I've always thought this intersection was dangerous and have witnessed an accident here also. However, I've also witnessed an increase in driver awareness at this intersection as it forces drivers to slow down and be courteous to others. I think if we all show a little kindness, it will be a perfectly safe intersection. I think we should even name this intersection. How does "The Octopus" sound? I

lol the octopus... I like it.

My heart is in my throat when I'm at this intersection. When people do use a directional signal, no matter which road they're coming from, you really have no idea which right turn or left turn they intend to take. As much as I hate rotaries, this intersection is a perfect place for one.

This intersection is only "safe" statistically because any sane person will avoid using it, and be over-cautious if they have to use it, because it is so *patently and obviously dangerous*.

I don't think that designing intersections so that people slow down and act courteously because they're busy saying to themselves "what sort of idiot thought THIS was a good design for an intersection?" is really the way to go.

I agree that a modern, European-style, small diameter traffic circle would work well here. Even a set of streetlights in all directions would be an improvement. Last time I came through, it wasn't even marked for all-directions stop signs. Given the number of roads converging and the poor sight lines, that's just nuts.

I too support a roundabout there - read up online about how well they work in Europe! It would also be a good place to stick a Kingston Sculpture Biennial piece when done!

Putting traffic lights there would be a big mistake.

It is true that simple left and right signals seem insufficient for displaying the driver's intent in this complicated intersection.
The recent addition of all-way stop signs has improved it, though.

Hello,

Thanks for posting.

Please take a look at this link...

http://www.kingston-ny.gov/content/76/90/default.aspx

Taking part and speaking up about these types of issues are a sure fire way to make your voice and concerns heard.

Bringing this issue up to you local elected officials is the best way. As I'm learning myself, the people in place who are there to help us can't if they don't know the problem.

Using SeeClickFix is a great first step, but take some time and contact your elected officials, speak with people at cityhall, and play an active role in your wards functions, and attend ward / city meetings when ever possible.

Thanks for posting

KNW

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There is a report conducted by the County that covers this intersection and makes recommendations. I'm working on getting a copy of it. I was also told that grants have been applied for. I'll be following up once I get more information.

This intersection should be called "Spaghetti Junction", much like some of the crazy highway interchanges in larger cities!

I thought they were going to reverse the one-way streets so that they make more sense to motorists.

I have literally lived at this intersection for 43 years. There are very few accidents since the yellow yield became a stop sign. ( pull a police report to see for yourselves) Our neighborhood is OPPOSED to a roundbout and fought it a couple years ago. We will fight it again if necessary. Perhaps a traffic light will solve the problem...a roundabout will not. It will take property from the businesses....How will children cross this to attend school at GW? Most of you just pass through. WE LIVE HERE! It's hardly as bad as you believe it is.

The City of Kingston and its constituents need to get out of the stone-age. I lived in Kingston for 20 years myself, and my family still lives there. It is an absolute embarassment to come back and see how its infrastructure is crumbling, and how reluctant anyone who lives there is to modernize anything or improve anything for the better.

I currently live in the Albany area, and have seen how much better (and safer) traffic flows when a roundabout is properly installed at a busy intersection. (Not to mention the overall fuel savings and reduction in environmental pollution because people aren't sitting at stop lights or stop signs.)

As far as loss of property acreage that might occur as the result of installing a roundabout, that is a non-issue because roundabouts are engineered smaller and to fit in a tighter footprint than the existing intersections they replace.

And concerning children crossing the street to get to George Washington School-- A properly designed roundabout takes safe pedestrian traffic into consideration, and provides highly visible crosswalks where pedestrians have a proper vantage point in order to cross the street without being struck by vehicles.

However, if your neighborhood is still truly opposed to building a roundabout at that location, the 5-way intersection should at least be re-designed with proper curbs, sidewalks, crosswalks, landscaping, and drainage in order to bring it up to more modern urban standards, as well as improving the one-way street patterns in the entire Uptown District.