a complete lack of respect for the travelling public and shows the only people these businesses care about is themselves.
Yeah, you’re right about that Andrew…I don’t think Island drivers (a large number of them at least) will be able to handle a steady flow of traffic from all directions. Just seeing how some people merge in places like the bypass and even onto University Avenue from UPEI can be horrifying. People have an unwillingness to let others in when the lane is about to end, because everyone is in their own rush to get somewhere. Having this happen in a circle if people don’t adjust their driving and learn to use it properly is going to be a nightmare!
I am in favour of a roundabout, but just not at this particular intersection. I don’t know how they tend to clear the land needed to make one, as I don’t THINK anybody yet has seen a detailed plan of what it will actually look like. When I see the row of trees on the farm property, I hate to think that they MAY have to be removed. Then there is a large electrical box on that farm side of Allen Street across from the car dealership. What I think they only need to do is to install an left turning lane where the house that was removed, and a right turning late going towards town. But that is only my opinion.
On another note, what I notice is that the road leading to the hospital on Riverside Drive lacks traffic lights, a sidewalk or a guardrail on the little bridge. Here we have a major highway the Bypass which goes right by the hospital and there is a set of lights but when you turn towards town, you enter into darkness until you get up by the Waste Watch Incinerator.
Ron McKinley is doing a great job of getting new bridges, traffic lights etc. but this little stretch of road leading to our major hospital sits in darkness. The visibility during a rain or snow storm is very poor in that area, especially when crossing the bridge. A pedestrian has already been killed on Riverside Drive since the driver never saw the person. What will it take to get a few traffic lights installed here and a sidewalk. They are building sidewalks on the Lower Malpeque Road and the Brackley Point Road, which is great but why is this area neglected. Does anyboy else feel the same way? I have already emailed Mr. McKinley with my concerns, but he hasn’t even acknowledged it YET.
I would be interested to see if any of you share my concerns and if you think traffic lights and a sidewalk should be a priority for this major traffic area and the entrance to our hospital.
Good for the City in having the sense to move forward with this roundabout.
Seems like Islanders want to complain and growl and never change anything. They think they are somehow more important or better than everyone else.
Islanders need to learn that without the rest of thre world they won’t survive.
I can’t believe that actual business people are taking the City to court over the roaundabout.
I know as one citizen that I will go out of my way to NEVER do business with any of these businesses in the future. Any business that wants to stifle development or stop the city and province from moving forward doesn’t deserve to be in business.