http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mayors-approve-of-opening-portage--main-to-pedestrians-381805961.html

I know this has been an ongoing topic for many years....  Does anyone think that taking down the concrete barriers at Portage and Main is a good idea?

I've read the comments sections in the Sun and Free Press over the years and it seems that a vast majority of people are against this.

Myself I think it's a terrible idea purely because it will kill the businesses underground and the even greater issue is that it will be very dangerous for pedestrians.

I don't really see why the mayor thinks that by doing this it will bring the people downtown?  I would assume making downtown safer would be a much higher priority to attract the people?

Any thoughts?

28 minutes ago, Logan007 said:

Yeah I figured it helped out, it's just the people that still don't know how to use it that bug me.  I couldn't imagine the idiots in our city learning to use a giant roundabout downtown.  It'll be like Chevy Chase in European Vacation when they're in London and they keep going around and around because they can't figure out how to get out.  This just doesn't scream "good idea" to me.  I mean, people still don't know how to merge in this city.

Whats to figure out? It's essentially one big yield.

28 minutes ago, Logan007 said:

Yeah I figured it helped out, it's just the people that still don't know how to use it that bug me.  I couldn't imagine the idiots in our city learning to use a giant roundabout downtown.  It'll be like Chevy Chase in European Vacation when they're in London and they keep going around and around because they can't figure out how to get out.  This just doesn't scream "good idea" to me.  I mean, people still don't know how to merge in this city.

Whats to figure out? It's essentially one big yield.

28 minutes ago, Logan007 said:

Yeah I figured it helped out, it's just the people that still don't know how to use it that bug me.  I couldn't imagine the idiots in our city learning to use a giant roundabout downtown.  It'll be like Chevy Chase in European Vacation when they're in London and they keep going around and around because they can't figure out how to get out.  This just doesn't scream "good idea" to me.  I mean, people still don't know how to merge in this city.

Whats to figure out? It's essentially one big yield.

31 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Whats to figure out? It's essentially one big yield.

Have you driven in Winnipeg before?

"Look kids, Big Ben!"

 

Seriously tho...we have several round-a-bouts in Calgary, and they're good. You get used to them eventually...

4 hours ago, Logan007 said:

Have you driven in Winnipeg before?

I know, our yield signs are in red.

I go through the Southdale roundabout often and love it. It's made traffic in the area so much better. You get the odd person who doesn't know what they're doing, but there are also idiots who sit and stare at each other at 4 ways,  so nothing is foolproof. 

On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 6:28 PM, sweep the leg said:

I go through the Southdale roundabout often and love it. It's made traffic in the area so much better. You get the odd person who doesn't know what they're doing, but there are also idiots who sit and stare at each other at 4 ways,  so nothing is foolproof. 

I had a house in Southdale before we moved to Calgary & the roundabout was built. Been through there a few times since & I guess it's okay.

I lived on Willowlake before the Roundabout and it was horrible during rush hour. 

The small round abouts Winnipeg loves so much are moronic.  To small to be effective and difficult for firetrucks, snow clearing and other large trucks (delivery etc).  Useless really.

On ‎2016‎-‎06‎-‎03 at 9:55 PM, FrostyWinnipeg said:

i want something like this. If it's not doable then fudge it.

 

 

 

 

So, we should build an elevated walkway to mirror the underground walkway that already exists? Seems redundant.

 

8 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

I lived on Willowlake before the Roundabout and it was horrible during rush hour. 

The small round abouts Winnipeg loves so much are moronic.  To small to be effective and difficult for firetrucks, snow clearing and other large trucks (delivery etc).  Useless really.

They're calming circles meant to slow down traffic, not roundabouts meant to improve traffic flow.

11 minutes ago, JCon said:

They're calming circles meant to slow down traffic, not roundabouts meant to improve traffic flow.

They call them calming circles because they are stupid.  The stop signs they previously used slowed traffic down too.

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

They call them calming circles because they are stupid.  The stop signs they previously used slowed traffic down too.

I agree they are stupid. But they slow traffic down in all directions, where as the stop signs only slowed traffic down in two directions.

Calming Circles > Stop Signs

Roundabouts > Calming Circles

6 minutes ago, JCon said:

I agree they are stupid. But they slow traffic down in all directions, where as the stop signs only slowed traffic down in two directions.

Calming Circles > Stop Signs

Roundabouts > Calming Circles

In Brandon they used yields and stop signs at the same intersections.  Thought it made way more sense.   Calming circles are basically just removing stop signs and throwing a barricade in the way for you to drive around. 

11 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

They call them calming circles because they are stupid.  The stop signs they previously used slowed traffic down too.

They have traffic calming here in Calgary as well like a 3 mile long playground zone on Elbow Drive just to slow traffic down not to save kids lives. .

Just put up those school zone speed limit signs if u want chit to slow down.

48 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

In Brandon they used yields and stop signs at the same intersections.  Thought it made way more sense.   Calming circles are basically just removing stop signs and throwing a barricade in the way for you to drive around. 

We also have roundabouts.  Or "calming circles".  Never heard that term until this thread.

Those school zones are a scam too. 

1 hour ago, Brandon Blue&Gold said:

We also have roundabouts.  Or "calming circles".  Never heard that term until this thread.

Calming circles and roundabouts are two different things.

Calming Circle

Roundabout

They arent very calming.  More like aggravating circles. 

45 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

They arent very calming.  More like aggravating circles. 

Yeah, I was going through the side streets the other day in St. Boniface, and coming towards one of those calming circles, and some guy crossing in front of me just blew through that thing like there was nothing there.  Didn't even come close to slowing down.  It's a good thing I didn't get there a few seconds earlier.

On ‎2016‎-‎06‎-‎06 at 1:28 PM, Noeller said:

"Look kids, Big Ben!"

 

Seriously tho...we have several round-a-bouts in Calgary, and they're good. You get used to them eventually...

Yeah, imagine if 37th & Glenmore had traffic lights....yuck.

On ‎2016‎-‎06‎-‎09 at 7:38 AM, The Unknown Poster said:

They arent very calming.  More like aggravating circles. 

Calming circle, sounds like an NDP feel-good-kindergarten term