Comment by pkamb
4 hours ago
> the bulk of traffic all needs to slow down, downshift, turn a bit in one direction and then turn a bit in the other direction for the minority of traffic that's bleeding on or off the main artery.
Slowing/calming traffic like this is a good thing. Make it impossible to speed. Enforce the existing 35mph speed limit via concrete rather than allowing cars to rip through a yellow light at 70mph. You're also ignoring this aspect when you call roundabouts "(mostly) worse for cyclists and pedestrians".
A place where traffic slows down, without actually stopping, and becomes congested with no time/space gaps between vehicles, is worse for pedestrians.
> becomes congested with no time/space gaps between vehicles, is worse for pedestrians
Why? This feels like it's assuming pedestrians share the street with vehicles, but besides the US and some other places, don't most "modern" countries have separate pavements/streets for pedestrians? Besides in the country-side, vehicles and pedestrians don't generally share the road in populated areas here in Spain. For crossing roads outside cities, building a pedestrian tunnel below or a bridge above seems to preferred here, except in the cases where it isn't possible, and in cities obviously.
In my city in Norway, at least, there is never a traffic pattern where it's not either:
* a small roundabout with really clear pedestrian right of way marked
* a pedestrian path that takes you over or under the road instead of crossing it
It's great!
There used to be an epidemic of cars striking and killing pedestrians. The advertising industry (hired by the auto industry) came up with the new imaginary crime called "jaywalking". This diverted attention from the killers and onto the victims. Just one more version of the victim blaming that derives from the Just World Hypothesis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_fallacy
> Why? This feels like it's assuming pedestrians share the street with vehicles, but besides the US and some other places, don't most "modern" countries have separate pavements/streets for pedestrians?
Surely this is a joke or just a flimsy pretext to imply that murka bad or whatever.
Even with a fully paved and sidewalked roundabout (or intersection of any other type) the more of a clusterfuck it is the less time and attention any given traffic participant has to give any other traffic participant is and this is where you get all the stupid "idiots trying to pass each other in a hallway" type misunderstandings and whatnot. It's just better for everyone if things aren't a clusterfuck.
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The traffic has to yield to pedestrians when entering and exiting a roundabout, period.
Not in UK.
However there are often pedestrian crossings across the roads or the volume is low enough pedestrians can easily cross. A local roundabout got busy enough we had crossing added less than 10 years ago and the biggest road there was a minor B road.
I am a pedestrian due to sight issues and have found very few places where it is difficult to cross when needed.
No it isn't unless all driver all break the law and don't stop for waiting pedestrians.
That's a thing that happens.
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