27th Avenue updates
The plans for 27th Avenue were discussed at a recent meeting. I was going to post them here, but Transit Miami did such a great job, I'll just send you over there to see what was discussed and planned.
I am not against beautification at all, but I just don't think taking property away from businesses under this eminent domain law is right and I don't see how Crook and Crook, Shell Gas and Burger King will ever make the Grove have a nice, classy entrance from US1.
A traffic circle at one busy intersection makes no sense. Leaving the traffic light does. This is a major roadway, not some winding scenic road in a quiet area where just a few cars go by. The traffic circle will only delay traffic, not help it move along.
I am not against beautification at all, but I just don't think taking property away from businesses under this eminent domain law is right and I don't see how Crook and Crook, Shell Gas and Burger King will ever make the Grove have a nice, classy entrance from US1.
A traffic circle at one busy intersection makes no sense. Leaving the traffic light does. This is a major roadway, not some winding scenic road in a quiet area where just a few cars go by. The traffic circle will only delay traffic, not help it move along.
posted by Tom Falco at 8:59 AM
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6 Comments:
Depending on how it's configured, a properly designed traffic circle will improve traffic flow. Modern roundabouts (an advanced variant of the traffic circle) are in use at very major intersections in Europe (especially the UK), for example, and are gaining more popularity in the United States. They have much higher capacity than a signaled intersection, and there are less vehicular conflicts (simply put: points where vehicles can collide with each other because their paths cross). Every time a traffic signal turns red, that traffic has to stop, and it causes a backup. The cycle repeats when that light turns green and opposing traffic turns red.
In this particular case, you have three disjointed intersections that will now be smoothly connected. That's one of the strengths of this type of configuration.
Also, just looking at an aerial of the intersection, It looks like 27th Avenue's capacity could actually increase. I haven't seen what the circle would look like, but looking at an aerial photo, I currently see a left turn lane, a through lane, and a right turn lane. In a circular configuration, what is presently a left-only turn lane can now suddenly become both a left and a through lane, which significantly increases how much traffic the road can carry (because now you have two straight-bound lanes and a left turn lane that doesn't have to wait on a green arrow or for oncoming traffic to clear). A motorist heading northbound on 27th in the left lane has the option of continuing onward to northbound 27th, or staying in the circle's left land and turning onto westward Tigertail.
Roundabouts are also safer for pedestrians to cross than a traditional signalized intersection.
Grapevine, I still don't understand your point about "taking property away" from business owners through eminent domain. The swale is a public right of way, so if the county is asserting its right to use the swale that doesn't constitute an eminent domain taking.
In any event, even if it was an exercise of eminent domain, the Takings Clause of the Constitution requires just compensation. So it's not like these "business owners" would be totally screwed.
Finally! The city is actually doing its job.
Anonymous #1 took the words right out of my mouth. Traffic circles (including the mega circle at end of Champs Elysees, have been used in Europe for years and work much better than traffic lights in many places.
The problem is that many drivers are just not educated on how to approach a traffic circle (I see it all the time on the one at Hardee).
Some drivers think "Yield" means "stop" and they stop... which defeats the purpose
Others think that if you come from a smaller street you don't have the right of way (e.g., from Maggiore into Hardee).
In real life, there's only two rules:
(1) You yield to cars that are already inside the circle and
(2) If you are in a monster circle, you yield to your right
I personally think that traffic circles are more democratic than traffic signals. Traffic signals are just a little bit tyrannical. Especially when their timing has no relationship to traffic flow.
The Cocoplum traffic round-a-bout works great. Imagine if there was a traffic signal there instead of the cirlcle that flows very well even during peak hours. The light at Main highway and Lejeune causes serious issues...
I like the idea.
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