MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
I agree, most do, but, not this particular intersection.
OT: Mount Vernon's Round-A-bout?
- Thread starter MelroseHawkins
- Start date
I agree, most do, but, not this particular intersection.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing Thawki had a part to do with it!
Personally I think they are stupid.
However, I do understand them and can see the benefit.
The biggest thing I think is the size.
Because unless you are very familiar with the roads and the size of them, they create more of a problem than they ever solved.
Some are basically nothing more than basically dodging a statue or similar sized object. Basically like parking a mini van in the middle of the intersection, a round mini van.
However, I do understand them and can see the benefit.
The biggest thing I think is the size.
Because unless you are very familiar with the roads and the size of them, they create more of a problem than they ever solved.
Some are basically nothing more than basically dodging a statue or similar sized object. Basically like parking a mini van in the middle of the intersection, a round mini van.
Fryowa
Administrator
That guy got some serious fuckin altitude there.
He had the full monte going—sparks, four point water landing, and rear bumper deployment. Watch closely and you’ll notice during the launch portion he has the wherewithal to get off the brakes so as not to flat spot the Goodyears upon touchdown. It’s the little things that separate the pros from the weekend warriors, and this dude has clearly jumped a roundabout or two in his day. Easy 9.5/10
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
This. There are places where they make sense. Other places...not so much.
I don't know about the IADoT but some of the decisions and designs that MNDOT comes up with lead me to believe it's a bunch of retarded monkeys with crayons drawing up the plans.
There's a busy interchange (I494 & Hwy 169) in the SW metro that was rebuilt around 2000 to the tune of $60M. They choose not to make it a full freeway interchange, leaving stoplights at key intersections which killed the flow of traffic and caused backups daily. Everybody (outside of MTDOT and the dipshit politicians who run this state) said "What the hell are you doing?"
Ten years later they decide they should have done it right the first time and spend $140M to rip it up and do it all over. Un-f******-believable". Don't tell me somebody isn't getting greased under the table.
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MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
You crack me up!
He's prob a millenial and was looking at his cell phone and was like "Holy $%#!".
AreWeThereYet
Well-Known Member
He was just having some fun fucking things up.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Your guys are just trainees for the Iowa City Street Engineering Dept. They are all about road "dieting" these days. You know what that is?
Just an excuse to put in bicycle lanes that no one uses (still most ride on the sidewalks) but it fits in with the arbitrary Master Bicycle Plan they passed a few years ago. Mormon Trek Blvd will soon be reduced from 4 lanes to 2. And they just restriped a section of Clinton St from 4 lanes to 2 adding new bicycle lanes. The funny thing about that one is there are now bicycle lanes in a two block section but they don't seemingly connect to any other bicycle lanes.
Nah. Car traffic won't back up. Good grief IC is already a cluster frack.
And they could spend some of that time and money fixing some potholes and resurfacing streets. That would help both bicyclists and motorists.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
This is exactly what "Bike lane Betsy" (Mpls previous mayor) did. The streets are a freaking mess...not to mention what happens when it snows. And they wonder why people move to the suburbs.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
I take that Clinton St. everyday to work. Kind of F me up the first day after they restripped it. I wasn't expecting it and was like "Holy chit" we lost a lane.
The other miserable Iowa City intersection is at N Dubuque and E Jefferson where have to be in the R lane to go straight but then have to merge to the Left after crossing E Jeff. People in the L lane are instructed to turn L but some go straight on N Dubuque. About been hit at times as people don't follow the signs and go straight when I'm to merge to the L. they then honk because I'm pinching them off when they are the dumb asses for not reading the signs. Kind of funny. I think some just go straight cause they really don't care what the sign says.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
I use the round-a-bout in Mt. Vernon and it is poorly designed. In my county in Wisconsin, RAB’s have become pervasive and have been, for the most part, well designed and placed in appropriate intersections. Several have reduced the number of accidents both in number and severity. And they typically improve traffic flow. Four way stops are a mess, even though I have found drivers to generally be observant and polite. As to traffic lights, too many drivers approach them too fast, ignore the yellow, and too often just flat run the reds. High percentages of serious crashes occur at lighted intersections. I think overall, RAB’s are a sensible approach.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Round-A-Bouts serve one purpose, and one purpose only: street racing with your buddies. Now, if only they would just start arranging two at a time, in a row, to create a nice Figure 8...
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Iowa City in general is such an annoying city to navigate around in, especially with heavier traffic. Stop and go. Stop and go. There isn't any real bypasses or anything to get from one side to the other. It literally takes 1/2 hr to go anywhere in that city.
Iowa City area could really use a bypass from the S side IC connecting S Hwy218 to I-80 on east side of IC.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Bingo! I have been saying this for years. I bet 25% of the daytime population are Linn Co. residents who work at the hospital. Never fun to get caught up in that traffic. Just get them to 380 quicker with some bypasses please.
Better yet fund some high speed rail for that corridor and have the train roll right up to the hosptal. Been to Europe a few times and their rail system puts us to shame.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Getting back to IC. The Mormon Trek project has been billed as a safety measure or "Road Diet". Head engineer cited all the rear end collisions there. ?? I have been driving M Trek daily for almost 40 years. I have yet to see one. I am sure they happen but i do see accidents where cars pulling out onto M Trek collide with cars.
So it will be reduced to 2 lanes from Hwy 1 all the way to Melrose. If the lead car is going 5-10 mph below the speed limit think about the road rage, tailgating and rear end collisions that will create. Not to mention the long line of traffic. It is about the bicyclists people.
So it will be reduced to 2 lanes from Hwy 1 all the way to Melrose. If the lead car is going 5-10 mph below the speed limit think about the road rage, tailgating and rear end collisions that will create. Not to mention the long line of traffic. It is about the bicyclists people.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Another engineer last week I spoke with cited the bicycle master plan as the reason. Oops. I am not anti- bicyclist. I am not. I just don't like the officials dicking us around and lying to us.
Because if it truly was about safety they would have added a turning lane from Melrose into the UIHC commuter lot YEARS ago. So during rush hour, traffic backs up in the left lane by Finkbine waiting to turn left RIGHT where the lanes reduce from two to one. Safety my arse...
Because if it truly was about safety they would have added a turning lane from Melrose into the UIHC commuter lot YEARS ago. So during rush hour, traffic backs up in the left lane by Finkbine waiting to turn left RIGHT where the lanes reduce from two to one. Safety my arse...
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skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
And this engineer almost immediately told me "Drivers are stupid". Yep. There are definitely some stupid drivers out there.
But after watching this engineering dept for a long time now I would say they are definitely on the medal stand for stupidity. Pure Gold for arrogance.
But after watching this engineering dept for a long time now I would say they are definitely on the medal stand for stupidity. Pure Gold for arrogance.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
You want even better. "Bike Lane Betsy"... Betsy Hodges... routinely undermined the fire and emergency services people while she was Mayor...not exactly a friend of first responders.
Meanwhile she had regular 911 medical calls to her house because she drank too much in conjunction with a medical condition she had. (I'm close to people who work in emergency services in the Mpls) What a pathetic example for a public servant. How do these people get elected? Some people would vote for a cardboard box if they were registered under their party.
