There is one in my town. It has probably been there 10 years or so, and was put in right when I started driving. It was pretty amusing to me (and still is) the number of people who can't figure it out.
Little or no roundabouts in the U.S?
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Originally Posted By: mooferz
I know a few around here in Austin, mostly in residential areas.
There are more and more in the city of Austin every year! Try some of the streets in the '04...West Mary comes to mind.
I'm moving to Leander, I can't stand the rich Central Austin liberals anymore. And I say this as a person who more often than not votes left. The goofballs on the City Council are out of control. Keep Mopac Local? Yeah ok Steve Adler you can stick that where the sun don't shine.
26 years here and I have always lived within the Austin city limits. No more. Building a house in Leander.
[edit] I like the roundabouts on residential intersections, forces you to slow down, but not stop that frequently. On busier intersections - no. Been there done that in France and Germany, it doesn't work that well for a high traffic intersection.
I know a few around here in Austin, mostly in residential areas.
There are more and more in the city of Austin every year! Try some of the streets in the '04...West Mary comes to mind.
I'm moving to Leander, I can't stand the rich Central Austin liberals anymore. And I say this as a person who more often than not votes left. The goofballs on the City Council are out of control. Keep Mopac Local? Yeah ok Steve Adler you can stick that where the sun don't shine.
26 years here and I have always lived within the Austin city limits. No more. Building a house in Leander.
[edit] I like the roundabouts on residential intersections, forces you to slow down, but not stop that frequently. On busier intersections - no. Been there done that in France and Germany, it doesn't work that well for a high traffic intersection.
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I can only think of two, one downriver of me on the West Bank of the river, and an elevated one where Causeway Blvd. goes over U.S. 61. The latter is from the late '40s or early '50s, when the suburbs began to grow -- you can tell by the concrete construction. The first doesn't get much traffic, the second does, but both are easy to navigate.
We have one I that I know of in the roads here. There was one at an apartment complex I lived in and people didn't pay attention and pull right out in front of you.
AZjeff
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Crazy for them around here. 8 new ones going in on my 12 mile commute. They absolutely work. A bunch were put in at Sedona a few years ago and what once was backed up gridlock with all the tourists now flows pretty well. Always someone who doesn't get it but overall a big improvement. Quite a few in this town and while there really weren't backups they sure haven't hurt traffic flow and when they eliminate stoplights a lot less equipment and cost to maintain. Just gotta watch the other guy.
Guess people just don't like change. With roundys odds are pretty high that you'll be able to roll on through without stopping, 0% chance of that with stop signs and 50/50ish with stoplights (and your delay is longer).
Guess people just don't like change. With roundys odds are pretty high that you'll be able to roll on through without stopping, 0% chance of that with stop signs and 50/50ish with stoplights (and your delay is longer).
JHZR2
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Originally Posted By: Kira
When I was younger, say 30-35 years ago, there was a campaign to remove them.
Find Rt. 23 on a New Jersey map and it was nothing but circles as it wend it way into the hills.
Increasing development brought traffic and the lazy circles had to go.
There still are quite a few. Idiocy mainly has caused their downfall. Where they remain they are far more efficient than stoplightsto control the interchanges. The solution is to have a set of overpasses/bypasses to only control traffic of those looking to change roads/direction, but that makes each circle removal $$.
Id rather keep each circle and implement traffic cameras with high fines for rude or aggressive behaviors that affect smooth entry/exit from the circle.
If a road has enough traffic to warrant removal, the main traffic carrying road should be made larger, with appropriate merge/exits implemented a distance off.
When I was younger, say 30-35 years ago, there was a campaign to remove them.
Find Rt. 23 on a New Jersey map and it was nothing but circles as it wend it way into the hills.
Increasing development brought traffic and the lazy circles had to go.
There still are quite a few. Idiocy mainly has caused their downfall. Where they remain they are far more efficient than stoplightsto control the interchanges. The solution is to have a set of overpasses/bypasses to only control traffic of those looking to change roads/direction, but that makes each circle removal $$.
Id rather keep each circle and implement traffic cameras with high fines for rude or aggressive behaviors that affect smooth entry/exit from the circle.
If a road has enough traffic to warrant removal, the main traffic carrying road should be made larger, with appropriate merge/exits implemented a distance off.
