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A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN - WEST 14TH STREET ROUNDABOUTSubmitted by jerleen1 on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 12:44.
Since before the Old South Side Community Coalition's first meeting in June, I had a number of residents that live in close proximity of the West 14th Street Roundabout asking for help in getting some kind of traffic regulators put in place due to the number of accidents as a result of the dangerous traffic patterns and design. A lot of motorists entering and exiting the circle, including myself, have had more than our share of near misses. What those living in clear view of the roundabout cannot ignore are the many fenderbenders, speeding cars, big huge semi tractor trucks and tankers that swing around creating perilous conditions for other drivers. One family whose porch looks directly over the problematic turn has witnessed accident after accident and most often are the first on the scene providing assistance, calling the police, ambulance or just making sure that people are OK. These residents say they have contacted the Mayor's office, Dept. of Traffic, ODOT, and others to no avail. While you either love it or you hate it, the roundabout is now a fact of life for local traffic as well as vacationers, tourists, working vehicles, delivery trucks, cyclists, semi trucks carrying huge heavy loads and transient traffic just passing through. There is a pedestrian crossing at the entrance of the roundabout as you leave West 14th Street going West. Inasmuch as there are numerous directional signs, the lack of stop signs, caution lights and/or red lights leaves an open invitation to accidents waiting to happen. While most motorists traveling this draggle of paved highway drive cautiously and practice safe driving rules of the road, the loop is confusing to many and in attempting to compensate for their bewilderment, they often cut off, enter the wrong lane, crowd or just plain slam into another vehicle trying to either enter, complete the turn or exit off. The only speed limit sign posted is a yellow 15mph. One resident stated that he witnessed 5 accidents within a two hour period of time and believes that the public at large is not aware of just how many accidents occur in the roundabout. Since we are stuck with the arched driveway, it seems only reasonable for all motorists, passengers and pedestrians to be afforded a safe orbit. Being that the City of Cleveland created the situation of possible fatalities, personal injuries and property damage, the City of Cleveland should take action in making this a safer route of travel before it becomes the ring of death.
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Ring of Death
Hi Jerleen1,
Thanks for the information.
I avoid the roundabout. I tried it a few times when it was first constructed but I found it too confusing. I read the rules of the road on how to navigate it, but either I read them wrong, or many other drivers didn't bother to read them at all, because it was a confused mess. I didn't know who had the right of way at any given time while I was navigating the ring.
I now use the Clark Avenue bridge to cross over to get to the Steelyard Commons instead of using the roundabout.
I agree with you that the City of Cleveland, or whomever is responsible for the road, should take some action to make it safe to navigate, especially since so many accidents have already happened in that area.
Ring of Death
I use it all the time. I just close my eyes and speed up to minimize the amount of time that I am in it.
Going the wrong way
Oh no! dwebb, I hope you were not the one that was going the wrong way today on the roundabout. My granddaughter uses that route to get from her home to mine and she told me that someone was going the wrong way on it today.
Now, how does it work? If you are in the outer lanes you can exit but if you are in the center lane you just continue to go around? I will have to ask my granddaughter to take me with her the next time she drives it so I can learn how to do it. Or, maybe not....I might be jeopardizing my life and limb.
wrong way
it could have been me but I am not sure because I don't open my eyes until I have finished the circle.
The round about is one of the most stupid, dangerous, out of place routes that I have ever been on. If we were in Boston, yes, we would all now how to use it, but we are in Cleveland.
Avoid it if you can.
You are too funny!
At this point, I avoid all of Tremont, unless visiting friends
Disrupt IT
My personal thoughts on the
My personal thoughts on the roundabout.
The first time I traveled that way and had the experience of driving around the circle, it somehow made me feel that this had been designed by someone familiar with flight patterns. In flying, aircraft coming in for a landing must first enter the landing pattern. Entering either from the left or right, depending on the airport, and flying an imaginary rectangle until they are on short final - everything is always the same direction, even on takeoffs, the aircraft must depart flying the same pattern as coming in for a landing.
Thing is about planes, though, they are put in a stacked holding pattern thousands of feet apart until they are given clearance to land. We can't put cars and trucks in a holding pattern until the strip is clear. It would be nice if we could.