Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Aug 14, 2020 12:29:45 GMT
We don't have them here (at least on a larger scale) but I love them.
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Post by hop2 on Aug 14, 2020 12:32:34 GMT
Funny, we have had them all my life in NJ, and now the rest of the country is catching on we are getting rid of them in favor of traffic lights.
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,580
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 14, 2020 12:39:03 GMT
I'm in the UK so have grown up with Roundabouts all my life, they work well and are much safer. I guess non of these kind of roundabouts will appear in the US any time soon then Wow! That is so complicated!!!
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,023
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Aug 14, 2020 12:39:23 GMT
Sounds like many roundabouts were introduced in the US without a good public information campaign. I have no issues with roundabouts, we have everything from small, double, multi lane roundabouts, even ones with traffic lights as you go around the roundabout, the key is in the approach, be in the correct lane as you enter and you will exit easier. The UK has just introduced the first Dutch roundabout which gives priority to cyclists and pedestrians. link fixed www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-53769480
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Post by gizzy on Aug 14, 2020 12:45:40 GMT
I don't mind them now that almost everyone knows how they work. Except there's 3 in a row off of an exit that always throws me for a loop and I end up back on the highway again & have to turn around. I drive that route maybe once a year, thankfully.
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Post by shutterbug2sue on Aug 14, 2020 13:20:53 GMT
Road engineer chiming in.
The comments here are typical of loving them or hating them!
Data wise: roundabouts decrease the severity of traffic accidents by 80%! That’s a huge number for improving the safety of the intersection. Any time you have to stop while driving increases the hazard for others not paying attention and hitting others. The roundabout also has less decisions needed to navigate it - so less opportunity to have to think.
Cost wise: the roundabout needs more land and it’s a lot of new pavement so upfront costs may be high - but no ongoing maintenance costs for traffic signals which leads to a large decrease in severe crashes (red light runners, T-bone, rear ends). Crashes still happen but the speed is lower, so less severe impacts (cars can drive away versus being towed away).
Road engineers (should) review the traffic accident reports to determine placement. They are not placed willy nilly - they are in response to a high traffic accident count at said intersection - yes, deaths rate much higher in those studies.
The center part is usually paved so larger/longer trucks can ride over the median - that is on purpose as they can’t turn so tight as in smaller wheelbase vehicles. And the type of traffic is looked at when designing the roundabout location.
And yes, it seems each area builds them a bit differently. Some of them are super complicated to me and I like to think I know how to drive!
Another “newer” type of intersection is the diverging diamond which I’ve seen on freeway overpass on/off ramps. Those are the ones where you get moved to the “wrong” side of the road and then flipped back. Lots of thinking while driving through those!
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Post by craftedbys on Aug 14, 2020 13:36:24 GMT
People in my city are unable or unwilling to follow even the most basic traffic laws; seriously, even red lights have become "suggestions" to many people. I could only imagine what havoc a traffic circle/roundabout would cause.
They installed roundabouts at two different places near my DD's university and I hate going near them. I'm not saying people in Mississippi are incapable of understanding the concept, but considering the fact that most can't or refuse to yield when they see the sign, it's amazing there aren't more accidents there.
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Post by Really Red on Aug 14, 2020 13:47:17 GMT
Sounds like many roundabouts were introduced in the US without a good public information campaign.
I have no issues with roundabouts, we have everything from small, double, multi lane roundabouts, even ones with traffic lights as you go around the roundabout, the key is in the approach, be in the correct lane as you enter and you will exit easier. The UK has just introduced the first Dutch roundabout which gives priority to cyclists and pedestrians. link fixed www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-53769480 This is so true. Roundabouts SAVE LIVES. I don't have the statistics, but I believe they are overwhelmingly in favor of roundabouts. In a 4-way stop, there are many fatalities as you can imagine since people run stop signs. In roundabouts there may be accidents, but they are not fatal because you're hitting someone on the side. Sorry I can't get all the statistics as I just got home from the hospital, but I get so mad when people can't move forward and see that there are better ways of doing things.
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,702
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Aug 14, 2020 13:51:27 GMT
I despise them because people are freaking idiots. I actually witnessed someone stop and back up in one because apparently they don't know how circles work.
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Post by Restless Spirit on Aug 14, 2020 13:54:38 GMT
I always thought they were installed on roads with heavy traffic/intersections. Our city has been installing them in some places that seems rather random. There is a road on the edge of town that has very little traffic, just some spaced out housing additions. They are currently working on the 3rd round about. I’m highly suspicious that they are laying the ground work for making the area attractive for industrial use.