Originally Posted By: umungus1122
Lots of circles in NJ. Personally, I don't care for them.
NJ is better known for "jug-handle turns," isn't it! The circle in the small NJ town in which I once lived was replaced by stoplight long ago. Most old US circles are not well designed. Often they're plopped in the middle of small towns, seemingly to show off the courthouse, or whatever's in the middle of the circle.
Lots of circles in NJ. Personally, I don't care for them.
NJ is better known for "jug-handle turns," isn't it! The circle in the small NJ town in which I once lived was replaced by stoplight long ago. Most old US circles are not well designed. Often they're plopped in the middle of small towns, seemingly to show off the courthouse, or whatever's in the middle of the circle.
Originally Posted By: Claud
The only place I came across with roundabouts in Texas was Waco. I may be way out of date by now.
In the UK we have a problem ith European drivers not understanding the "Yield to the right" rule, basically whoever is already on the roundabout has right of way. Don't get confused, we drive on the left here!.
Properly designed and used, roundabouts are a great help in easing traffic flow, but if you are used to four way stop junctions then I see why it can cause confusion.
Claud.
That rule is the same everywhere Claud, so that's not the issue. But for European drivers it's often very hard to see the car coming from the left (with right of way) as it's blocked by the B-pillar/passenger seat headrest. LHD cars simply don't work right on UK roads, and vice versa. Very poor turn signal use in general isn't helping matters either but has nothing to with entering the roundabout. And putting lights on a roundabout defeats the purpose as you just created a bunch of intersections...
Just spent 14 days in Scotland with a LHD car, the situation is fresh in my memory.
The only place I came across with roundabouts in Texas was Waco. I may be way out of date by now.
In the UK we have a problem ith European drivers not understanding the "Yield to the right" rule, basically whoever is already on the roundabout has right of way. Don't get confused, we drive on the left here!.
Properly designed and used, roundabouts are a great help in easing traffic flow, but if you are used to four way stop junctions then I see why it can cause confusion.
Claud.
That rule is the same everywhere Claud, so that's not the issue. But for European drivers it's often very hard to see the car coming from the left (with right of way) as it's blocked by the B-pillar/passenger seat headrest. LHD cars simply don't work right on UK roads, and vice versa. Very poor turn signal use in general isn't helping matters either but has nothing to with entering the roundabout. And putting lights on a roundabout defeats the purpose as you just created a bunch of intersections...
Just spent 14 days in Scotland with a LHD car, the situation is fresh in my memory.
There are several roundabouts near me and half of them replaced older four way stop intersections. Most are in relatively low traffic suburban settings as I can't see more densely populated areas near me yielding to the cars already in the circle...it would just be a more direct path where they didn't have to stop but in a negative way. I'm sure you'd see a lot of touch and go crashes with people insisting on their right of way in that instance.
Roundabouts are not confusing if you're taught how to use them when you are in driving school, much better than roundabouts in my opinion.
They put one in just down the road from me, but it is way to small. Even box trucks can hardly get through it, it's really fun when a tractor-trailer tries (it's right off of an interstate off ramp). And since it's directly coming off of an off ramp, people will blow through it at 40+ mph from one direction while the other three entrances have cars piling up trying to get in. They ended up putting these small speed bump type devices before it but that still doesn't slow anybody down.
However, I do like roundabouts that are properly designed and when people actually know how to use them.
However, I do like roundabouts that are properly designed and when people actually know how to use them.
Lots of them in the UK and generally they reduce queues compared to an intersection with traffic lights. They work best when they are the right size. With very small ones everyone just flys through them regardless and unless there is good open visibility of each feeder road they can be dangerous. When they are too big they don't work well either as the traffic speed becomes so high there is no chance of getting on to the roundabout.
Even in country with thousands of them there are still some drives who don't seem to get the simple rule of how they work. As a motorcyclists that can be dangerous when you are on the roundabout and some myopic car driver comes flying out. I guess a motorcyclist or cyclist can be just as invisible on a roundabout as anywhere else.
Even in country with thousands of them there are still some drives who don't seem to get the simple rule of how they work. As a motorcyclists that can be dangerous when you are on the roundabout and some myopic car driver comes flying out. I guess a motorcyclist or cyclist can be just as invisible on a roundabout as anywhere else.
