[Arec Barrwin]

I agree with the author; we need many, many more roundabouts.

[Klondike]

Traffic engineers in Europe have studies that show safety is increased when striping and traffic control signs are removed. They claim that cars slow down
and it makes it safer for bicycles and pedestrians.
A small town in Oregon has started to implement this on some narrow streets. I hate to admit it but it does help.

[Ditter]

I love traffic circles, they make sense to me. Much better than intersections with 3 lanes in each direction, 2 straight ahead and a left turn. After Hurricane Ike and for 2 weeks when we had no electricity driving anywhere was a nightmare because of the stop and go traffic at the intersections. Imagine 12 lanes of traffic each having to wait until it was their turn to proceeded.

[Past Your Eyes]

A couple have been built recently around here. I was skeptical at first but they seem to work great and are much preferable to a light or a 3- or 4-way stop. They are NOT the same as traffic circles. Work best in tighter, more congested, slow speed situations. I expect to see more of them and think that it will be good to have them.

[Texas Eagle]

We don't need two Europes!

Of course if you want to build some autobahns, I'm okay with that.

[1066AD]

They’re fun, especially multi-lane ones when traffic is very light. Even more fun on a motorcycle :)

[discostu]

In Tucson roundabouts are put in neighborhoods where there’s a whiny neighborhood association that doesn’t like cars, they tend to be associated with speed bumps and “no through traffic” roads. This gives roundabouts a high level of guilt by association.

[buccaneer81]

I agree. They are a fixture in New England, where I grew up. They’re now being introduced in Central Ohio, where I’ve lived for 18 years, and the folks here are clueless.

[Billthedrill]

Traffic circles? Why take a perfectly straight road and screw it up?

Everytime I see one of the things I see some blue-nosed nitwit nanny shaking her finger at me. "We know what's good for you." No thanks.

[Robwin]

Anyone on here remember the monster of a traffic circle in Long Beach, CA, where 101 (now state 1) met Lakewood Blvd. and Los Coyotes Blvd? That baby was a killer (literally). Is that thing still in operation?

Here where I now live (eastern WA) they are building roundabouts all over the place. One, at a freeway off ramp, had its very 1st accident the day it opened. It was my wife. No joke. Not to worry, she wasn’t hurt and the other guy was at fault. Well, no one told him the driver on the roundabout has right of way over entering traffic, doggoneit. He argued and argued but still got the ticket.

[nina0113]

Roundabouts keep traffic flowing better than 4-way stops. I came to like them after driving and bicycling in Europe. The French ones need seriously better signage - “Village A”, “Village B”, and “Toutes Directions” (everywhere else) just doesn’t work.

[MCH]

MD has finally gotten around to building a bypass around the small town just south of me in northern MD. The new 4 mile bypass has three major intersections, including the 2 endpoints where it ties into the original high speed 2-lane road. All three intersections have been built as roundabouts. Definitely a new trend in road design. We have a few others now in the area as well, and I’ve learned to kind of like them. Hopefully the bypass will open soon. It’s been planned/promised for 20 years now.

[george76]

Saturday afternoon at Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXtOdSgf6Ic&feature=related

[Stentor]

My favorite driving experience was negotiating a triple roundabout in England. Hair’s still white.

[Spirochete]

I'll be the Roundabout
The words will make you out and out
I'll spend the day your way
Call it morning driving through the sound
and in and out the valley.

[flash2368]

They have them in Moldova where I live most of the time. They are great..they keep traffic flowing and save time.

I have never understood why we don’t have more of them in the States.

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

I have no problem with American roundabouts. Nearly got killed trying to navigate the first one I saw in England.. but then again I was nearly struck by a car the first time I tried to cross the street in London.

So I got that goin' for me. Which is nice.

[TXBlair]

The only traffic circle I've driven on myself was a two-lane affair near my apartment in college. It wasn't too bad. I've always been very glad to be just a passenger, however, on the European roundabouts. Makes me think of

National Lampoon's European Vacation

That would be my luck. Lol.

[Mount Athos]

I have driven roundabouts a lot.

I think they are indisputably much more efficient but they really scare me... if they were put in a country where the drivers aren’t used to them, they would be a death trap with accidents everywhere.

[Crolis]

Interesting. I have noticed a few being built around my area, one on US-15 in Maryland just before the bridge into Virginia and another in Belmont Michigan. I think they can do wonders for traffic flow.

On the other hand, the horrible “roundabout” + stoplights scheme you see in DC is really a pain in the neck.

[VermiciousKnid]

The only traffic circle I’ve used with any kind of regularity is the one at Jones Beach (Long Island).

All I can say is...what a nightmare.

Regards,