Plenty of local drivers have now tried out the new roundabout at Edward Street and Redwood Avenue.
City Project Engineer Matthew Miedema was at the city’s education session on Saturday, which let drivers try driving through the roundabout behind a city vehicle.
He says most people who showed up were glad to get an idea of how to navigate a roundabout.
“There was maybe one or two people who had some negative comments, but generally it was very positive [and] well-received. I got a lot of thumbs-up and ‘Thanks for doing this.’ I think it was very well-received from the feedback I got on site that day,” he explains.
He notes they also got feedback from members of the city’s Accessibility Advisory Committee.
The roundabout is expected to open to traffic in mid to late September, but Miedema says in the meantime, you can try crossing it as a pedestrian when construction is not happening.
The education event was the subject of some controversy when the city first advertised it as a “Roundabout Rodeo.” Complaints on social media focused on the use of cowboy imagery to promote the event, saying it was insensitive given that the city is also including a large Anishinaabe medicine wheel design in the traffic circle.
