livedarklions

Fair enough, but in the meantime I'm just having a hard time figuring out what the mission is, and I suspect I'm not the only one. To me, your examples look like sculptures that could at first glance be mistaken for random rocks or landscaping. Maybe you could just clarify so we know what we're supposed to be looking for?

For example, does topiary qualify? I'm not clear whether a shrub could be considered a "sculpture", for example.

cyccommute 

The “mistaken for random rocks” is kind of what I’m looking for. If you have an example of topiary, that would be great. A random shrub, no but one that has been trimmed to look like something 👍

livedarklions

Thanks! No idea if I could find something like that, but at least I have a better idea what not to look for.

flangehead

Mission from cyccommute: Landscaping used to make a sculpture. If it takes a while to figure out what it is, all the better.



This house used to have more animals and always a big Xmas light display.





Next Mission: A traffic circle or roundabout or whatever it is called in your neck of the woods.

theDirtyLemon

I don't know if I can figure out what it is, but I like it.

livedarklions

Shrubosaurus.

Deal4Fuji

Tree Rex

subgrade

I believe there is a difference between traffic circles and roundabouts: the latter always means priority for those using the circular carriageway and all incoming traffic must yield; while a traffic circle can have the flow organized in various ways.

Anyhow, I guess both are good for the purposes of this thread.

livedarklions

It's also called a rotary in some places.

I don't think I've ever seen a traffic circle where the vehicles in the circle were expected to yield to the incoming vehicles, seems like it completely defeats the purpose of having the circle. Are there examples of the "various ways"?

mr_bill

The Alewife Rotary at the Arlington/Cambridge border was infamous. They finally killed it, and replaced it with, something?, though some folks still call it the Alewife Rotary.

The Rutherford Rotary in Sutherland Square is still infamous in these parts. They almost finally killed it but then Casino, so, long live the madness (but with bikelanes)!

The Sears Rotary is still called the Sears Rotary even though no Sears. They keep killing people on bikes and on foot though, but why worry? (At least there are crosswalks.)

Anyhow, never underestimate the power of bad design.

-mr. bill

flangehead

Rotondas in Santa Cruz Bolivia, when I lived there, had traffic lights on the traffic circle; not at the entrance, but on the circle. During peak hours, the whole thing would just lock up tight as a drum. Only place I have ever experienced true gridlock.

They have since fixed the worst ones. In all fairness, it probably worked OK when first installed but traffic volume increased dramatically.


Current state of rotonda on second ring is much improved; traffic lights now stop at entrance.

livedarklions

OK, but the old Sears building is seriously cool, and I grew up near its almost-twin in Minneapolis so it makes me nostalgic. But yeah, horrible place to ride, didn't know it was called a "rotary". I don't think it would be called that in most places in the country, more like a loop.

Out west, rotary is just a traffic circle, big or large, but generally round as hell.

livedarklions

I seem to remember what may have been an urban legend about a British couple who just cracked up laughing when they came upon a traffic circle in the U.S. where someone had put stop signs on the actual circle. I'm thinking that would be even worse than lights because no one would know when to go.

Leinster

When building the M50 ring road motorway around Dublin, they saved a few million by opting for roundabout interchanges instead of butterfly junctions. Within a few months of completion, the roundabout interchanges were so overwhelmed with the increased traffic, that they had to install traffic lights on the interchanges. It would have cost orders of magnitude more than they saved to then retrofit the junctions to the butterfly format.

Roundabouts are the perfect design for a certain volume of flow, but once you go over that volume, they can really back things up.

Joe Bikerider

My local roundabout (aka traffic circle).




at the south end of Walnut Ave. Where North Gate Road takes off to go up Mt. Diablo. All uphill from here, not for me today.

livedarklions

MIssion?

flangehead

Yes. "Call it morning driving through the sound and in and out the valley" OK, maybe just in the valley.

Nice catch of the recumbent.

Mission Pending from Joe Bikerider
the valley

Notso_fastLane

Is that a recumbent I see coming into the traffic circle? Nice.

Notso_fastLane

I meant to stop and take a pic, and totally forgot. There are 2 roundabouts on my street, and a lot more in the area. Most are small, low speed (30-35 mph streets), but the one that's abotu 1.5 miles away is a nice big, 6 way roundabout.

Joe Bikerider

I stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the usual crowd of giant SUV’s (aka Chelsea Tractors) to pass and sure enough that guy on his recumbent was nice enough to come by. While I continued my ride I was considering my mission.

Mission: Little Library. A box on a post where you can pickup a book and if you are so inclined drop one off for someone else. More points for the more elaborate design. This one might be a 10.




enjoy

TobFromme

That's neat. I've never seen anything like it.

Joe Bikerider

Then next time you are in Pleasant Hill California, ride the Iron Horse Bike Trail north and after crossing under the BART train tracks you will come across this guys place right on the trail. It may look different he's always making something different. And it's a nice ride too. Maybe 3-4 miles all the way to the end in Concord. Do it on a Saturday or Sunday and you can explore the Flea market before returning.

Barry2 

As you keep going up the Canal trail towards Concord... Left side before the wooden bridge, floor level, is a second one, but no as fancy.

Barry

Joe Bikerider

Can you be more specific please? I was talking about the IHT which in Pleasant Hill is pretty much North South whereas the Canal Trail is East West. Confusing I know. Maybe just give me a street address. I am always on the lookout for more libraries. Thanks.

Barry2 

Joe,
you’re a funny guy. I’m not telling you exactly where they are. This is the closest I’ve come to winning this game, or at least knowing where to go.
Couple week back I rode to The Willows for a picture of the Mime statue, only to find it was gone!
As it is we have a 3 hour disadvantage being on Pacific time.

I’ll get you pictures tomorrow.

All the best

Barry