To tell you the honest to goodness truth, no…I do not recall the specific
details and who knows what the FINAL draft came out to be, but I can tell you
they did hire the national consultant on traffic design for blind/visually
impaired travelers and I sat in on phone-in meetings as she hashed out the
precise location of the crosswalks and design around it and means of ped.
Controls…at that time (? 3-4-5? Years ago), pedestrian negotiation was a HIGH
priority and they were listening! In fact, I can tell you that it originally
was going to be a double-roundabout to encompass (? Bedford St/Brighton?). I’m
told current design is down to a single roundabout. I just beg people to stay
current in what is evolving and let’s not get hung up on what use to be (aka,
we ALL hated roundabouts in the beginning)…I think even nationally there are
more roundabouts and there is a far greater awareness about making them
pedestrian accessible for ALL. Sorry I can’t recall more specifics…that was a
tad too long ago…in fact I was at a ped meeting in SP and mentioned the detail
that went into planning the roundabout “at the Law school” and a traffic
designer in the audience approached me to advise that indeed that project is
coming towards fruition. Kathy
Kathy Clarrage, COMS
State of Maine, Division for the Blind & Visually Impaired
151 Jetport Blvd
Portland, ME 04102
207-423-5448
Katherine.c.clarrage@xxxxxxxxx
From: wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf ;
Of John Brooking
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 2:03 PM
To: wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [wsmac] Re: Roundabouts and Rotaries
Thanks, Kathy. If you have time, could you go into some detail about how this
specific design addresses Carson's concerns, and that of the PPH letter writer?
On Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 1:55 PM, Clarrage, Katherine C.
<Katherine.C.Clarrage@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:Katherine.C.Clarrage@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Just to let you all know probably three or four years ago myself and several
other instructors sat with the Portland traffic engineers and a national
consultant for pedestrian design for blind and visually impaired people and we
spent many hours discussing the design of that particular intersection and
indeed did come up with the best possible solutions that were known at that
time. Please know that a lot of time and experts (beyond myself!) Went into
this project. With proper design they are more negotiable even for people who
are blind or visually impaired and pedestrians in general. We have come along
way since the original roundabouts. All this brings us full circle to the
discussion This morning I love Westbrooks project on Wayside Drive down to new
Gorham Road… Now is the time to get involved and be in the know and have input…
When it’s in paper!
Kathy Clarrage, orientation mobility specialist division for the blind and
visually impaired
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
________________________________
From: wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf of
Carson Wood <cwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:cwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 1:47:19 PM
To: wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wsmac] Re: Roundabouts and Rotaries
For blind and visually impaired people, round abouts do not work.
The reason they do not work is because there is no predictability of where
the traffic is going to go. Also, the traffic is nearly in constant motion not
creating a point to start from safely.
Even though the intersection near the law school is a big complicated star,
it is predictable. It has crosswalks and signals that direct traffic in a given
pattern.
Of course people try and beat given systems because they are human and human
nature is a constant. It never changes.
In my humble or not so humble opinion roundabouts are about moving traffic
more quickly to avoid testing patience which is the real problem.
Maybe the focus needs to shift from moving traffic quickly to finding a
different way to access the Cities that do not require the compression of so
many vehicles into an ever decreasing space.
This is all really common sense.
As a well traveled blind pedestrian I understand the gap between what is
supposed to be the traffic pattern and what it can be when driver’s are going
rogue.
With driver distraction and rogue driver’s the gap has become much wider.
From: wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:wsmac-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] On
Behalf Of Dennis Marrotte
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 1:29 PM
To: wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wsmac] Roundabouts and Rotaries
Hello, Today's Portland Press Herald' a " Opinion and Voice of the People has
a Letter from a Citizen questioning the proposed Roundabout at the USM Portland
Campus. How USM and King MS Students will safely make their way to and from
their respective Schools across the Roundabout with no Traffic Signals, a lack
of Pedestrian Crosswalks. The latter's closing paragraph mentions a Study
conducted by the MN. DOT that questions the walkability and pedestrian safety
on Roundabouts, as well as Bicylist's Safety therein.
I will always have to look up the Definitions of a Roundabout and a Rotary.
One moves Vehicular Traffic from one road to another at a fast rate of speed,
while the other is designed to slow Vehicular Traffic down to a much slower
safer but still moving rate of speed. I believe the proposed design at the
USM Portland Campus is to Slow the Vehicular Traffic down for the Safety of
Students from both USM Portland and King MS, and Pedestrians and Bicyclists.
The only way to see that become a reality is for concerned Citizens to form a
Committee like we have done here in Westbrook.
Several years ago when I was still at CMP, I was asked to escort two young
Electrical Engineers from the lead Designer of the company involved in the 5
Year MPRP Project. We visited several sites in York County. I had an orange and
white CMP truck. They had a white rental Chevy Equinox SUV.
The scariest part of our way was the new Rotary near Sanford for Rtes. 4 and
109. Finding a gap in the Traffic that was zipping around like the Formula One
Grand Prix in Monaco was downright scary. We had come north from North
Berwick. We made it thru safely but I really had my doubts.
Dennis Marrotte
[https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-round-orange-animated-no-repeat-v1.gif]<https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=icon>
Virus-free.
www.avast.com<https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=link>
