Bartlett Square Fountain

[Townsend]

I sure wish the powers that be would admit that paltry fountain was a huge mistake and put something in that is more substantial. 

Per the engineer: 

Engineer Chris Cox said if the fountain is rebuilt with the current design, the City would add steel bollards around the perimeter to protect it.

I'm guessing this ugly or worse.  It'll really look welcoming.

[Red Arrow]

Per the engineer: 


I'm guessing this ugly or worse.  It'll really look welcoming.

I would guess worse.  That wouldn't stop a car at even 25 mph.

[carltonplace]

and it doesnt have any flashing yellow lights

[Conan71]

Sooner or later you'd think they would get the idea that putting concrete structures in the middle of street intersections is a really bad idea.

Anyone care to bet on whether or not the driver had insurance and how quickly he will wiggle out of any responsibility including a DUI charge?

[Red Arrow]

Honest, the tree was in the road...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=uvalde,+tx&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.632176,90.791016&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Uvalde,+Texas&ll=29.21432,-99.778028&spn=0,0.003793&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=29.214001,-99.778027&panoid=jPh736M0hMW83Fnf8783Bg&cbp=12,243.68,,0,0

[Conan71]

Bahahahaha!

[patric]

Anyone care to bet on whether or not the driver had insurance and how quickly he will wiggle out of any responsibility including a DUI charge?

It could have been another drunk cheerleader, or illegal Mexicans for all we know, because this time the police arent releasing the identity or any details about the midnight olympiad.
Other than the fountain is totaled, what's special about this case?

[nathanm]

I would guess worse.  That wouldn't stop a car at even 25 mph.

Hopefully they anchor the concrete, unlike in the last video.

Oh, and have you ever noticed the ugly bollards at OneOk Plaza along 6th street?

[carltonplace]

Not sure I agree with the Bollards, while that will protect the fountain it might increase possibility of injury to the drunks inattentive drivers.

The fountain needs to be brought up to eye level and have safe illumination to make it more visible at night.



Or maybe drop it below street level

[patric]

Not sure I agree with the Bollards, while that will protect the fountain it might increase possibility of injury to the drunks inattentive drivers. The fountain needs to be brought up to eye level and have safe illumination to make it more visible at night.

Bollards alone might just add liability, unless they were very very discretely illuminated.  Of course, if visibility is the only problem, the outside lip surrounding the bowl could incorporate LED downlighting so that the bowl is illuminated enough to stand out (without creating any glare of it's own).  Warm white LEDs, of course  .

Some sort of traffic calming device on approach to the fountain would be a good idea, as well.  Yes, I realize the  fountain itself was supposed to be a traffic calming device, but poorly implemented in that respect, and too vulnerable. 

Anyone ever hear who the mystery celebrity is that hit the fountain?  Got to be someone interesting for it to be kept such a secret.

[Red Arrow]

Some sort of traffic calming device on approach to the fountain would be a good idea, as well.  Yes, I realize the  fountain itself was supposed to be a traffic calming device, but poorly implemented in that respect, and too vulnerable. 

It has been somewhat effective in calming selected traffic.  Make it a bit tougher and we might have a winner.  Who says the roads have to be safe for impaired or distracted drivers?

[nathanm]

Warm white LEDs, of course  .

Like this?

[dbacks fan]

Just my $.02, take the dam thing out and make it a four way stop sign intersection. From the appearence the intersection is choked enough with the streets being about twenty feet wide as it is.

[nathanm]

Just my $.02, take the dam thing out and make it a four way stop sign intersection. From the appearence the intersection is choked enough with the streets being about twenty feet wide as it is.

As someone who drives through the intersection regularly, I disagree. I like not having to stop unless there's traffic already in the circle. It definitely lends a more pleasant feeling to the immediate area, at least when it doesn't look like it was run over by a tank.

[TheTed]

The street is already "calmed." It's narrow. It's not smooth. There are buildings up to the sidewalk on most of that three-block stretch.

The speed limit's 25, but everything about that street tells you to go slower than that, like 15 or 20mph. The guy who hit that hard enough to cause that kind of destruction had to be seriously stupid plus seriously distracted.

The fountain itself may suck, but there's nothing wrong with that intersection other than its location in the middle of many dumbass drivers. People can't even get the fact that in America, we drive on the right. So many people turn left there rather than going 3/4 way around the fountain.