Report: Roundabouts proliferating in America, drivers confused
#1
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Interesting since in GA they will be building more to cut costs and help with traffic flow...
![](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/roundabout.jpg)
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/28/r...vers-confused/
![](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/roundabout.jpg)
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/28/r...vers-confused/
Roundabouts are the scourge of many a motorist and a favorite calming device of traffic engineers, and they're spreading like crazy across the United States roadscape. As anyone who's had the joy of driving in Massachusetts or New Jersey will tell you, plenty of drivers have absolutely no idea when to yield or how to successfully navigate these rings of macadam.
According to The New York Times, the fertile Midwest has sprouted a bumper crop of these sometimes-confusing intersections, with 100 popping up in Wisconsin since 2004, and almost 100 blooming in Kansas, as well. Other states have a richness of roundabouts; Maryland has nearly 200, for example; and there's more on the drawing board across the nation.
Despite a public that's apparently skeptical of the change, there are plenty of positives to roundabouts. Speeds are low, and any crashes that do occur are less severe because the head-on collision is virtually eliminated. Emissions are also purportedly lower because there's less starting and stopping (though drivers waiting in epic backups approaching these things might disagree), they don't require electricity to operate and they keep traffic moving simultaneously in multiple directions. Since they do seem to be the favorite device of traffic engineers, roundabouts won't be going away any time soon, so we're all going to get the chance to try them out. Like brussels sprouts at Thanksgiving dinner, they might even turn out to not be so bad.
According to The New York Times, the fertile Midwest has sprouted a bumper crop of these sometimes-confusing intersections, with 100 popping up in Wisconsin since 2004, and almost 100 blooming in Kansas, as well. Other states have a richness of roundabouts; Maryland has nearly 200, for example; and there's more on the drawing board across the nation.
Despite a public that's apparently skeptical of the change, there are plenty of positives to roundabouts. Speeds are low, and any crashes that do occur are less severe because the head-on collision is virtually eliminated. Emissions are also purportedly lower because there's less starting and stopping (though drivers waiting in epic backups approaching these things might disagree), they don't require electricity to operate and they keep traffic moving simultaneously in multiple directions. Since they do seem to be the favorite device of traffic engineers, roundabouts won't be going away any time soon, so we're all going to get the chance to try them out. Like brussels sprouts at Thanksgiving dinner, they might even turn out to not be so bad.
#4
No, I don't play soccer!
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Roundabouts suck. New Jersey has been getting rid of them. Everybody thinks it's a free for all and heaven forbid you stop to yield. You take your life into your hands. I avoid them.
Forgot to add, we call them circles here.
Forgot to add, we call them circles here.
Last edited by kitlz; 11-28-10 at 07:52 PM.
#5
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There are severa here on St Simons & you can get a numb nuts from AZtl **** everything up. Esp the one with inner & outer loops @ Frederica & Demere. I have almost been killed by people going stright in the outside lane.
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They're called rotories here. Although there's really only one that I'm aware of - in Cape Cod. It's worthwhile in this location because there's about 5-6 exits out of it. Not to sure it's worth having if it's just a typical 4 way intersection.
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#11
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the yielding is my biggest concern. i've seen roundabouts with stop signs, which just take up valuable intersection space and seemingly are nothing more than a city's careless waste of funds when a regular four-way stop block intersection would suffice. the yield part i can see causing more accidents, as there will be much confusion about right of way and whether it's safe to go or not.
#12
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BUT, its sad because it shows just how dumb most people are and they cannot process such a simple idea and it drives me nuts.