They're pretty much non-existent here. Saskatoon used to have one, and Regina has a couple of "roundabouts" that barely fit the definition, kind of at a couple of very low traffic intersections, basically a giant flowerpot so no one goes barrelling through the intersection at 50 km/h, having really nothing to do with regulating flow from different directions at all, but rather just a way to slow traffic down.
Our drivers are clueless enough without something complex.
Our drivers are clueless enough without something complex.
Someone in Temecula, CA USA likes them. We have 3, working on 4 that I can think of. Maybe because of the wine county they are trying to sell being Euro or something.
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Originally Posted By: Claud
The only place I came across with roundabouts in Texas was Waco. I may be way out of date by now.
In the UK we have a problem ith European drivers not understanding the "Yield to the right" rule, basically whoever is already on the roundabout has right of way. Don't get confused, we drive on the left here!.
Properly designed and used, roundabouts are a great help in easing traffic flow, but if you are used to four way stop junctions then I see why it can cause confusion.
Claud.
That rule is the same everywhere Claud, so that's not the issue. But for European drivers it's often very hard to see the car coming from the left (with right of way) as it's blocked by the B-pillar/passenger seat headrest. LHD cars simply don't work right on UK roads, and vice versa. Very poor turn signal use in general isn't helping matters either but has nothing to with entering the roundabout. And putting lights on a roundabout defeats the purpose as you just created a bunch of intersections...
Just spent 14 days in Scotland with a LHD car, the situation is fresh in my memory.
No, the rule for Belgium is the car entering a roundabout has right of way, the opposite of the UK. I have had several close calls with Belgian plate vehicles driving on to a roundabout in front of me, despite warning signs (most Belgians have a commendable grasp of the English language btw) and road markings they are still confused. I don't know if this is true of other European countries.
I drive a lhd car all over the UK, no problem with visibilty, but it is an lod American car, no massive blind spots like modern cars.
Claud.
Originally Posted By: Claud
The only place I came across with roundabouts in Texas was Waco. I may be way out of date by now.
In the UK we have a problem ith European drivers not understanding the "Yield to the right" rule, basically whoever is already on the roundabout has right of way. Don't get confused, we drive on the left here!.
Properly designed and used, roundabouts are a great help in easing traffic flow, but if you are used to four way stop junctions then I see why it can cause confusion.
Claud.
That rule is the same everywhere Claud, so that's not the issue. But for European drivers it's often very hard to see the car coming from the left (with right of way) as it's blocked by the B-pillar/passenger seat headrest. LHD cars simply don't work right on UK roads, and vice versa. Very poor turn signal use in general isn't helping matters either but has nothing to with entering the roundabout. And putting lights on a roundabout defeats the purpose as you just created a bunch of intersections...
Just spent 14 days in Scotland with a LHD car, the situation is fresh in my memory.
No, the rule for Belgium is the car entering a roundabout has right of way, the opposite of the UK. I have had several close calls with Belgian plate vehicles driving on to a roundabout in front of me, despite warning signs (most Belgians have a commendable grasp of the English language btw) and road markings they are still confused. I don't know if this is true of other European countries.
I drive a lhd car all over the UK, no problem with visibilty, but it is an lod American car, no massive blind spots like modern cars.
Claud.
Absolutely NOT!
Every roundabout in Belgium has a yield sign and roadmarkings to the same on the entrance of the roundabout. If those aren't there, it's not a roundabout.
don't use a turn indicator on the roundabout unless you will change lanes or get off. If you indicate (like in the uk at times) that you will continue on the roundabout, that is interpreted as you going to the inside lane and an invitation to get cut off...
Every roundabout in Belgium has a yield sign and roadmarkings to the same on the entrance of the roundabout. If those aren't there, it's not a roundabout.
don't use a turn indicator on the roundabout unless you will change lanes or get off. If you indicate (like in the uk at times) that you will continue on the roundabout, that is interpreted as you going to the inside lane and an invitation to get cut off...
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I think they're great for low traffic intersections on low speed roadways. I don't think they're as efficient in high traffic areas and are totally inappropriate for highways. I remember driving the M highways in England where they had higher speed roundabouts every 5-10 miles. You can't just relax and drive there. Its stressful to drive over there. My blod pressure rose everytime there was a roundabout ahead sign. I guess they can't afford real on/off ramps.
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