Key takeaways:
- Roundabout at Vogue Optical junction to have committed active transportation lanes.
- A render of the planned roundabout to substitute the intersection by Vogue Optical and the Esso on Belvedere Avenue in Charlottetown.
A new roundabout arriving at Belvedere Avenue, St. Peters Road, and Brackley Point Road in Charlottetown will have separate bicycle routes.
Coun. Terry MacLeod says he’s heard from pedestrians and cyclists regarding challenges at the so-called Vogue Optical corner.
“There have been many close misses with pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, too,” he said.
One of the “engineering challenges” for the offered roundabout was making a safe route for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate.
“Part of this procedure was to make certain that it’s simply not for vehicles,” he stated. “There’s going to be one lane for cars, and there’s going to be a route for cycling and useful crosswalks for pedestrians.”
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MacLeod said the roundabout would enhance access to local businesses, too.
An option for ‘perfect design’
Isaac Williams with Bike Friendly Communities and an avid cyclist states the present intersection isn’t secure for cyclists — and neither are the other roundabouts in the city.
“This is an option to set a precedent for an excellent design,” he said.
“I’ve shared most of the roundabouts in town, and it can be nerve-racking even for a professional cyclist to control your way through that because you have to act like a vehicle.”
Williams points to the roundabout on Belvedere Avenue near UPEI, where cyclists are pushed to bike alongside traffic through the roundabout because the bike lane fades.
Source – cbc.ca
