I thought I might scan and post the picture from Saturday's paper of the up-coming changes to Winnipeg's Assiniboine avenue as a public service, because it's clearer than the "easy to ready map" posted on the City's web site, which is not only in the wrong orientation and split into two halves, but the arrows on Hargrave are obscured, and not enough of the street is visible to show that it's only a two way for part of it's length. Looking at the web map you might get the impression that the whole street is now two-way.
Now, I'm not a traffic analyst, so I'm not going to comment on the wisdom of these changes until I see them in action -- although I guess I already did with the title of this post -- but I will say this: it looks like a bit of a clusterfuck.
Streets that change from one-way to two-way can be confusing for some drivers, but not only does Assiniboine change from one-way to two way, but it is at different points both one way east bound, and one-way west bound. With this arrangement, Kennedy and Carlton essentially become local-use-only, as they go nowhere except up Edmonton, while Edmonton becomes the only way out for traffic coming off of Osborne, Kennedy, Carlton and Hargrave, potentially becoming much busier.
Who knows? Maybe this is genius. Maybe once it gets implemented it will amaze and dazzle with it's safe and efficient management of cars and bicycles. Or, maybe it will just be a maze.
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Assiniboine Ave gong show
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5 comments:
Oh dear. Welcome to my life for the past...month. Filing that first FOI was either the worst thing or best thing I could have done.
Every day my migraine gets bigger.
I admit, since traffic management ranks at the bottom of my list when it comes to familiar issues in City politics, I'm still not clear on what the *goal* of the changes is.
I'm sure I know what they'll say the goal is, but that's a different issue.
A hobby shouldn't cause you migraines, Graham. Unless somebody is paying you to go after this, I would recommend taking a bit of a break from it: put on some music, pour a snifter of your favorite drink, and let your mind wander to better places.
Brian: a reliable source has told me that the plan is to trick cars into going the wrong way and crashing, thereby driving up insurance rates, thereby forcing people to sell their cars and ride bikes instead.
Ok ... not so reliable source.
It looks a little bit like a crab or lobster trap.
I am thinking it is probably a very innovative move by the same people who brought you red light cameras to increase revenues from ticketing trapped motorists.
You have to admit it is a nice design for that purpose. The only thing that would make it better is that the one ways would change depending on the hour of the day.
And if it works well it could be expanded to all the other north south streets between Broadway ans Assiniboine.
I know, I know stop giving the jerks such good ideas!
The maps on the City website is NOT the map in the Free Press. The maps listed on the website are from January or February.
Seems someone can't keep up with the changes.
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