Here's Why You Don't Want to Shortcut a Traffic Circle

lancie00 said:
I work at an engineering firm and we've designed both round a bouts and traffic signals and the round a bouts are MUCH cheaper to install and maintain. Plus they move traffic MUCH faster than signals or stop signs. Their only disadvantage is they take more space to build and the public normally isn't smart enough to figure them out on their own.
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Plus they're way more fun the alternatives.
 
The local problem with some of the circles is the real estate one. They did not use enough real estate, the circle outer diameter is too small, the inner too large proportionately, and the streets have ditches.All ladder and aerial trucks are too long to get around, and with the monster rocks, no alternative. Pumpers are the only fire apparatus that can go around them. The more typical circles are at least twice the radius, and two lanes wide. You can drive a tractor trailer around them. Most of them have no rocks in the center, either. Traffic Safety Engineers doubtless designed them.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I don't have a problem with traffic circles. And I don't have a problem driving in Australia. But, for some reason, traffic circles in left side traffic really screw me up.
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Back in the late 80's wife and I were in England. I got messed up in a roundabout and cut off a cop, my wife still swears the cop gave us the bird.:)
 
Plano Pilot said:
Back in the late 80's wife and I were in England. I got messed up in a roundabout and cut off a cop, my wife still swears the cop gave us the bird.:)
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There is something especially disconcerting about the opposite pattern traffic circle. My brain can deal with the right hand circle fine. The left hand? I need to think so hard I need to pull off the road to figure it out.

It is just like @SixPapaCharlie trying to cheat on his IR.
 
I grew up with roundabouts - big roundabouts in western Mass. They installed them here by my office in Ohio and it solved a traffic jam situation where previously there needed to be at least two traffic cops for the traffic. Roundabouts come naturally and I much prefer them over a stoplight. Go with the flow and try not to change lanes in the circle.
 
Sac Arrow said:
There is something especially disconcerting about the opposite pattern traffic circle. My brain can deal with the right hand circle fine. The left hand? I need to think so hard I need to pull off the road to figure it out.
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Maybe @Zeldman can help you out.

Zeldman said:
There are a few traffic circles out here in nowhere, New Mexico. I have been known to go clock wise to make a left turn.....
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I used to travel on a two lane road that had several intersecting roads, and each intersection was a four way stop. During high traffic times, long lines used to form along the main road, it took 15-20 minutes to get thru the three intersections along this 1 mile long road. They tore it up and put in traffic circles and traffic just flows, rarely more then a 2-3 car backup at any of the circles.

I love traffic circles, they keep it moving.
 
There's a road near me with nothing but traffic circles - about 2 - 3 miles and every intersection has a roundabout. I don't drive it often, but I did a couple days ago. I forgot how dizzy I can get on that road. It's like driving a slalom for miles at 35 mph.
 
I don't mind traffic circles at all. They are better than traffic lights and everything can flow well. I say "can" because if you get a "traffic-circle-newb" that doesn't know how to handle a traffic circle, it sometimes backs everyone up.

And I agree with the false courtesy that goes on at four way stops. If you ever want to see just how un-courteous those waving driving are, just sit there, as they wave (I do this every time THEY have the right-of-way). The wave quickly becomes a middle finger if you don't obey their motion for you to go first. My drive home has several four way stops, and I don't know why, but watching those people get mad always makes my day.
 
Weekend Warrior said:
And I agree with the false courtesy that goes on at four way stops. If you ever want to see just how un-courteous those waving driving are, just sit there, as they wave (I do this every time THEY have the right-of-way). The wave quickly becomes a middle finger if you don't obey their motion for you to go first. My drive home has several four way stops, and I don't know why, but watching those people get mad always makes my day.
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I have one 4-way on my commute, all the others are lights. This morning was the perfect scenario: all four of us got to the intersection at the same time, so here we go with the "who goes first dance". But this time everyone was turning. I was turning left and the guy across from me was also turning left. The other two cars were making right turns. We were all able to not only hit the intersection at the same time, but we were all able to get through that intersection at the same time. It's going to be a great day!
 
