Powder House Circle traffic violations

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

I've grown increasingly alarmed at the cars running red lights at Powder House Circle.  You take your life into your own hands crossing through there.   Having a walk signal isn't enough to ensure you will survive, you have to make sure no cars are close enough to reach you if they don't decide to stop for their red light.  I shudder to think how dangerous it would be to cross if one was a senior or not able to move quickly.

I realize the design of the rotary is somewhat confusing for the driver and somewhat easy to miss the traffic light as they go around the circle, but I don't really care, one of the most basic part of driving is obeying traffic lights and not injuring people.  

So I guess I'll take this to an alderman, or resistat, or the committee on traffic or something.  Just wondering if there have been efforts in the past.  It seems to me a camera should be installed there and fines issued.  Could be a revenue generator for the city.

Comments

[ron_newman]

Having some crosswalks controlled by traffic lights and others not is very confusing for everybody -- pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists.

I can't think of another rotary anywhere where you should sometimes stop inside the circle, as opposed to stopping before entering the circle.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a rotary except when it's not.

[blacktigr.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with this. I take the rotary twice a week and it is never exactly the same experience twice.

Although the Rt 16 rotary is crazier, given that there is a road that goes straight through it.

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

I am still confused if is OK to turn right on a red light when it is in a rotary.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

I understand that the design of the rotary is confusing in many places. However the red light that should make cars stop to the cross walk on the western side is not confusing. In this case you are crossing under a light that is red and it is clearly wrong. Just because you don't expect a light to be there in a rotary doesn't mean it is not and that it is OK to go under it. It is in plain sight.

[xuth.livejournal.com]

What's fun is when they set up the traffic lights wrong. I saw that happen two separate times while I lived a couple of blocks from there.

[littlecitynames.livejournal.com]

Not in that rotary, I don't think. The light's there so pedestrians can cross, not so cars coming from a different direction can go.

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

I agree, I used to have to take this route quite a bit and always found it terrifying. I always wondered why the city didn't park a cruiser there -- think of all the tickets!!

[808.livejournal.com]

I find it relatively simple to drive through, but scary to walk through for the reasons you describe.

But at least it doesn't have eddies:

[ron_newman]

Which is 'the Route 16 rotary'? The one where Mystic Valley Parkway meets it, at the Arlington-Somerville border?

[ron_newman]

I usually find it quite pleasant to bike through, but I suspect that either driving or walking through it regularly would be less enjoyable.

[blacktigr.livejournal.com]

http://g.co/maps/hdhg9

The one in Everett.

[ron_newman]

That used to be an ordinary rotary, without signals and without the road going through the middle. I don't know why they changed it.

[gingicat]

Wellington Circle.

[gingicat]

Yeah, I've been honked at for slowing down when I know I'm going to miss the green light... and I know that the person honking at me would have gone through on red, then!

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

concurring vote: that rotary sucks.

opposing vote: i'd campaign against any elected official who viewed traffic cameras as a source of revenue.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I don't think the lights are ever green there. They blink red or yellow, for entering or leaving the rotary, respectively.

Which is I think part of the problem. I suspect many drivers don't even realize that the red light they are looking at is now solid instead of blinking.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

This right here - particularly when the light changes from blinking to solid, it's nigh impossible to tell that's happening until it's done. I think blinking green for exiting and blinking yellow for entering might be the way to go, then the red would actually stick out. Except not only would people used to the current system get confused, but blinking green might technically not communicate the proper legal traffic rule at that point in the rotary. Grah.

Alternatively they could stop people entering the rotary, wait for it to empty, and then let people walk, but that would mean much longer waits, possibly to the point that the line of cars would back up to Teele Square. Double grah.

[curiositykt.livejournal.com]

I can't stand walking or driving through it, it was my main motivation to move out of that neighborhood. I don't think traffic cameras would help at all, I think they should move the crosswalks so they aren't directly in the rotary, and let the rotary function like a normal one without the stupid walk triggered red lights that you never see because they happen with extremely little warning and you are already trying to figure out how to not hit a bike. Plus it's incredibly frustrating to be in the circle and have it trigger on the other side not related to you, and be stuck there while your opportunity to get out disappears in front of you.

As a walker I would not use the crosswalk button unless it was really really busy because I didn't want to screw up the traffic flow. I hate when entirely able bodied adults who are capable of sight can't just look up and see that there aren't cars coming and walk across broadway (the other sides are a little more understandable to use the button).

Really the stress and annoyance that rotary caused me, probably took a few years off my life. I have to drive through there tomorrow and I am already dreading it. It's almost enough to make me not want to ever go into that section of town again.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Me too.

[ron_newman]

This, exactly. Yes, there's no green bulb on those lights. And it's also hard to distinguish regular blinking yellow from "yellow, about to turn red".

[enveri.livejournal.com]

Agreed entirely.

I will drive miles out of my way to avoid this rotary, and it seems like the stupidest design ever to have the crosswalks cross the rotary itself instead of the artery streets.

My utmost sympathy to anyone trying to walk it, but rest assured, it's hell trying to drive it.

[ratushebarl.livejournal.com]

It looks like a rotary, but it doesn't work like one. This is wrong.

Will Tom Champion rescue us?

[cden4.livejournal.com]

I would love to see the rotary turned into more of a roundabout and the traffic signal removed: tighten up the roadway so it's only one lane wide, make the entries and exits sharper turns, put yield markings for cars (and bikes) at all crosswalks (including the one through the middle). This forces traffic to go slowly and orderly and makes it very easy for pedestrians to cross.

[witchdogtor.livejournal.com]

this. I drive it every day and it seems it would function much better if turned into a real rotary.