Traffic Circles/Roundabouts?

[Bigfoot62]

. . . Traffic circles seem to me to be a more efficient way of handling traffic at intersections than our use of traffic lights. If so, why don't we use them more here?

Steve

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!! The first reply you had was the correct one.

. . . They say the worst thing about them in the United States is drivers who don't understand the rules. . .

A lot of drivers just don't get it. They can't grasp the concept, however simple it is.

I don't see the advantage over a 4 way stop. You are suppose to stop before entering anyways. . .

Not so. A YIELD sign means that you have to stop only IF someone is already in the circle and approaching your entry point. Stopping when nobody else is in the circle causes wrecks.

One was installed near me about 3 years ago. There have been a BUNCH more wrecks since then. (WAY more than when there was a red light)
If there is any benefit at all, it's that the wrecks seem to be more minor. I haven't heard of any fatalities lately.

As also mentioned above, circles are way more problematic when they are too small. This one is WAY too small. A semi truck with a 40 or 50' trailer takes both lanes. I know of at least 5 semi's that have turned over there. If the semi tries to use the inside lane, the driver's side trailer wheels will get up on the center island and over it goes. And if you're going Westbound to Southbound, the circle is marked to use the inside lane ONLY. LaDOT engineers are brilliant.

 

[smstonypoint]

I've only known one Aggie, and he told me he was a Aggie within 2 minutes of meeting him. And he continued to remind me....

With sufficient experience, you can identify a male Aggie without any additional information. However, it does require training to distinguish between Aggies and Oklahoma State graduates.

Steve

 

[randy41]

there's many of these in DC. many of the roads there were built so that a cannon and troops could occupy an intersection and see all the way down several roads at a time.
there must be a traffic density that makes these unworkable.

 

[aczlan]

I don't see the advantage over a 4 way stop. You are suppose to stop before entering anyways. I'm partial to just 4 way stop with flashing red light. But they have them in Ocala and Gainesville FL. Both between 50-100k people. Always where a 3 or 4 way stop used to be, never a real intersection.

They replaced a 4 way stop and a T intersection (1 way stop) with a pair of roundabouts near where I work. They have a single lane around the outside and a lane and a half in the middle with raised brick pavers for semis to use.
Anecdotally, they are faster then the intersections that they replaced. At lunchtime, a 2-3 minute wait behind 15 cars was not uncommon, now you might wait a minute.
Where they gain over a 4 way stop is:
1. They have yield signs, so if there isn't anyone in the roundabout, you dont have to stop
2. You can safely have 4-8 people in the intersection at a time

Mythbusters did an episode comparing a 4 way stop to a roundabout while back, they got 385 cars through a 4 way stop in 15 mins vs 460 through a 4 way roundabout in the same time:

Aaron Z

 

[k0ua]

I don't see the advantage over a 4 way stop. You are suppose to stop before entering anyways. I'm partial to just 4 way stop with flashing red light. But they have them in Ocala and Gainesville FL. Both between 50-100k people. Always where a 3 or 4 way stop used to be, never a real intersection.

Ours don't have stop signs, just yield signs as you enter. So normally you don't have to stop, and no one in the roundabout has to stop. So if traffic is not too heavy no-one has to stop. All cars keep moving, and if you use your head, you can always keep moving, just slow down or speed up a but to merge with the traffic in the roundabout. Sure they take some getting used to, but they can pass more traffic per minute than any light or 4 way stop. That is the idea, make traffic flow better.

 

[lostcreekranch]

My first "rooondaboot" adventure was my first visit to Aberdeen Scotland in 1971. Was also my first time to drive on left side of the road.

Later moved to Aberdeen and maneuvering them, even on left side of road, came to be quite natural. In UK drivers already in the RA had the right of way but, I found that watching the traffic flow well in advance made it very easy to get right in, merging with the other cars.

They generally don't work well in the US because their basic premise is courteous driving. In most place that isn't happening!

I think the RA in Swindon is for "Square Dancing Cars". :-D

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[lostcreekranch]

Ours don't have stop signs, just yield signs as you enter. So normally you don't have to stop, and no one in the roundabout has to stop. So if traffic is not too heavy no-one has to stop. All cars keep moving, and if you use your head, you can always keep moving, just slow down or speed up a but to merge with the traffic in the roundabout. Sure they take some getting used to, but they can pass more traffic per minute than any light or 4 way stop. That is the idea, make traffic flow better.

James;

I think you have a good grasp of the concept. Well stated!

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[George2615]

We have a couple traffic circles in the Syracuse area. For many years the were called GM circle and Carrier circle because GM and Carrier each had a plant by the circle closest to them. There is a yield sign when entering the circle and it's very easy to miss where you want to get off because you are watching for other traffic.

 

[dave1949]

We certainly do love our roundabouts! The latest thing now, to tackle the horrendous congestion in most towns, is to install traffic lights to control access. Traffic already on the roundabout is halted by red lights to allow traffic to join.

The other really ridiculous roundabout fashion here is the dreaded mini roundabout. Basically a white circle painted in the middle of a normal junction. It is usually impossible to navigate them properly even in a small car, so you end up just driving over the middle. They are used as speed calming measure rather than to improve traffic flow.

The finest example of roundabout engineering I know of, in this fine nation, is this effort in Swindon...

Oh my. That looks like organized chaos.

 

[turnkey4099]

Never knowingly driven in a state where "Entering Traffic" had the right of way over traffic on the main thoroughfare. Maybe that would explain why I have seen people slam on the brakes on a Interstate Highway with the traffic moving at 70 MPH and wave for a person entering on a acceleration lane, traveling at 35-40 MPH to move into the 70 MPH traffic.

In the seventies during the GAS Crisis a lot of states enacted "Right Turn On Red Laws" to allow a motorist to stop and then turn right on Red Lights if it can be done safely and without causing inference with the traffic flow. People still don't understand the Right Turn On Red law some forty years later. Maybe they will learn how to drive in "Roundabouts" by 2099.

When one makes more than one trip around a Roundabout looking for the exit, they call that getting lost on a Roundabout in Europe. Don't ask me how I know this. I will give you a hint, The Arc de Triomphe in Paris has twelve streets feeding traffic into the Roundabout around the Arc. (Click on skip the ad) Great traffic chaos in paris at the 'Arc de Triomphe' - YouTube

Worst I saw was in Boston coming in from the airport and headed into the tunnel. Lots lanes coming in, one or two only going into the tunnel. Rule seemed to be "every man for himself, best bluffer wins"


Harry K