Matthew said:
I have one 4-way on my commute, all the others are lights. This morning was the perfect scenario: all four of us got to the intersection at the same time, so here we go with the "who goes first dance". But this time everyone was turning. I was turning left and the guy across from me was also turning left. The other two cars were making right turns. We were all able to not only hit the intersection at the same time, but we were all able to get through that intersection at the same time. It's going to be a great day!
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So did you jinx it? :)
 
Matthew said:
Heh. No, surprisingly. Normally I decide if it’s going to be a good day if I can get paper towels out of the bathroom dispenser without them tearing.
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I hate when they put them in upside down. LOL.
 
Weekend Warrior said:
I don't mind traffic circles at all. They are better than traffic lights and everything can flow well. I say "can" because if you get a "traffic-circle-newb" that doesn't know how to handle a traffic circle, it sometimes backs everyone up.

And I agree with the false courtesy that goes on at four way stops. If you ever want to see just how un-courteous those waving driving are, just sit there, as they wave (I do this every time THEY have the right-of-way). The wave quickly becomes a middle finger if you don't obey their motion for you to go first. My drive home has several four way stops, and I don't know why, but watching those people get mad always makes my day.
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I've done this before when its not safe to proceed and you're right, they do get ****ed if you don't accept their "courtesy".
 
I just left NZ and they love traffic circles. The only trick is making sure you're looking the right way.

I'm going to be driving in Melbourne next week, so I have to get used to hook turns.
 
weilke said:
We had a local garbage hauler catch air with a semi when he was 'suprised' by a new traffic circle at 4:30 in the morning.
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In the county where I live we had two firefighters responding to a wildland fire go across a new traffic circle and turn over the water tender they were riding in. The guy in the right seat was killed.
I suspect that adrenaline, rather than alcohol, was a factor in the accident.

Dave
 
FormerHangie said:
In my town, we had an intersection that had a traffic light. It was two fairly busy streets , but the neighborhood is mostly residential. Depending on the time of day, one or more of the approaches to this intersection would back up, sometimes to where you would have to wait three or four light cycles to get through the intersection. A few years ago the city replaced it with a traffic circle. What a difference, since then I don't think I've seen more than five or six cars waiting on any approach, and much of the time at morning rush I don't even have to stop for it.

Sometimes, a traffic circle indicates that your local government has sufficient funding and is aware of its citizenry's pain points, and works to correct them.
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Yes - but the process takes years and years. In my neighborhood they have been "studying" two badly needed roundabouts for a long time. They will probably happen eventually - but don't hold your breath.

On the other hand, we have a few - and they are wonderful! One I use several times a day - and much appreciate having it. Were it up to me I would replace most traffic lights (and stop signs) with roundabouts.
The slickest arrangement I have seen (in France) combines a roundabout with an underpass.

Dave
 
cessna182b said:
Yes - but the process takes years and years. In my neighborhood they have been "studying" two badly needed roundabouts for a long time. They will probably happen eventually - but don't hold your breath.

On the other hand, we have a few - and they are wonderful! One I use several times a day - and much appreciate having it. Were it up to me I would replace most traffic lights (and stop signs) with roundabouts.
The slickest arrangement I have seen (in France) combines a roundabout with an underpass.

Dave
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That arrangement using an under/overpass is probably best when there is a busy road crossing roads with much lower utilization. I've seen where a busy road can "feed" cars into a traffic circle fast enough that all the other entrances get stuck because they have to yield to all those cars.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
That arrangement using an under/overpass is probably best when there is a busy road crossing roads with much lower utilization. I've seen where a busy road can "feed" cars into a traffic circle fast enough that all the other entrances get stuck because they have to yield to all those cars.
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Correct. The place I mentioned was the intersection of a freeway with a secondary road - with the former having the underpass. The roundabouts I referred to as "being studied" consist of a freeway, on and off ramps, cross streets,
and frontage roads all coming together in the biggest mess you ever saw.

Dave
 
I am currently in Ireland driving on the left side. So there are lots of traffic circles to the left, and even some with lights in the circle. Fun times.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
That arrangement using an under/overpass is probably best when there is a busy road crossing roads with much lower utilization. I've seen where a busy road can "feed" cars into a traffic circle fast enough that all the other entrances get stuck because they have to yield to all those cars.
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And then there is Dupont Circle in DC with two concentric roundabouts and a underpass underneath.
 
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