[LEMONS] 9.08.2003
Please (don't) Kill Me / Vote No on Traffic Circles
I walk, I bike, and I drive around the neighborhood, and I don't think they're safe. People just think, 'Oh, I have the right of way,' and go ahead. It gives people a false sense of security.My neighborhood is an experiment. That is, the city has put experimental traffic circles in on Page Street. The circles are intended to "calm" traffic. They're endorsed by the Bike coalition, and have been sucessful in other locations.
Now, I'm normally a Bike coalition, traffic calming, kind of guy. But these things, the way they are now, are deadly. i've had close encounters in the new circles as a driver, a cyclist, and a pedestrian. I've witnessed numerous near-misses, as cars fly through the circles oblivious to pedestrians crossing at the opposite side of the intersection. THe circles would be fantastic if they had stop signs or better pedestrian signals. But they don't. Apparantly, according to the Bay Guardian article (above), the circles came about as some sort of Faustian bargain on emissions reduction, and now it's either circles or stop signs, but not both.
That's bullshit.
The Bike coalition is dead wrong on this issue, clearly hasn't studied it (at least not in any way other than the abstract, a radar gun and an intersection observer are all it would take to dispell any notion that the circles benefit anyone other than drivers), and has shown an utter disregard for its consituency in favor of popular political theory. Fortunately, it isn't up to the bike coalition as to whether or not the circles stay; it's up to us, the residents of Page Street.
Please don't kill me. Please vote no on the traffic circles.
- l i n k -
