Traffic Lights vs. Roundabouts

I’m a big fan of roundabouts. I’ve driven in numerous countries and I’ve rarely found anyone in these countries who actually thought that traffic lights were a good thing. They’re expensive, they use electricity and they need repairing. A roundabout can be as simple as a painted circle on the ground or as elaborate as a park and fountain setting. They provide a means to allow traffic to flow continuously, they don’t cost much and they are safer because they don’t cause the kind of frustrations or running the red that occurs with lights.

So why don’t we see more of them here? Stupidity, perhaps? In Europe, they are everywhere. It seems to work. I know people here don’t know how to use them properly but that’s because there aren’t enough of them and because people are not taught how to drive properly. I was taught by the Windsor police department. I also had private lessons. I learned ten times as much from the police course. One thing I would never do is take lessons from a relative or friend. Bad idea! That just propagates bad habits.

I heard that there have been some towns in England, I think, that have removed nearly all their traffic lights and the accident rate went down dramatically. So did the traffic congestion. Edmonton doesn’t even bother to time their traffic lights. I guess the city planning pinheads haven’t read about the benefits of doing this. You know … reducing pollution, frustration, traffic congestion … that sort of thing. It doesn’t seem to intrude on their navel-gazing world.

And where is our history? It’s not apparent to me. There are no statues, no promenades along the river valley with historical views, no interesting architecture from a century ago. I would like to see more roundabouts with statues and monuments to our history or even just flowers. These add to the flavour of our city. These would make a tourist want to come here for more than just the mall. I look at cities like Copenhagen, Paris, Prague, Vienna and Dubrovnik - some of the most beautiful cities in the world - and wonder, why would anyone come to Edmonton?

I’m digressing a bit by talking of historical context and architectural beauty in a city that apparently has no past. I just think that roundabouts would provide a forum for more than an improved traffic flow and economic benefits. I can’t remember the exact figure now but I remember hearing that it cost something like half a million dollars to equip an intersection with traffic lights. How many lightless roundabouts can you make for that? How much does a gallon of paint or a couple of wheel barrows of cement cost?