The new traffic circle at the intersection of Forest Avenue South and James Street East has now been in place for a month and some drivers are not sold on the new approach.
It's part of a one-year "traffic calming" project. The former two-way stop has been modified so motorists now enter the intersection after yielding to oncoming traffic and turn left until they need to exit.
Steven Murphy, the city's project engineer, said the traffic circle was completed on Aug. 22.
Temporary rubber curbing and recycled asphalt were used to create the circle without altering the existing intersection curbs, noted a media release from the city when the project was announced.
City staff identified this intersection as a concern due to higher-than-expected collision frequency.
Orillia Transit routes have not been impacted by the project and there were no changes to pedestrian crossings, city staff noted.
At the time of the public notification in the summer, it was noted city staff would monitor the effectiveness of the traffic circle and gather feedback to determine if this idea could be a long-term solution.
"As with any new traffic infrastructure, drivers will need to adjust to the change," said Murphy. "We have adjusted the transit route and have snow clearing plans in place to maintain the intersection during winter.”
Fin City Fish & Chips is located at the busy intersection with the front entrance opening on an angle to the circle. The owner of the eatery did not want to provide his name, but noted there have been many honking horns as motorists come together and hesitate as what to do at the new circle.
“Some people have said to me it’s good, some have said it’s bad. It’s a bit of a weird thing and people really don’t know how to drive through it.”
The City of Waterloo was the first in Ontario to adopt roundabouts, the large sometimes two-lane traffic circles in 2004, and just like its bigger relative, traffic circles require the driver to yield the right of way to the traffic and enter when safe, and exit to the right at their destination.
Pedestrians should continue to cross at designated locations when safe.
Cyclists are expected to follow the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, obeying the same traffic laws as vehicles.
In case of an emergency, vehicles are instructed to exit the traffic circle at their intended exit and pull over safely, while those not yet in the circle should pull over to the right and wait.
The city urges anyone not familiar with using traffic circles to ensure they understand the road rules before driving in the area. Information about using traffic circles is available on the city’s website at orillia.ca/TrafficCalming and the Province of Ontario website.
Both roundabouts and traffic circles generally enhance safety; studies by Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation have shown significant reductions in collisions, injuries, and fatalities.
The City of Orillia will be assessing the effectiveness of the circle as the year progresses.
“Data will be collected through city-operated traffic monitoring devices, along with reports from the Ministry of Transportation," Murphy explained.
"Over the next year, this data will be used to assess the effectiveness of the traffic circle. City staff will summarize the findings, including collision frequency, severity, and vehicle speed, and provide this information to council to help inform future traffic calming decisions,” Murphy said.
Feedback from local stakeholders will also be part of the data they are collecting, he said.
“This input is valuable and we encourage feedback throughout the pilot. As part of the one-year pilot program for the temporary traffic circle, we’re continually assessing its performance and making improvements based on feedback and observations," said Murphy.
"As a result of feedback received so far, we have implemented modifications to improve ease of use, such as additional line painting and enhanced signage to guide drivers,” noted Murphy.
They hope to have their first report on the project in early 2025, Murphy said.
“City staff are targeting an interim update to council early in the new year, with the final data sets and recommendations to be provided upon the conclusion of the pilot project," said Murphy.
