Now that's depressing

I started to type "pedestrian" into Duck Duck Go, and the first
auto-complete suggestion was "pedestrian hit by car".

Even more depressing: the first hit on "pedestrian roundabouts"
advised pedestrians to watch out for bicyclists who had been ordered
to ride on the walking path.

But it did assume that there would be a refuge island in the middle of
the crosswalk "allowing you to concentrate on traffic coming from only
one direction at a time.".

I don't off-hand recall having ever seen either a crosswalk or a
refuge island at a roundabout, but I don't get around much any more.

That was from the State of New York, which, as is well known, has
insane laws, so it's not as depressing as it might be.

On the other hand, the second site (anonymous attribution:
https://www.epermittest.com/drivers-...ay-roundabouts)
that I read advises:

Keep in mind that you may encounter pedestrians pushing bicycles
at roundabout crosswalks. While cyclists are permitted to use
the roundabout like other vehicles, they often take the *safer option*
of wheeling their bicycles over the crosswalk.

Emphasis added.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/

This quote from
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/s...clists/122461/

strikes me as a bit optimistic.

Research has shown that bicyclists on the outside of traffic are
often struck by entering motorists who fail to see them -- which
is why separate bike lanes are not painted in roundabouts.


--
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://wlweather.net/PAGESEW/
The above message is a Usenet post.

On 1/23/2020 7:26 PM, Joy Beeson wrote:

This quote from
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/s...clists/122461/

strikes me as a bit optimistic.

Research has shown that bicyclists on the outside of traffic are
often struck by entering motorists who fail to see them -- which
is why separate bike lanes are not painted in roundabouts.

I agree with that. I think it's critical to ride in the center of the
lane. A few times I've also given "STOP!" signals, palm outward, to
motorists approaching too quickly. But so far I've never had a real
problem with a roundabout.

I would advise timid cyclists to use the sidewalks and pedestrian
crossings, probably walking their bikes.

Pedestrians With Disabilities

Even the best roundabouts, however, pose a special problem for
pedestrians who are blind or have a disability. Unlike at a traffic
light, vehicles in roundabouts never come to a complete stop, and
pedestrians must instead rely on timing gaps between traffic. This is
tricky for those with visual impairments or those who are unable to
cross a lane of traffic quickly.

I agree with this too, and I think it's a serious issue for such people.


--
- Frank Krygowski