[gps-talkusers] Re: Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a road closure

  • From: "donald.goosens" <donald.goosens@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 11:55:18 -0700

What are roundabouts?

Donald

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Janet Barlow" <jmbarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 11:46 AM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a road 
closure


> Actually though, there's quite a lot of variability in roundabouts and
> their traffic volume and size, and the difficulty of the crossing.  Some
> roundabout crossings may be easier than crossing the through street at a
> two way stop sign location, so I would hesitate at automatically
> programming around them.
> However, at this point, roundabouts in the US, at least at two locations
> I've checked, were not indicated in the database; they were coded
> as  intersections with no indication that they were roundabouts.
> Janet
>
> At 12:11 PM 12/13/2004, Michael May wrote:
>>Liam,
>>
>>The Round Abouts are actually easier to flag than a random road closure.
>>The Round Abouts are already categorized in the map database just like
>>motor ways and residential streets have their own classification. We
>>therefore could add the Round About as an illegal option like motor ways
>>for the pedestrian route calculations.
>>
>>Flagging road closures is more difficult because we have to link two
>>databases, the maps and the POIs.
>>
>>There are a rapidly growing number of round abouts in the U.S. as well and
>>it would be useful to skip them.
>>
>>Mike
>>
>> >Mike,
>> >
>> >The notion of being able to flag a junction as impassable would
>> >certainly be helpful in pedestrian mode. Its certainly an issue in some
>> >UK cities that we have roundabouts, uh junctions with a round thing in
>> >the middle, which are almost impossible to get around on foot. Being
>> >able to avoid them entirely would be very useful.  In an ideal world we
>> >could flag the junction up in the database so that it was missed out of
>> >any pedestrian route.  Sort of a point of disinterest if you like.  Not
>> >sure how the mapping data is stored. I'm guessing that it is stored as
>> >nodes and then links of some kind.
>> >
>> >- Liam
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >[mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of vincent
>> >Sent: 12 December 2004 19:05
>> >To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a road
>> >closure
>> >
>> >
>> >ok, so I'm happy I've made a contribution. *smile*
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: "Michael May" <MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> >To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> >Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 1:41 PM
>> >Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a road
>> >closure
>> >
>> >
>> > >          Vince,
>> > >
>> > > One can already reroute once you are off course. Just press RV and 
>> > > you
>> >will
>> > > be asked if you want to save the old route if you haven't already.
>> > > Otherwise, it calculates a new route from your current position. It 
>> > > is
>> >best
>> > > if you pull over and wait for the new route. It was very nice on the
>> > > PK that these new route calculations only took a few seconds.
>> > >
>> > > What we can put on the wish list is the ability to flag a road and
>> > > intersection as impassable. That would be handy.
>> > >
>> > > Mike
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > At 04:34 AM 12/12/2004, you wrote:
>> > > >  also had a good chuckle from your story.  I had my wife read it.
>> > > >We actually had something like this happen to us recently.  Is
>> > > >automatic re-routing on the wish list?  The program "Iguidance" that
>> > > >my wife uses re-routes after you go off course.
>> > > >----- Original Message -----
>> > > >From: "Jeffrey Bohrman" <jbohrman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > > >To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > > >Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 7:28 AM
>> > > >Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a
>> > > >road closure
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > > Mike:
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Your story is quite helpful!  I know driving with our wives can 
>> > > > > be
>> >
>> > > > > challenging at times especially in unfamiliar areas.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Although I've not quite started to use my GPS - I am getting 
>> > > > > there
>> >
>> > > > > -
>> >your
>> > > > > story is one good suggestion if I can't simply find an 
>> > > > > alternative
>> >route
>> > > > > from where one is standing to the destination.  Actually, I've
>> >navigated
>> > > >my
>> > > > > wife to a certain point that I'd be familiar with and then go 
>> > > > > from
>> >there.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Jeff
>> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