My favorite round about is the one that has a railroad track going through it. People drive insanely fast, don’t look, and never signal. There’s been some wrecks there and I’m waiting for someone to get hit by a train.
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maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,791
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Aug 14, 2020 14:00:20 GMT
They are all over Massachusetts. I don’t mind them at all. They just repainted the lines on one I use all the time but made a different alignment. Everyone looks so confused now. I hope it sorts out soon or they paint it back the other way.
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purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,792
Jun 27, 2014 20:37:34 GMT
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Post by purplebee on Aug 14, 2020 14:12:15 GMT
They are bad for my neck of the woods because people don’t understand how they work and don’t want to learn, but boy do they want to complain! A traffic light would be much more effective. They have built a few locally over the last several years and it’s a mess.
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Post by stine on Aug 14, 2020 14:15:06 GMT
I know a fire truck driver who dislikes them. The ones here are not paved in the middle so they have to slow their speed to make the turns. We are getting 2 new ones right by my house so I'll be dealing with them daily and I am not a fan.
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Post by librarylady on Aug 14, 2020 14:31:41 GMT
You left off the option of "Hate with a passion!"
I find it odd that the traffic engineers think they are wonderful. We have grocery delivery to the supermarket in huge trucks which cannot navigate the devil's spawn called a traffic circle--nor can those gasoline tanker trucks....that have to come into smaller neighborhoods to fill the gas station tanks.
In the late 60s to early 70s, Dallas removed a large one (the Harry Hines Circle) because of the large number of accidents. In the 1980s, the suburb of FW, removed the "Benbrook circle." In the 90s, the town of Brownwood removed the long established traffic circle because of accidents.
Now, the wonderful traffic engineers want to reinstate all those circles.
HATE THEM, HATE THEM, HATE THEM.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,795
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Aug 14, 2020 14:37:17 GMT
The only thing that bothers me is because it is "no stop" a few people think it is a no look, no pause, just go.
Like the lady driving a SUV towing a trailer the other day that didn't even slow down and damn near T-boned me as I was already in and circling.
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janeinbama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,201
Location: Alabama
Jan 29, 2015 16:24:49 GMT
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Post by janeinbama on Aug 14, 2020 14:52:21 GMT
I first encountered them in Italy, as a passenger it looked like a well orchestrated free for all, much better than waiting at a light with no other traffic. We started getting them in our city about 10 years ago and NO ONE knows how to drive them. One was not quite big enough for 18 wheelers and it was modified several times by trucks and eventually by the city. Drivers are better know, but you can tell when a newbie is in front of you:)
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Post by Lindarina on Aug 14, 2020 14:55:00 GMT
Love them, but I’ve seen them all my life. My town has only one traffic light junction and many many roundabouts. The traffic light is a pain in the a## and the roundabouts make the traffic run much smoother. Especially during rush hour.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 17:44:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2020 16:06:23 GMT
They are okay and I understand the safety element although I think the design should be more standardized in my area. All different types of areas and traffic patterns where they are placed (or a couple close together for fun) makes it all the more challenging for folks to learn how to navigate them. And the ones that are on highways with higher speeds in the middle of nowhere are a poor choice IMO. Also wish pedestrians would have to stay out of them, or just have one route through that is lit with flashers. I rarely see pedestrians in them, but freaks me out every time to think someone would have to stop for one and a) see the pedestrian/cyclist far enough in advance or b) have other vehicles see what's going on. A lot of ours have the big concrete walled planters in the middle so you can't see the full circle. At work, we have run into a bunch that our oversize trucks/loads can't navigate.
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Post by compeateropeator on Aug 14, 2020 16:13:05 GMT
I have always whined and moaned when I knew a rotary was going in.
I have always found that they actually work very well, In spite of my whining and moaning.
To handle them well you can’t be indecisive. You need find your spot, get in and go. 😉😄
ETA - full disclosure all my RoundAbout experiences are pretty tame so who knows how cocky I would be on the scary ones. 😄
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Post by gar on Aug 14, 2020 16:13:23 GMT
Ah, well...Italian drivers are a law unto themselves
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,580
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 14, 2020 16:26:49 GMT
I have always whined and moaned when I knew a rotary was going in. I have always found that they actually work very well, In spite of my whining and moaning. To handle them well you can’t be indecisive. You need find your spot, get in and go. 😉😄 ETA - full disclosure all my round about experiences are pretty tame so who knows how cocky I would be on the scary ones. 😄 Mine have been pretty tame, as well!!!
