Posted on 08/29/2015 3:14:16 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Bill introduced to allow local municipalities to have say on new roundabout installations.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
A few were installed at select intersections here in Wichita, KS.
If someone knows the rules, it is fine.
Otherwise it can be frustrating as hell. People either barging in and not yielding, or people who treat it as a stop sign.
My little community successfully fought the installation of one ONLY because our little town had never given over the rights to our road to the State, despite their many attempts to seize it. Unfortunately, the state came back and installed 2 more up the road on the same road in the adjoining town.
It occurred to me that a roundabout could be confusing for another reason. It contrasts to the usual intersection rule of who yields to whom when meeting simultaneously at right angles. The occupants of the circle have the right of way and they are coming from the left, not the right.
Good point.
But it is not difficult if one simply remembers yield to the roundabout. Rather simple.
In the east, like New Jersey, they are eliminating these roundabouts because they are a major cause of traffic congestion.
Yes, the average motorist has no clue what to do in these traffic circles, either coming to a complete stop (causing accidents), not yielding (causing accidents) or not being in the correct lane to depart the traffic circle (causing accidents).
The roundabouts are fine for light traffic, but once levels rise beyond a certain point, they become nightmares.
Do they put up Yield signs at all the entrances? There ought to be a “continue” sign in the roundabout itself, but I have never seen such a thing.
There are yield signs, thats about it.
It might be almost superior if all the intersections to it were four way stops. Then everybody would know to stop and there’d be no guessing.
Ask Wisconsin State Troopers and they may just tell you roundabouts do work when/if people get used to them.
While I agree, we have way more than necessary I also anticipate we will se some of them removed at some time in the future. I’m taking a wait and see attitude to that happening.
Roundabouts also increase an intersections ability to handle traffic volume. Which can increase the volume seen on roads that feed them, as many people look for the quickest path to their destination.
If large trucks have trouble with them and avoid them as mentioned in the article, that would also tend to attract more small vehicles.
Our little town replaced a four way stop intersections with a round a bout. A few months later they put the four way stop signs back up. A lot of money wasted to get back where they were.
Traffic lights make people slow down and cost around $100,000 each, while “roundabouts” aka circles do the same thing basically costing $1,000,000 each on the low end ... Thank ex-Gov Doyle for speeding up the program while attempting to bankrupt WI.
That probably 5-10% of the driving public understand to begin with . . . .
Depends on where they live. Disregarding this for very long in places like suburbs, if not getting them tickets or accidents, gets them honked and cussed at.
Truck bypasses at roundpoints are common in Europe.
Have spent months in towns that had nothing but roundpoints and it’s always amazing: after a few weeks I realize I have no stress when driving.
Unlike the U.S., where backups at poorly managed intersections lead to constant overcrowding and extremely high stress.
(I just pass them on the shoulder).
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