Comments on: A Park Circle Where Walkers Feel Welcome

By: BrooklynBus

BrooklynBus — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:14:35 +0000

With Sean's design, how about putting a bus lane near the circle, so they don'thave to get stuck with other traffic?

By: Urbanis

Urbanis — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:02:59 +0000

On the other hand, putting the lanes on the outside, as in Sean's design, gives more space back to the park, which I like. What I think is particularly exciting is reconnecting the island to the mainland, so to speak, and reclaiming it for the park.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:03:55 +0000

Cars in middle sounds good. Would it make it less like a circle?
Also, i like the Bank building. It looks great on that corner.

By: BrooklynBus

BrooklynBus — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:07:21 +0000

With Sean's idea, how about giving buses their own lane near the circle so they are not delayed with other traffic?

By: One person's opinion

One person's opinion — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:37:08 +0000

Sean's idea is good, but I personally prefer Larry's. Move the vehicular lanes towards the center to create a tight circle that slows cars, and put the new public space towards the outside. Operate the signal 2-phase - one all-car, one all-pedestrian, with a clearance phase in between if necessary.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:19:31 +0000

Thanks, streetsblog, for featuring my idea! I must admit I was really surprised to see it pop up here and on the sidebar last week... it was just a quick idea that I wanted to digitize and share. I just wanted to get people to think about what the area could be like if it was treated like a "normal" road, and not a circle or a roundabout. This was just a high-level "metal sketch", and not based on traffic data or the like. I'm know there's a zillion other things to consider in any design.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:11:33 +0000

(would love to see a photoshop'd mockup of your idea)

Don't have those skills, I'm afraid. I could ask my kids, but they're not interested.

By: oscarfrye

oscarfrye — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:24:28 +0000

interesting, Larry...would love to see a photoshop'd mockup of your idea

By: paco

paco — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:20:53 +0000

speaking of that Commerce /TD Bank... streetsblog had a interesting story and lots of comments previously about it too...

http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/08/13/commerce-bank-to-cyclists-your-moneys-no-good-here/

By: Eric McClure

Eric McClure — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:56:34 +0000

Commerce Bank is no more -- it's now TD Bank. But whatever it's called, it could benefit from a redesign.

By: Rhywun

Rhywun — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:49:19 +0000

The bank story reminds me of the time I tried to walk through a BK drive-through across the street from my college dorm, many years ago. The restaurant was closed but for some reason cars were entitled to longer hours. Needless to say, they refused my business.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:35:39 +0000

Close the park to traffic. It requires no redesigning, costs nothing, and is an easy way way to eliminate one at least one dangerous crossing for pedestrians at Park Circle.

By: Charles Siegel

Charles Siegel — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:10:26 +0000

I agree with Larry. Note that, if you move the lanes toward the center, you also make the cars go around a circle with a tighter turning radius, which would slow them down a bit.

By: Larry Littlefield

Larry Littlefield — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:27:47 +0000

If the point is that given the level of traffic just two moving lanes are enough, why not just expand the outside areas of the circle leaving just two moving lanes toward the center?

The entire circle could be green for motor vehicles for a long light cycle, and then green for pedestrians in all directions. Vehicles would not be delayed by other vehicles making turns. A smaller circle would leave the cars to queue on the side streets.

The problem with expanding the center is that given the limited pedestrian traffic in the area, it does not feel safe at night. I know people who walk through this area all the time, and they walk around the edge -- not even currently legal on the overpass side.

Just imagine that the area in yellow toward the center, instead of being the place where the motor vehicles were not, was the place where the motor vehicles were -- with a smaller area on the park side.