Posted on 07/21/2009 6:58:18 PM PDT by Arec Barrwin
Don't Be So Square Why American drivers should learn to love the roundabout.
By Tom Vanderbilt Posted Monday, July 20, 2009, at 6:54 AM ET
Here is a narrative that has been playing out over the last several years in any number of American towns: Traffic engineers notice that a particular intersection has a crash problem or is moving traffic inefficiently. After a period of study, the engineers propose a roundabout.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
I like them a lot at smaller intersections. Nothing worse than being stuck at light after light with either light or no traffic. A traffic circle is so much more time efficient.
Look kids Big Ben
“British people choke with laughter when they hear that we install roundabouts to ease traffic congestion. Anyone who drives through the roundabouts that infest DC knows that they are a dangerous nuisance (the roundabouts, not the British). They’re so unpleasant, in fact, that it has been suggested they were originally installed to deter and confuse any invading army.”
The ones in DC are also really odd. Take the one at Dupont circle. Its a double roundabout divided by concrete and you can only exit onto certain streets from different levels of it. Its also a roundabout with traffic lights which defeats some of the purpose of a roundabout. Personally I think that for the busiest intersections a light makes the most sense but for the smaller ones a roundabout is much more time efficient. I hate sitting there at a light after light with nobody coming in either direction. It drives me nuts.
That one looks like proof that an idiot traffic engineer can screw up any design.
I'm stumped. Why?
It all depends upon the situation.
There are situations where traffic circles are more efficient.
Traffic circles also take up more real estate than perpendicular street intersections.
Some traffic intersections involve more than a pair of perpendicular roadway approaches and traffic circles might be a decent solution.
A traffic circle with a higher percentage of traffic accidents are not more efficient than a well designed street light controlled intersection.
In the last 2 years, probably because of UN endorsement, they have been artificially promoted by political interests, independent of professional due diligence in design.
“Consider yourselves lucky. They put in 5 of ‘em over here in Cottonwood.”
LOL - I drove across from Prescott that day, so I got to enjoy some of your Cottonwood beauties before getting to the one in Payson.
I live in a small town that so far has one roundabout but will soon have more. I think they’re great. Who wants to wait for a green light or get hit by someone running a red light? So far the only people that have not been able to negotiate the roundabout are drunk drivers who were thereby prevented from entering the downtown area.
...and they like soccer and willingly gave up their guns.
The DC traffic circles themselves weren't built to confuse the enemy - they were built to be artillery emplacements to destroy any invader. Look at an overhead map of DC, and you'll see the circles of defense radiating out from the Capitol (NOT the White House) along the avenues.
And yeah, the DC ones are a disaster, as are most of the DC roads. I can't think of any good circles up here, but there is one in Fredericksburg behind Mary Wash hospital that's working out well.
Our kids were raised on that stuff, so they’re in their 20’s and love all that ‘classic rock’ from the 70’s and 80’s, LOL!
Thanks for the link; I have heard that version and LOVE it.
Ever notice one can only turn LEFT on a Roundabout? LOL!
We have a few in ‘The People’s Republik of Madistan.’ A TOWN of 200K that wants to BE Europe. Dorks.
I find them confusing, and they put one right where people HAVE to use it to get to the Wal-Mart.
I’m pretty sure that was by design, because while the city loves, loves, loves the tax revenue that a Wal-Mart generates, they sure love to hate Wal-Mart!
(I go ‘round the back way if I HAVE to go to that one; it’s a mega-store and I like my little Mom & Pop Wal-Mart much better.)
there has been a roundabout movement here for the last 8 years. the only people who like them are traffic engineers. What ALL positive articles FAIL to mention is that the ones in Europe are of a very large diameter - probably 4 or 5 times that of the ones here. the large diameter makes for faster speeds. Many here are no faster than the four ways they replaced because they are only 100 feet across and do not allow for any speed above a crawl to go around them.
Traffic circles are certainly not new. There was a traffic circle in Bellaire Texas where I grew up in the 40’s. Two streets, Bellaire Blvd and Bissonette, crossed at a very odd angle and the circle was perfect. Years later they tore it up and replaced it with the most awful and confusing intersection, they should have left the circle alone.
You shoud check out Clinton River Road in Macomb County. They have two of them within 1/2 mile. When they first opened up, confusion reigned, but they work very well now. I like going through at night when there is no traffic. I want to get through one without slowing down, but I would need both lanes.
You win the “most awesome FR name” award. Awesome!
Sorry, I’m having trouble replying I guess. I meant that comment for ‘Arec Barrwin’.
Funniest screen name I’ve seen on FR!
That's the one.
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