>> > > > > From: "Michael May" <MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > > > > To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> > > > > Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 1:14 AM
>> > > > > Subject: [gps-talkusers] Situation 8, forcing the BN to avoid a
>> > > > > road
>> > > >closure
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > > Situation 8
>> > > > > > We are driving to a Society for the Blind Christmas function at
>> > > > > > the Sacramento Yacht Club. It is very foggy and there is lots 
>> > > > > > of
>> >traffic. I
>> > > >am
>> > > > > > in charge of directions with my BrailleNote GPS route guiding 
>> > > > > > us
>> >along.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > The tension in the car is palpable as we creep across a bridge
>> > > > > > over
>> >the
>> > > > > > Sacramento River. The BN reports 2.1 miles to our destination. 
>> > > > > > I
>> >can't
>> > > > > wait
>> > > > > > for a warm fire and glass of wine.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > We arrive at an intersection where the BN instructs us to
>> > > > > > continue
>> > > > > straight
>> > > > > > but flashing lights and police cars across the road force us to
>> > > > > > turn
>> > > > > right.
>> > > > > > It turns out that a gas main ruptured and the route we needed
>> > > > > > was completely blocked.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Question 8
>> > > > > > What now? We are in a completely unfamiliar area, it is
>> > > > > > residential
>> >and
>> > > > > > there is nobody to ask directions of. We are already very late.
>> > > > > > How
>> >do I
>> > > > > > get us to the event  and keep my hide intact at the same time?
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Answer8
>> > > > > > My wife wanted me to call the Yacht Club, which I of course 
>> > > > > > did.
>> >
>> > > > > > I
>> >told
>> > > > > the
>> > > > > > bar tender where we were and she gave me very complicated
>> > > > > > directions
>> >for
>> > > > > > two possible alternate routes and at the same time, my wife is
>> >talking
>> > > >to
>> > > > > > me. I hang up, more confused than ever.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I told her to pull over and take a deep breath while I find us 
>> > > > > > a
>> >route.
>> > > >I
>> > > > > > went into Explore mode and reversed the route so I can
>> > > > > > understand
>> >the
>> > > > > route
>> > > > > > coming from the destination toward me. This gave me a chance to
>> > > > > > see
>> >each
>> > > > > of
>> > > > > > the cross streets that might provide an alternate access and
>> > > > > > which
>> >might
>> > > > > > clarify what the bar tender told me.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > I found another road that intersected Highway 80 and set it as
>> > > > > > my destination. I then calculated a route from where we were to
>> > > > > > this
>> > > >interim
>> > > > > > destination. While we were driving there, I then calculated a
>> > > > > > second
>> > > >route
>> > > > > > from the freeway intersection to the Yacht Club. In other 
>> > > > > > words,
>> >
>> > > > > > I
>> > > >picked
>> > > > > > an interim point that created a triangle around the road
>> > > > > > closure.
>> >This
>> > > > > > means of using two routes to complete an entire trip is a good
>> >strategy
>> > > > > for
>> > > > > > forcing the BN to route you the way you want to go rather than
>> > > > > > the
>> >way
>> > > >it
>> > > > > > tells you to go.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > My wife was about ready to tell me where to go as well.  It
>> > > > > > turns
>> >out
>> > > >that
>> > > > > > everyone was delayed by the road closure so relatively 
>> > > > > > speaking,
>> >
>> > > > > > we
>> > > > > weren't
>> > > > > > late. It was wonderful to step out of the car and fog into the
>> >embrace
>> > > >of
>> > > > > > the holiday cheer, great folks and good food. Thank goodness 
>> > > > > > the
>> >return
>> > > > > > trip home was uneventful. I am also grateful for the fact that 
>> > > > > > I
>> >could
>> > > >be
>> > > > > > the navigator. I don't know quite what we would have done if I
>> >didn't
>> > > >have
>> > > > > > my GPS and ingenuity.
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>
>
> Janet M. Barlow, COMS
> Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
> jmbarlow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 770-317-0611
> Atlanta, GA
> -------------------
> The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to
> which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged
> material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or
> taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or
> entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received
> this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any
> computer.
>
>
>

Other related posts:

  1. Home
  2. gps-talkusers
  3. Archive
  4. 12-2004