Anyone like traffic circles-roundabouts?

[bcp]

There are quite a few around here, and almost every one is different. Driving through a new one is like solving one of those interlocking wire puzzles. Sometimes through traffic is left lane, sometimes right lane. Some are one lane, some are two lane, and some are mixtures.

I drove through this recently finished one twice yesterday, for the first time each way. No fun. This replaced a simple 3-way signaled intersection. I was told there have been accidents by confused drivers.

Bruce

 

[Username Taken]

That particular design is known, technically, as a Charlie Foxtrot

 

[oosik]

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING. The traffic engineers think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. There are dozens and dozens being installed in and around Spokane. LEO's were at two of these things when I went into town this morning. Fender bender accidents.

I've seen folks blow right across the entire roundabout to get into the desired lane.

 

[ultrarunner]

They take some getting use to and scare the daylights out of some elderly...

Washington seems to have embraced these...

 

[Farmer495]

They've gotten carried away with them here. I personally hate them as most people can't/won't use them properly so when you do try to use it right you end up almost getting hit or have to slam your brakes on for people who stop in the wrong places.

Best ones? Two local ones: One on a truck route they didn't design for an 18 wheeler to fit and one made in a former 4 way stop just bby making a large paved area with NO physical island and only painted markings. Worked real good first snow fall.....

 

[Oz-Kioti]

Spare a thought for the Poms at Swindon:

 

[4570Man]

They’re not common here but I was on vacation recently and went through several of them. I don’t really like the multiple lane ones but the single lane ones are much more efficient than a 4 way stop.

 

[Rustyiron]

I think they are great, especially in light traffic. Nothing like waiting for your turn for a green light and watching an empty intersection for 2 minutes.

 

[Doofy]

I'm just a country boy and traffic circles confuse me. You are expected to read signs and dodge other confused drivers all at the same time while trying to herd a 5K pound vehicle thru the maze. Traffic planners and their engineers need to be staked out in the middle of their idiotic creations.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I like the ones where they create a big mound in the middle and landscape it so you can't see what's going on in any direction. There's a couple of those near here.

Read an article a few years ago when they started installing these. One of the traffic engineers commented that they expected to have MORE accidents using roundabouts, but they thought injuries would be less severe due to lower speed (as compared to people running stop signs and T-boning opposing traffic).