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Post by Patter on Aug 14, 2020 16:33:22 GMT
It sounds more as though if they’re becoming more common in the US there needs to be more education/information on how to use them correctly. Yes, yes, yes! Couldn't agree more.
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Post by librarylady on Aug 14, 2020 17:02:40 GMT
I wonder if they work better in the UK, where drivers are on a different side of the street than drivers in the US.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 17:44:19 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2020 17:39:24 GMT
I wonder if they work better in the UK, where drivers are on a different side of the street than drivers in the US. I don't think that makes a difference at all. We just go round them clockwise and you go round them anti clockwise.We still enter and exit in the same way as you do but driving on different sides of the road.. If you take a circle with N:S:E and West on it for example and we both enter from the south, we get to the west ( first exit for us) on the same side of the road as we would be going clockwise. If you wanted to go west you'd have to drive three quarters round the circle as you would be going anti clockwise. same for going East but it would be us that would be going three quarters round the circle to take the exit.
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,687
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
Jul 22, 2017 4:59:41 GMT
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Post by luckyjune on Aug 14, 2020 18:01:42 GMT
I like them. Roundabouts have taken care of some major back up traffic issues in my town. Same as others, I'm not too jazzed about the multi-lane ones. Roundabouts are a fairly new thing here and people don't know how to drive them. I know they put in two major ones in the town my parents live in and there were fender benders almost immediately.
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Post by gale w on Aug 14, 2020 18:32:22 GMT
They have been uncommon and many people may go their entire lives without seeing/using one. Not taught in driver ed even a few years ago. As an example, I can still remember the first time I encountered one. I was 20 something and was driving on Cape Cod in MA on vacation. I had probably been driving for ten years and this was new to me. I had ZERO idea what the hell I was supposed to do with this weird circle. Did not see one again for over thirty years. As noted in my post above, when they put them in our Midwestern city, no one there had any idea what they were. I saw people.drive right over the center hump many times -- they finally planted trees in the middle to inform people that was not the right way to do it. Oh goodness! So if they're becoming more common are they being taught in driver's ed now? Or is it dependent on where you live? My kids learned very briefly about them in Driver's Ed (there is only one roundabout in town but in towns about an hour or two away there are a lot more).
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Post by gale w on Aug 14, 2020 18:35:56 GMT
I understand all the reasons for them. But the lone roundabout in town here is in such a low travel area I don't understand the point. I used to go that way a lot because dd's work was near it and I think I never saw more than one other vehicle at it. Others have said the same thing so it must be the same at various times of the day. There are no stores near it, other than the lone (brand new post-roundabout) dollar general. There is one nursing home near it and some apartments. It's in a residential area. It just seems useless for that spot.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,379
Location: PNW
Jul 20, 2014 21:57:23 GMT
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Post by breetheflea on Aug 14, 2020 19:26:32 GMT
They keep putting them in here. Fine, you don't have to stop as much except they plant things (or signs) in the middle and you can't see if anyone is coming so you can yield to them... so they are a disaster waiting to happen.
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sassyangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,456
Jun 26, 2014 23:58:32 GMT
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Post by sassyangel on Aug 14, 2020 19:44:44 GMT
I wonder if they work better in the UK, where drivers are on a different side of the street than drivers in the US. Not really. You just give way to all oncoming traffic on a roundabout in Australia/UK, and in the in the US. I honestly think the bigger issue is people are just not used to them and understand all the etiquette of them.
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Post by smasonnc on Aug 14, 2020 21:06:42 GMT
I don't mind them at all, but knew how to navigate them from living overseas. There is a medium sized one between here and DD's apartment that I take frequently. My biggest problem has been the bike riders who seem to think all rules of the road do not apply to them and just go flying through without even slowing down. Many drivers don't realize the car already in the roundabout has the right of way. Back in the 80's, the first country I ever had to drive through roundabouts had different rules. If you were already in the roundabout, you had to yield to the drivers who were entering. Really made a mess of things for me when I got to the next country and the rules were totally different. The first place I encountered them was in Northern Ireland in the early 90s. I was just figuring out how to drive on the left and had to navigate several two lane roundabouts. I lived and didn’t hit anyone.
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